The HR 'Executive Mini-MBA'

Like many other support functions the pressure is now on all HR functions. Business leaders want more from their HR professionals. They are seeking a more proactive and challenging role that forces managers to think about how they are leveraging people and the organisation for business success. New competitive and business requirements are demanding new HR contributions and inputs – HR increasingly needs to raise it’s game and help business leaders plan and develop tomorrow’s organisation. The challenges are increasing – from the question of organisation structure, through to talent retention and the building of high performance business cultures HR has a big space to play in.

Yet there is still much evidence to suggest that many HR functions continue to be drawn into tactical operational processes and administration. We also see that outsourcing and consulting contracts are eating into the traditional security that HR has enjoyed. It is no longer enough to just deliver good transactional services. In today’s environment if you are not adding real value it is not long before someone starts asking challenging questions about the contribution of HR to business performance.

Who should attend?

This unique programme has been expressly designed to give busy and experienced HR professionals the chance to take stock, to pause and reflect on the way they contribute to the success of the organisation and refine their skills to make a real difference.

The programme provides a unique forum for HR professionals to learn more about vital elements of the business model and link them to the role of HR in today’s world. You will also have the opportunity to share your own experiences and challenges with fellow HR professionals in a relaxed and confidential environment.

If you want to develop your business acumen, your strategic management skills and be a high performance HR professional then this intensive programme is for you.

Is this ‘Mini-MBA’ development programme for you?

Designed for:

• HR Directors
• Group HR Managers
• Business Partners
• HR Controllers
• HR Managers and HR professionals seeking to enhance their strategic thinking

What are the benefits of attending this unique programme?

By attending this programme you will:

• Develop a wider business understanding how HR can contribute to the business agenda
• Consider your current modus operandi against some of the leading edge developments in HR
• Understand the strategic HR agenda and what it takes to succeed as a Business Partner
• Develop a draft marketing plan for your function
• Have reviewed past and current HR initiatives for effectiveness
• Leave with a HR tool kit for managing change
• Network and share experiences with a group of fellow “like minded” professionals

What this programme will do for your organisation?

This programme will equip HR professionals with the vital components necessary to move to a high valued-added business partner or change-agent role. Our faculty and programme methodology will challenge participants to fundamentally review their current operating style and consider some re-positioning strategies.

Style of working

We will utilise our highly successful and proven Executive ‘Mini-MBA’ methodology to ensure the best use of time and balance the participants’ experience with expert input. By definition, we will be focusing on a more strategic agenda so we will be examining policy issues and applications rather than detailed tactical implementation issues. At the same time we will be utilising the experience of senior HR practitioners and providing real insights into their current business and HR challenges. The aim is to develop a small network of HR contacts within the context of the busy programme agenda. Please note that during the programme specific sessions may extend or shorten based on the group discussions and needs.
Please note that during the programme specific sessions may extend or shorten based on the group discussions and needs.

Continuing professional development

This programme consists of 26 hours of continuing professional development. At the end of the programme a certificate of completion will be awarded stating the learning hours completed.

MODULE 1-Mastering Strategy and Strategic HR Thinking

In this module you will explore the elements of strategic thinking and the key tools that are employed within HR. During the module you will examine and analyse how strategic planning tools can be applied with the HR function to link and integrate the people side of business performance with the overall business strategy.

PROGRAMME INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Classic notions of business strategy

• What is strategy and strategic thinking?
• A guide to deliberate and emergent strategies
• Examining notions of core competence and competitive advantage
• Reviewing classic strategic challenges
• Classic matrix models – BCG, GE

Linking business strategy and the people side of business performance

• Avoiding the classic traps – Confusing a people management strategy with what the HR function does
• Addressing the line ownership challenge
• A case for business and people management integration
• Reviewing the current challenges facing the HR function
• From HRM to business partner and change agent
• Corporate case studies
• Addressing the people management value chain
• HR – A cost or value-added perspective?
• Human capital as competitive advantage – Intellectual capital measures
• Adopting a client centred approach
• Comparing practice on core activities with other participants
• What’s happening in my business? Assessing how HR contributes in your organisation today – group discussions

MODULE 2-Strategic Finance and Commercial Skills for HR-Your Role as a ‘Business Person’

This module is designed to help you understand the language of business finance and to know what questions to ask your financial colleagues. It will provide you with a clear understanding of the key aspects of financial and commercial management from an operational perspective, show how HR links with the finance function and enable you to gain a deeper understanding of the key financial indicators that are useful within HR.

• The finance function – A functional view
  • Identifying the links between strategy, business planning and financial control in a demand driven commercial environment

• The link with the HR function
• The business finance cycle and how we account for it
• Exploring the key information in financial statements and
  • The annual report
  • What’s important?
  • What does it mean?
  • How can it be used?
  • Where do labour costs recapture?
  • Where is the HR cost?
  • Investigating capital structure and the links with operational gearing

• The vital aspect of cash flow – The one fact in all the data
• Traditional analysis of company accounts
• Using financial ratios as a measure of performance
• Analysing the numbers
• Examining the financial indicators
  • Examining labour productivity and performance measures
  • Qualitative and quantitative decisions
  • Budgeting for HR functions
  • Economic value added
  • Can we evaluate training events? – Participant profiling ideas
  • Profit planning

• Profit improvement – through staff appreciation of the role they play and the financial consequences of their actions!

MODULE 3-Strategic Marketing of HR Services in the Organisation

This module will examine how HR can successfully market it’s services to the rest of the organisation; how to position itself; identify the product and define the client and the client needs; how to apply some of the classic marketing strategies and techniques to raise the profile of HR within the organisation.

