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".
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