Can We Reimagine HR for a Second Please? With Trina Sunday

11/11/24 • 46 min

In this episode of Lead to Soar, host Michelle Redfern is joined by Trina Sunday, founder of Reimagine HR, for a candid conversation about the need for a major overhaul in HR. Michelle and Trina unpack the shortcomings in traditional HR practices, including the “policy police” reputation, and discuss how HR functions must evolve to be effective partners in strategic leadership. They explore why HR often catches criticism, how changing workplace expectations impact HR’s responsibilities, and the skills gap preventing HR from meeting the needs of a modern workforce. From adopting design thinking to embracing proactive relationship-building, they advocate for a reimagined HR that better supports both employee well-being and organizational goals.

Episode Highlights:

Why HR Needs Reimagining: Trina explains that HR’s “policy police” reputation often undermines its credibility. The function frequently finds itself torn between advocating for leaders or employees, resulting in a perceived lack of alignment and strategic value.

The Dual Role of HR: Michelle and Trina discuss the unique challenge HR faces in balancing the needs of both employees and leadership. This "dual loyalty" requires HR professionals to demonstrate social intelligence, transparency, and consistency to foster trust on both sides.

Modern Skill Requirements for HR: To thrive in today’s environment, HR must master new skills, including data analysis, digital literacy, business acumen, and values-based decision-making. The need to focus on employee experience design and inclusivity is also highlighted.

Barriers to HR Transformation: Limited budgets, outdated perceptions, and a lack of digital resources hinder HR's ability to drive innovation. Additionally, traditional HR education often fails to equip practitioners with the modern skills necessary for impactful leadership.

The Role of Design Thinking in HR: Both Michelle and Trina advocate for using human-centered design to tailor HR practices to meet diverse employee needs effectively. However, they acknowledge that this is rarely part of traditional HR training.

Leadership Call to Action:

Reevaluate HR's Role: For senior leaders, clarify HR’s strategic role within the organization. Openly communicate this vision across departments to ensure alignment and mutual understanding.

Voice of the Customer Listening Tour: Encourage HR to regularly engage with both employees and leadership to understand their evolving needs. Use focus groups or one-on-one conversations to gain insights rather than relying on impersonal surveys.

Invest in Skill Development: Equip HR teams with critical skills such as business acumen, data literacy, and design thinking to address both organizational and employee needs proactively. Prioritize continuous learning, networking, and skill-building.

Embrace Proactive Communication: Transparent, values-driven communication is essential in building trust. Ensure HR consistently communicates decisions and expectations, maintaining clear, ethical standards.

Challenge Traditional Practices: Question outdated processes that hinder HR’s ability to be a proactive partner in the business. Shift HR’s focus away from compliance to prioritize collaboration, strategic input, and employee advocacy.

You can find, listen to and connect with Trina at:

http://www.reimaginehr.com.au/

https://podcast.reimaginehr.com.au/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/trinasunday/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Highlights:

Leadership Call to Action:

Reevaluate HR's Role: For senior leaders, clarify HR’s strategic role within the organization. Openly communicate this vision across departments to ensure alignment and mutual understanding.

You can find, listen to and connect with Trina at:

http://www.reimaginehr.com.au/

https://podcast.reimaginehr.com.au/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/trinasunday/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Why You Must Master the Art of Conversation for Leadership Growth

In this episode of the Lead to Soar podcast, Michelle Redfern explores the concept of learning conversations and their role in career and leadership development. Michelle shares how mastering the art of these informal but intentional discussions can significantly enhance your leadership journey.

Key Discussion Points:

What are Learning Conversations?

Michelle defines learning conversations as informal, intentional dialogues with someone whose experience can help broaden your perspective. Unlike traditional mentoring, learning conversations are more flexible and less structured, focusing on real-time knowledge sharing and feedback.

Why Learning Conversations Matter for Leaders

Research from Dan Pink emphasizes that asking smart, open-ended questions invites deeper engagement and leads to more meaningful learning experiences. Learning conversations allow leaders to develop cognitive diversity by connecting with people who have different lived experiences. This helps you become a more adaptable and agile leader.