• So how does marketing apply to us as HR professionals
• Developing a marketing strategy
• Classic marketing actions for HR
• Marketing HR services – What is HR’s brand?
• What are you selling?
• Identifying who your key clients are
• Defining what your clients want to buy
• Organising to deliver your services
• Where am I – Business partner? Change agent? Administrator? Service provider?
• Reviewing our current approach – Identifying our internal customers/clients
• Establishing the service and product needs
• Avoiding the Features versus Benefits trap in HR
• The critical issues for business partner and change agent role
• Comparing practice on core activities with other participants
• Concluding HR assessment and gap analysis

Case Study

MANAGING STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE ORGANISATION

Presented by Debbie Page, Head of EMEA Organisation and Talent Development, Oracle

This session will be delivered as a case study and provide an excellent opportunity to discuss some of the classic HR and business linkage challenges that we typically face in large organisations with a highly experienced HR practitioner and compare them to current approaches. The session will reflect some of the typical strategic issues and dilemmas that all HR and learning and development professionals face when trying to contribute to the business agenda.

MODULE 4-Strategic Change Management and HR as a ‘Business Partner’

The final module has been designed to develop your skills and expertise to understand and implement the strategic change effectively within your organisation. As with all the modules you will be encouraged to work in groups to consider your own organisation and share your analysis with colleagues.

Case Study

MEETING BUSINESS EXPECTATIONS

Nick Kelly is a highly experienced HR Director having previously held roles with JP Morgan, UBS, Barclays and Sedgewick and Marsh. He has been responsible for driving HR’s contribution across a range of complex business changes including mergers and acquisitions, restructurings
and shifts in business redirection. He will present a case based on a real life scenario that will set out what a business expects of its HR team and how should HR step up to the challenge? The presentation, discussion and summary is based on an aide memoire used by Nick Kelly to manage real change with an HR department.

• HR as an agent for change – Moving to organisational development
• What really goes on in change projects – Understanding the linkages of culture, organisation, people and systems
• Recognising the key tasks and psychology involved
• Classic HR interventions – Mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, systems implementations
• Reviewing past and current classic challenges
• Real life case study analysis and discussion
• Identifying the key success factors in organisational change
• The HR Change Tool Kit to identify the issues and communicate effectively
• Applying SWOT, 7S’s, COPS, Force Field Analysis etc
• Managing the politics and commitment issues – Managing stakeholders and stakeholder analysis
• Selling HR initiatives – Highlighting the options

ACTION PLANNING

• Programme review – What have I learnt?
• HR capability and skill set review
• Personal action planning and discussion
• Group review and discussion
• Actions for HR team and community on return

Programme Director

Mark Thomas is an international business consultant, author and speaker specialising in human resource management, business planning, managing change and executive development. Prior to becoming a Senior Partner with Performance Dynamics Management Consultants he worked for several years with Price Waterhouse in London where he advised on the business and organisational change issues arising out of strategic reviews in both private and public sector organisations.

As well as exploring the links between strategy and execution Mark also has a very strong expertise in helping HR function’s re-define their roles. He has been very active in advising and assisting HR functions refocus their operations and services. For several years he was Programme Leader for Management Centre Europe’s Strategic Human Resource Management Programme. He regularly conducts programmes and initiatives that assist HR functions in making the transition to a business partner and change agent role. He is a visiting faculty member at the TiasNimbas Business School in Holland and also lectures at the GDFSuez Corporate University.

Mark’s global consulting experience has included major multi-national corporations such as: Motorola, Barclays Capital, ECB, Reuters, Alliance Pharmacy, Pfizer, Cisco, Sony, Coca Cola, Unilever, Nestle, Philip Morris, Sara Lee, Shell, Schroders, Alcatel, NCR and Autodesk. Mark’s early career was spent in corporate management and his experience included a range of executive roles with the US, NCR Corporation and UK Unigate Group; where he was involved in all aspects of HR and organisation development.

Programme Presenters

George Fildes is Managing Director of Qualitas Consultancy which specialises in financial training and consultancy. With over twenty years experience in general management, George’s experience spans business management, logistics, customer operations and financial management. He has been involved with mature, turnaround and startup companies. His career has primarily focused on the automotive sector including organisations such as Lex Service Group, Volkswagen Group, and finally as Operations Director for VirginCars.com. In 2001 he established Qualitas Consultancy and has since developed a series of tailored business improvement programmes for his clients who include BBC, Exel, Thames Water, Portakabin, Calor Gas, Pfizer, Toshiba, 3M and HBOS.
George is a charted management accountant (FCMA) with a Cranfield MBA. He also has a Diploma in Marketing and is an accredited finance tutor for the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and Derby University.

Nick Kelly is a highly experienced HR Director having previously held roles with JP Morgan, UBS, Barclays and Sedgewick and Marsh. He has been responsible for driving HR’s contribution across a range of complex business changes including mergers and acquisitions, restructurings and shifts in business redirection.

HR ‘Real-life’ Case Studies

The programme includes 2 case studies delivered by HR practitioners. These sessions have been designed to give you an opportunity to hear from current practitioners how they have managed key projects. It will give you an insight into the challenges and pitfalls that have been faced within these organisations, lessons learnt and the tactics taken to overcome them. The key learning points will be drawn out and linked to the programme by the programme directors.

The Role and Skills of a Valuable HR Assistant

The HR 'Executive Mini-MBA'

Influencing & Personal Effectiveness Skills

This course qualifies for the following CPD programmes:

• Cert: 0.00 hours

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