book review
By Alyson Nyiri, CHRL
THE WAY OF THE HR WARRIOR: LEADING THE CHARGE
TO TRANSFORM YOUR CAREER AND ORGANIZATION
BY MONICA FREDE & KERI OHLRICH, PhD
LIFETREE MEDIA, 2018
Are you fed up with all the negative press surrounding the
field of HR? Telling us how HR should be eliminated,
downsized and for sure reinvented? There are some HR
departments and practitioners out there that definitely
haven’t got the memo, but for those working tirelessly to change
the perception of HR, this book might cheer you on. Dedicated
solely to human resources professionals, the HR Warrior seeks
to improve the profession in a fun and engaging way. Frede and
Ohlrich write that HR has a difficult task: charged with influ-encing,
coaching, encouraging and advising people to make good
choices in the workplace.
Over the years “Off the Shelf ” has reviewed titles offering aca-demic
research, business and operating models, trends, tactics
and data-driven results to help HR professionals do these things.
The HR Warrior claims to complement these titles by exploring
the foundations of an HR professional which, in their book, is
a warrior. The key qualities essential to the HR Warrior uses the
acronym CHARGE: Courage, Humility, Accuracy, Resiliency,
Goal-oriented and Exemplary. There are chapters devoted to each
quality with tips and stories to help develop each one.
If you are a fan of Dr. Brené Brown, you will immediately reso-nate
with the book’s invitation to a revolution in HR that, “starts
with the heart, wanting something more meaningful, wanting
something that will last, and something that will make our world
(our companies) a better place to be.” For those who believe it’s all
about the data and the kpi’s, benchmarks or metrics that go with
it, the question is: How successful have these been in rehabilitat-ing
the perception of HR? In today’s workplace, people want to get
something out of their work other than a paycheque.
Having a seat at the table is a mantra we are all used to hearing.
The HR Warrior carves their HR role into that chair, demonstrat-ing
it’s a permanent member. As a strategic business partner, they
have moved beyond an administrative role and are perceived as
a valued partner who contributes to complex business objectives,
driving results.
At the end of the book, the authors write about why they wrote
this book. We learn that Frede and Ohlrich intended the book to
focus on the fundamental skills needed before an HR professional
moves on to strategic theories.
For newbies and pros alike, HR Warrior was designed to
help us all level up our own game and by example, change the
negative perception of HR both within and without of our work-places.
Whether or not you find the terms “HR Warrior” or “HR
Weenie” useful in your lexicon, we’ve all met or worked with both.
Ultimately, HR benefits when we lead from our heart, as well as
our head. Vulnerability and courage work together. n
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