How to Influence Senior Management When You Work in HR

Human Resources are the driving force behind the culture and staff of an organization, using HR software like Cezanne HR to try and keep all staff happy. They play an important role in helping managers succeed, as well as enhancing employee satisfaction and performance. In many ways, HR teams are able to lead the way and show leaders how to achieve goals strategically. If you’re looking to make a positive impact on senior members of staff as a HR professional, here are some tips to help you develop strong team leaders.

Define What a Good Leader Looks Like

In addition to managing the operational efficiency of an organisation, senior managers need to be engaging and inspire their teams to reach their full potential. There are certain skills that senior management should have in order to do this, such as strong communication skills, problem-solving abilities and conflict resolution skills. It’s down to HR to define the qualities good leaders need to showcase within a company, as it will vary depending on the goals and ambitions of the business. This should take place before an individual is recruited but it should also be something that evolves as the company grows and expands, and as strategies change.

Make the Purpose of the Role Clear

Effective leadership begins with a clear ‘why’, so HR should provide leaders with a clear outline of what is expected of them and how their responsibilities impact the business. This is especially important for new managers who join the company or those who are transitioning into a senior management role, as the responsibilities and purpose of the position will vary from their previous role. Senior management should feel that they are part of a larger strategy so they can be motivated to succeed, and this is something that HR should make clear to those in senior roles.

Develop Opportunities for Continual Learning

HR are instrumental in helping leaders achieve success by creating an environment that encourages continued learning and improvement. It’s also important that they help managers to admit when they don’t know something and for them to accept that they don’t need to know it all in order to be successful. Facilitating this type of culture will allow for regular training sessions and professional development, as well as the opportunity to implement new technologies and systems that will improve team management. Whether it’s providing online courses and subscription services that allow for self-development, workshops through third-parties or longer term qualifications that will benefit the company, learning and training should always be a part of a managers ongoing development process.

Motivate and Inspire

The ‘cascade effect’ has been shown to engage employees through how their managers behave. They, in turn, are influenced by their managers, so in the same way that managers should inspire their team, HR should seek to influence senior members of staff to achieve success. Employees are highly engaged by strong management, and demotivated by poor management, so setting a good example is key if you want to foster a healthy work environment.

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