The job of the HR business partner has never been more important than it is today. And perhaps just 
as underappreciated at the same time. The corporate business world is extremely complex and uncertain, and most line managers have developed a critical dependence on their top HR partners to help them execute their business strategies. In our ever-changing business world, good HR Business Partners are able to follow along and provide foundational levels of support, while world-class HR Business Partners are able to assess the business and provide deep insights and solutions that help the business achieve its goals and objectives.
Over the past 20 years, I have been using different tools and methodologies to help HR Business Partners develop the skills they need to have a “seat at the table” with their business line managers. Based on my work and the very positive feedback from clients, I am pleased for the first time to share with this entire audience of over 7,500 readers one of the proprietary tools that I use to help HR Business Partners work with their businesses; The HR Business Partner Dialogue Framework.
I use the HR Business Partner Dialogue Framework in customized Business Acumen for HR training engagements. After training participants on Business Acumen through computer-based business simulations workshops and learning journeys, we use the tool to role play effective conversations between HR Business Partners and the business line managers. The framework is based on an interactive questioning model that enables both the HR Business Partner and the business line manager the ability to explore challenges and collaborate on effective solutions.
STEP ONE: BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM QUESTIONS
Business Ecosystem Questions are questions about the entire business environment, including deep questions around the competitors, customers, the supply chain, the business strategy, the value proposition to customers, the goals and objectives, and the tactics planned by the business line managers to execute the strategy. Having strong Business Acumen skills are essential to this first step especially in the areas of understanding the financial goals and objectives.
STEP TWO: BUSINESS CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND IMPACTS
The second step in the process is engaging with the business line managers in questions about the opportunities and challenges of the business. Strong HR Business Partners engage in questions about what happens to the business if challenges aren’t met and opportunities aren’t taken advantage of. For example, one of the challenges could be that competitors are investing in new innovative products and are bringing them to market quicker than we are. The strong HR Business Partner can identify new talent that is agile and able to innovate faster, cheaper, and better. Again, having Business Acumen skills are critical especially when discussing the long-term potential financial impacts of not solving the challenge.
STEP THREE: THE ORGANIZATIONAL LINK
The third step is focused on discussing and uncovering the cause-effect linkage between business impacts and organization factors such as talent, culture, organization. Strong HR Business Partners are able to determine how is the current state of the business from the HR perspective is helping or hindering the organization’s ability to address challenges and opportunities. Inevitably, HR Business Partners are able to identify the critical deficiencies through the HR lens.
STEP FOUR: THE HR VALUE PROPOSITION
The final phase presents the opportunity for HR Business Partners to collaboratively discuss, develop, and propose organization plans, strategies and/or tactics to solve challenges and take advantages of opportunities.
In summary, world-class HR Business Partners are internal consultants who can assess the business, assess the current state of the talent and then develop a comprehensive plan to close the gaps while maintaining focus on the ultimate goals of financial performance and total shareholder return.
