I need your help
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JWI 522 (1192) Page 1 of 6
JWI 522
Strategic Partnering with the C-Suite
Week Eight Lecture Notes
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JWI 522 (1192) Page 2 of 6
PASTOR AND PARENT
What It Means
In our materials from last week, we explored the roles and responsibilities that HR has in
dealing with legal and ethical challenges. Our focus this week is also on conflict management
and resolution, but is centered on situations that are more personal in nature rather than those
that cross a legal or moral line. These situations often require HR leaders to play dual roles of
both parent and pastor.
Why It Matters
• We grow best when we have guides and mentors who will tell it like it is and give us a
nudge when we need to be nudged.
• CEOs need trusted advisors who can be counted on to hold confidences and to deliver
honest council.
• Building a reputation as a trusted, non-partisan advisor who has everyone’s best interest
at heart can open a pathway to more effective conflict resolution.
“The best HR people are a kind of hybrid: one part pastor, who hears all sins
and complaints without recrimination, and one part parent who loves and
nurtures, but gives it to you fast and straight when you’re off track.”
Jack Welch
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JWI 522 (1192) Page 3 of 6
THE ROLE OF GUIDANCE IN HR LEADERSHIP
In this week’s materials, we continue our exploration of a topic that was introduced last week – the role
that HR leaders play as trusted advisors to senior executives to support the open, candid and productive
exchange of ideas based on facts. We will take this a little further by also exploring the – sometimes
unwanted – role that the CHRO is called upon to fill: that of ombudsperson in managing conflicts among
departments and individuals.
The pastor-parent metaphor that Jack uses in describing the best qualities found in great HR leaders is a
wonderful one. It captures the balancing act that CHROs must manage.
• The pastor is the confidante and trusted advisor. Sometimes executives, managers, and front-line
employees just need to vent. They don’t necessarily need any action to be taken; they just want to
be heard. Maybe they want to – unofficially – complain about the boss or a process that’s driving
them nuts. Having a sounding board who can listen without judging may be all they support need.
• The parent is the guide, the mentor and the person who can deliver a kick in the seat of the pants
when it’s needed. It’s the person who tells it like it is, whether you like it or not. We all need
these people in our lives, and the further you climb the ladder, the more people you will encounter
who want to tell you what they think you want to hear. And when you get all the way to the top,
as a CEO, you can bet that the number of people who are ready to deliver comforting, affirming
news far outweighs those who are willing to step in and deliver what may be a stinging reality
check.
The CHRO is ideally suited to be a trusted advisor to the CEO as someone who can present an unbiased
perspective on the business, the good, the bad and the ugly, but she or he can’t fill this role if the CEO
thinks that punches are being pulled. Jack summarizes the required qualifications well:
“I’ve found over the years the best pastor-parent types have usually run something in their
careers … but I’ve also seen some come right up through HR. Either way … they know the
business – its every detail. They understand the tensions between marketing and manufacturing,
or between two executives who once went after the same job. They see the hidden hierarchies in
people’s minds – the invisible org chart of political connections that exists in every company.
They know the players and the history.”
Winning, P.102
McCord provides further guidance on how best to deliver tough feedback:
“The most important thing about giving feedback is that it must be about behavior, rather than
some essentializing characterization of a person, like “You’re unfocused.” It also must be
actionable. The person receiving it has to understand the specific actions that are being
requested.”
Powerful, P. 37
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JWI 522 (1192) Page 4 of 6
CRISIS MANAGEMENT
While many people assume that conflicts among senior executives should be handled by the CEO, this is
often not the most prudent approach. Leaving aside the impact on the CEO’s time, there are some real
advantages to having a CHRO help manage crises among individuals and groups within the organization.
The fact that the CHRO typically does not have direct authority over the impacted parties can be a big
plus. Jack notes:
“If your HR is on track, pastor-parents are ready to handle friction and crises – channeling
anger, forging compromises, and if need be, negotiating dignified endings. They are there to
help managers manage people well.”
