Corporate Functions Need Strong Business Partnering Skills

As I consult with leaders of corporate or enabling business functions, there continue to be a few recurring themes -- "we want and need a seat and a voice at the table and for our operational peers to see us as strong business partners and not just a pair of hands." The other thing I consistently hear from CIO's, CHRO's and CFO's is that their leaders need to see themselves as "business" leaders who happen to also have deep specialization in IT, HR or Finance.

This is the age-old question of generalist or specialist. The answer depends on what's going on in your organization. For example you might decide to build broad internal expertise around functional domains and outsource or insource the highly specialized areas (leadership programs, instructional design, payroll and benefits administration, contract/legal reviews, annual report creation, etc.).

As a person who has spent most of my career as a specialist, I'm hired specifically for my subject-matter expertise. The clients that I work with count on my ability to quickly understand their unique challenges and apply highly specialized practices and processes to help them achieve their goals. Those interactions helped me realize that I was learning as much as I was teaching. I set a goal to ensure that I learned at least two new facts about their specific area of the business. I scheduled "ride-alongs" or shadow days so that I could get a sense of what the leaders typical day involved and ask questions.

My point is that functional specialists have to be first in line with a desire to broaden their skills. We must see each interaction with our business partners as an opportunity to learn and build business acumen. As you do, you'll find that your seat at the table becomes "Reserved".

Trellis Hears a Who!

I've often felt like an anomaly whether with friends or family or even in my profession. Sometimes I have this nagging sense of not feeling quite like "a part of". Not in a bad or creepy way but like my contentment has an itch in the center of it's back that I can't quite reach. There's often this voice in my head telling me to try and reach for things that at first glance seem impossible or maybe just impractical. Is the voice torturing me or merely trying to get me to pay attention to something that's really there.

So Trellis, what does that have to do with the title of this blog. Well if you have children, you're undoubtedly familiar with the Dr. Seuss book and movie "Horton Hears a Who". The plot of this story is that there is an entire community (Who-Ville) living on a speck that lands on a flower. The Whos are going about their lives oblivious to the fact that there's an entire other community outside of the speck which is where Horton lives until one day the communities collide because Horton (a very large elephant) hears a faint, small voice coming from the speck. Of course Horton initially thinks he's crazy and that he's hearing things. Horton tries to ignore the voices but eventually realizes they are real.

Well, you can imagine what happens when Horton tries to convince his friends that there is an entire microscopic planet on a speck, that they are speaking to him and asking for his help. You guessed it.. he is ridiculed and forced into a cage by the other animals in the jungle for believing in something that they are unable to see or hear.

I think all of us at times feel like Horton. We hear or see or aspire to achieve something that seems so impossible that at first we don't even believe it. It can take us a lifetime to finally submit to that voice, even if only for ourselves -- but that's not where the real work begins. The real work is then being brave enough to live out what's real for you in the face of many people around you telling you you're crazy.

So for the rest of you "Hortons" out there, here are some tips that have helped me on my journey:

1. Stop beating yourself up for not "getting it" sooner.
   


2. Create margin in your life. If the "practical' stuff takes up all of the space, energy, resources and creativity, you won't have much left for the possibilities.

1. Expect opposition even from yourself.
   


2. Find and cultivate relationships with people who believe in you.
   


3. Realize there's nothing wrong with you.
   


4. Realize there's nothing wrong with other people either.
   
   


5. LISTEN! This means you have to be still and focus on that faint voice.
   


6. ACT on what you hear!
   


7. Find someone to help keep you accountable to your action plan.

Just remember, the voices won't go away because the "Whos" really are there. They're not figments of your imagination.


"even though you can’t see or hear them at all, a person’s a person, no matter how small" -- Horton - Dr. Suess

Nobody is going to do it for you!

There are certain junctures in life where we're all called upon to really walk out what we say we believe. It usually comes at the most inconvenient time. A time where we are not feeling particularly courageous or equipped. I can't recall who said it but there's a quote that says " if it was easy everybody would do it". Well, it's not easy and nobody's going to do it for you!

Whatever the hurdle or decision is that you've been avoiding because it seems too hard, just know that you can do it. You HAVE to do it. You're the only one who CAN do it which means you have all that you need. There are huge risks involved in living our values and making the tough decisions but there are also great rewards. So...get to it!!