UK 
United States
As the economy continues to bounce back from the deepest recession in modern times, more and more organisations are turning to Organisational Development (OD) to help transform the business and support long-term growth. Today’s rapidly changing competitive global workplace has made the role of HR and L&D more important than ever at both a strategic and operational level.
HR has an increasingly important role in developing new blueprints and in helping to implement change so that the right skills, behaviours, culture and leadership style are in place to increase organisational effectiveness and enhance business performance. Given that successful OD programmes align strategy, people, processes and systems, here are three key ways you can make a positive impact:
1. Help your organisation prepare for the future
One of the most important areas where the business needs HR and L&D support is in preparing for future growth. Learning and talent development strategies need to be driven by and aligned with the longer-term needs and strategic objectives of the organisation. To develop a ‘people ready’ business that is capable of continuously adapting to changing market conditions, you will need a clear insight into how organisational structure needs to change to support the future.
Don’t just think about what skills your business needs in the short-term, think about the next five to 10 years. Make sure you have a clear understanding of who your ‘high potential’ talent is: these individuals will become tomorrow’s leaders and need to be nurtured and developed accordingly.
2. Invest in those who will create the most value
Making tough decisions about where to invest your learning and talent development resources can pay large dividends in supporting the overarching organisational strategy. You may need a shift in mindset in your organisation, from closing today’s pressing skills gaps to directing budgets towards learning and talent initiatives that will create the most value for the organisation in the longer-term.
Also, it is worth investing resources in trying to determine which individuals are going to be the most critical in helping your organisation to execute growth strategies, as well as have the potential to create disproportionate value for your organisation. Armed with this information you will be able to prioritise resources towards developing, motivating and engaging these people.
3. Use technology for greater insight
The use of integrated technology systems can provide invaluable insight and business intelligence to support OD strategies. The trend towards integrated systems capable of providing an enterprise-wide view of critical information relating to talent continues to be driven by globalisation and core processes being interlinked. This includes learning and development, performance management, succession planning and talent management.
They can help you to manage talent and change more effectively in today’s increasingly complex workplace, close skills gaps and prepare for the future as well as ensuring that training budgets are channeled where they are most needed. In addition to helping you retain your high performers, ultimately, they can improve performance, productivity and long-term growth – the holy grail of OD. With a long and steady economic upturn forecast, HR and L&D will continue to have a fundamental role to play in supporting business change, organisational agility and long-term growth. Those who support OD strategies by investing in the future will come out on top.