Practical Steps to Initiate Learning Conversations

Michelle shares actionable advice on how to start a learning conversation:

1. Identify your goals or challenges.

2. Reflect on who in your network might offer valuable insights.

3. Frame your request thoughtfully to respect the other person’s time and expertise.

4. Focus on active listening and mutual benefit during the conversation.

The Coffee Experiment

Michelle challenges listeners to try The Coffee Experiment by reaching out to someone in their network for an informal conversation. This simple yet powerful strategy can help you test ideas, seek feedback, and develop deeper professional relationships.

The Role of Confidence in Learning Conversations

Michelle emphasizes that asking for a learning conversation demonstrates leadership qualities such as self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and a willingness to grow. For women in particular, engaging in these conversations is a way to build confidence and navigate workplace challenges.

Resources Mentioned:

Dan Pink’s work on the power of questions in leadership (e.g., To Sell is Human)

Holly Ransom’s Love Mondays newsletter on learning conversations

Actionable Challenge:

This week, try The Coffee Experiment. Reach out to someone in your network for a 30-minute conversation focused on learning from their experience. Frame your request thoughtfully, listen actively, and reflect on what you gain from the conversation.

Join the Conversation:

We’d love to hear how you’re using learning conversations in your leadership journey. Share your experiences with us on the Lead to Soar network or email us directly.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

From Good to Great: How to Transform the Way You Coach Women Leaders

In this episode, Michelle Redfern is joined by Susan Colantuono, founder of Be Business Savvy and co-founder of the Lead to Soar Network, to discuss the transformative coaching approaches needed to support women’s advancement into senior leadership. This conversation focuses on how managers, mentors, and coaches can go beyond traditional coaching frameworks to build their own business acumen—and effectively coach women on these skills. By developing these critical coaching capabilities, we can bridge the leadership gender gap and elevate women leaders to new heights.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Transformative Coaching for Women Leaders: Michelle and Susan explore why standard coaching methods, often centered on Emotional Intelligence (EQ), fall short in preparing women for executive roles. They emphasize the need to integrate Business Intelligence (BQ) into coaching strategies, equipping women with essential business, financial, and strategic skills.

• The Missing Thirty-Three Percent: Susan shares her concept of the Missing Thirty-Three Percent—the skills gap in business, financial, and strategic acumen that women often face. This gap, left unaddressed, limits women’s advancement to senior positions. She urges coaches and mentors to prioritize building BQ to help women become recognized as invaluable business partners.

• Practical Coaching Approaches to BQ: Susan and Michelle outline actionable coaching techniques that managers, mentors, and coaches can adopt to help women develop and showcase business acumen. They discuss the value of guiding women to interpret financial metrics, contribute to strategic initiatives, and effectively communicate business outcomes to senior leaders.

• Gender Dynamics and Coaching: Susan offers insights on how gender biases in coaching can reinforce stereotypes, such as focusing on women’s confidence and work-life balance over business skills. By recognizing these dynamics, coaches can shift their approach to empower women with the skills that truly drive career advancement.

Actionable Insights:

1. For Coaches and Mentors: Build your own BQ skills to coach women effectively on business, financial, and strategic acumen. Make it a priority to help women develop the skills and language needed to be recognized as strategic partners within the organization.

2. For Managers and Leaders: Transform coaching by focusing on how women’s roles contribute to business results. Encourage them to engage with business metrics, strategy discussions, and broader organizational goals to build their reputation as key business players.

3. For Women in Leadership: Seek out opportunities to develop your business savvy. Understand how your work impacts the organization’s strategic objectives, and learn to communicate these impacts in ways that demonstrate your value as a leader.

Resources Mentioned:

• No Ceiling, No Walls by Susan Colantuono

• Be Business Savvy: BeBusinessSavvy.com

• Michelle Redfern’s The Leadership Compass for insights on BQ and leadership success.

Final Thoughts:

Michelle and Susan call on all managers, mentors, and coaches to step up their coaching game by integrating business acumen development into their support of women leaders. By strengthening their own BQ skills, these supporters can play a pivotal role in closing the leadership gender gap and positioning women as invaluable partners in the business.

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