Winning, P. 103
Perhaps when you first decided to pursue a role in HR, you did not think of yourself as a peacemaker or
as a negotiator, but as a CHRO, this is a role you will have to get comfortable in filling. And who better?
As an HR expert, you are likely to have a strong set of skills and good Emotional Intelligence. You
understand that people process information differently and react as much to how something is presented
as they to do to the actual content.
Of course, the best approach to managing a crisis is to keep it from happening in the first place. The
most effective CHROs are not just the ones who can see the potential conflict before it sparks, they are
the ones who have been working for years to build a culture of truth, trust and honest dialogue. All these
things help immensely in having frank, honest discussions about issues before they reach the crisis point.
While understanding best practices in conflict management is important, and we encourage you to review
the materials on this topic covered in your Leadership in the 21st Century and Business Communications
courses, Patty McCord offers an interesting take on the whole thing:
“I [caution] about the limited value of formal employee-development practices such as
conflict-resolution and management classes. There is simply no comparison between the
learning employees take away from such courses and what they’ll gain from participating in
debates about business decisions. Ask anyone at your company whether they would rather
spend a day in a negotiation seminar or be able to ask – with impunity – a tough but fair
question of a high-level manager at a big company meeting or engage in a serious debate
with their managers about the problem they’re being asked to solve. I promise you, nobody
but nobody is going to choose the seminar.”
Powerful, P. 67
NEGOTIATION AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION
You’re not going to be able to make peace with everyone all the time, and you’re not going to be able to
manage all situations where everyone comes out with what they want. That’s just not realistic. As an
ombudsperson, however, you have to work to find as much common ground as possible. This is, again,
where having strong, clear and agreed-upon Mission and Values can pay huge dividends.
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JWI 522 (1192) Page 5 of 6
As discussed in our course materials, one of the most powerful tools in conflict resolution is for each party
to know there is someone working hard to find an honest and fair resolution that advances the Mission of
the organization. The goal is always to:
• Get clarity on the facts and conflicts and stay away from rhetoric and inflammatory language
• Present the rationale for each position
• Make sure everyone’s voice is heard
Good judgment and a reputation for integrity are ultimately your best tools for managing conflict, but these
can’t be built in a day or during a single crisis.
To be a successful partner to business leaders, you have to work on improving your
judgment in dealing with these issues. They will run the gamut. Just when you think you’ve
seen every situation possible, something else comes along. The more you test your
judgment, the better it will be.
The Talent Masters, P. 275
Along with stature, pastor-parent types have got integrity oozing out of them. That integrity
comes from unrelenting candor and trustworthiness. Pastor-parents listen with uncommon care,
tell the truth and hold confidences tight…They also know how to settle a disagreement.
We’d all like to believe that good companies don’t need referees. But they do.
Winning, P. 102
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JWI 522 (1192) Page 6 of 6
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF THIS WEEK’S CLASS
As you read the materials and participate in class activities, stay focused on the key learning outcomes
for the week:
• Understand the role of guidance in HR leadership
Human Resource leaders are uniquely positioned to serve as peacemakers in contentious
situations. But we can only do this if we have built a reputation as being fair and impartial
advocates before conflicts arise. How is your HR department viewed? Are you trusted to give
fair and candid guidance, even when the position you take may not be popular? The CEO must
know that you will tell it like it is. CEOs need people around them who will speak with candor.
• Examine best practices for crisis management
The best crisis management is the kind that addresses the conflict before it escalates. What
steps can you take to ensure that information gets shared honestly and quickly and that people
are having their voices heard? How can you leverage the Mission and Values of the organization
to find common ground among parties with competing points of view or interests?
• Explore negotiation techniques to support conflict resolution
Review materials from your previous JWMI courses on Emotional Intelligence. How can you
diffuse the situation rather than repair the damage? Think back to a time in your own personal
life or career when you sensed tensions were building and then got to the boiling point. What
could have been done differently to de-escalate the situation without avoiding the issues?
