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Human Resource Managers Need Leadership Development Too: How General Electric Partnered with Abilitie to Create a New Standard of HR Leadership
In the swiftly evolving and dynamic landscape of today's business environment, HR leaders are encountering novel challenges that necessitate a diverse range of soft skills. In light of advancing technology and A.I. and persistent economic uncertainties, the role of HR leaders has assumed a paramount role in propelling growth and scalability for companies on a global scale.
Contemporary HR leaders are multifaceted individuals who must possess an assorted toolkit of soft skills, encompassing cross-functional collaboration, adept communication, financial literacy, and a thorough comprehension of overall business operations. They stand at the forefront of molding organizational efficiency, ensuring talent retention, and adeptly managing human resources.
To outpace competition in this competitive milieu, organizations must prioritize investing in the enrichment of their HR leaders' business acumen. By nurturing and empowering these pivotal figures, businesses can unleash the full potential of their workforce, foster the retention of talent, and ultimately steer comprehensive success in the face of diverse challenges.
In 2020, General Electric (GE) incorporated Abilitie’s Business Challenge simulation to translate their enhanced Human Resources Leadership Program (HRLP) into the virtual realm. This upgraded program received recognition as a "Best Use of Games and Simulation for Learning" in the Brandon Hall Group’s 2020 Excellence Award for Human Capital Management program. Traditionally, the program had been conducted in-person, but GE recognized the importance of transitioning the seamless experience to a virtual format, complete with an array of engagement tools and dashboards.
Imola Richards, the Program Director at GE, remarked, "We wanted to demonstrate to our skeptical talent that learning events in the digital sphere can indeed be impactful, meaningful, and enjoyable. For this purpose, integrating a simulation was absolutely essential. The Abilitie program played a pivotal role in our strategy to elevate the learner experience in the virtual domain. People have witnessed success, which has influenced their approach to learning."
Richards emphasized the significance of professional development programs, particularly for HR leaders given the distinctive nature of their daily responsibilities. She noted, "Having a robust leadership program framework is crucial because in an HR leadership role, experiential learning is paramount. It's a role that demands coordination and adaptability. Abilitie’s programs helped me structure our learning at GE to encompass core elements that other HR market offerings lack. The simulations cultivated an environment of action, feedback, and learning. Facilitators played a key role in engagement, ensuring the process remained dynamic. All these factors hold immense value for Human Resource Managers."
Over a two-day period, a group of 40 participants hailing from 11 different countries collaborated in teams to navigate the new program. Through team-based breakout sessions, the participants collectively made decisions regarding the simulation's progression. This approach aligned with GE's objectives for the program by providing leaders with a structured, real-world experience centered on business concepts that fostered distinct behaviors.
Richards stressed that HR extends beyond mere financial aspects, encompassing people management, business understanding, and complex problem-solving. She stated, "HR involves much more than finance. It's about managing people, comprehending business dynamics, and solving intricate challenges. Payroll is only a fraction of it. What truly sets HR apart are the human skills – functional knowledge alone won't be the differentiator."
HR leaders, like other business managers, can derive value from leadership training due to the transferrable skills imparted through Abilitie programs. From grasping business needs to honing people management, financial literacy, and teamwork, the skills obtained by HR managers play a critical role in talent retention and growth.
Richards underlined the importance of a specific blend of elements for effective leadership development programs. She dubbed this blend the "secret sauce." "Our HR leaders were deeply engaged because we got the formula right: the sessions were appropriately timed, groups remained small, and there was a well-calibrated balance between theory and practice. This approach reshapes attitudes toward virtual training. Additionally, gamification is potent – the contemporary generation seeks engagement, competition, and hands-on learning experiences."
While gamification contributes significantly to successful outcomes in experiential learning programs, harnessing the potential and scalability of virtual technology is equally crucial. Comparable to other businesses boasting global operations and geographically dispersed workforces, GE leveraged virtual program delivery to enable employees to connect with cohorts from diverse locations without the need for travel.
Richards noted the global impact of Abilitie programs on learning, saying, "Abilitie’s global reach enhances learning significantly. From China to India, and France, you can execute the same program for 10 or 100 participants and achieve remarkable outcomes through this structure. Program management is a learning journey for companies. Abilitie equips you with case studies, simulations, frameworks, facilitators, and the exact guidance required to ensure the success of the GE program."
Participants of the HRLP expressed enthusiastic transformation in their perceptions of virtual learning, becoming adept in virtual learning by the program's completion. The program's success persisted even after the participants returned to work. As a direct outcome of the experience, participants developed a quick-reference resource titled "The 5 Ways to Leverage Finance in Human Resources," which they integrated into their daily tasks. This demonstrated the immediate and sustained application of the acquired concepts.
