Diplomacy OR Authenticity: - HR‘s Prerogative

“There are two types of companies one good and another Great. Good companies follow known path but great companies follow the less traversed path."

Excerpt from Jim Collins Book “Good to Great.”

So what maketh a great company? Or what separates a good company from great? Is it infrastructure, is it swanky floors & services or is it fat pay check. The answer is neither. It is man power or employees out there. Because you can buy everything but not quality man power.
That’s why an HR department is so important in every organisation. But what role should it play in an organisation. As a father figure to all employees or a mediator between multifarious voices heard in the organisation.

Voices in the organisation lead us to an important point in the organisation. Whether to heard and address the authentic voice or go on sing the chorus of the gang.

A famous quote says

“Competent people get going in team and incompetent find solace in gang”.
Ironically it is the voice of incompetent which are in plenty and are almost in unison are addressed to and there lies the radical difference between good & great.

A small example would make things pretty clear.

“Nehru and Gandhi both played important roles in India’s freedom movement. One was staunch diplomat with great legacy & another, a truthful nobody who became father of the nation. Don’t you all think when violence was the norm those days peaceful protest was the road less travelled. So who became Great leader & who remained a good one. Your answer is as good as mine.”

So the catch for emerging companies lies in travelling along the path where nobody has set foot on. i.e. Hearing the authentic voices within the organisation which may feel very curt & rude but are the honest interpretations of organisations present scenario rather than soothing nerves of members of gang who just want solid fun in the organisation & owe their loyalty to none.

The moment pandering to incompetents will stop and right voices are being addressed in the organisation, one can assume that is the first step towards achieving greatness.
Remember Google, it has surpassed every milestone in its arena only due to its satisfied and ambitious employees.

So the zillion dollar question is to take right call. And that should come from HR department.

So all HR managers in the industry stop being diplomatic & face the authentic queries and concerns.

That may feel curt, rude & might hurt you.

But there goes a famous saying “you don’t travel the road to greatness without a ditches or two”.

Go on, take your call.