An HR Christmas Carol: Past, Present & Future
In this festive season, many of us enjoy reading or watching the classic story of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The story tells the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly and unhappy businessman, who is visited by three spirits on Christmas Eve. They show him how his past, present and future are affected by his greed, selfishness and lack of compassion, and how he can change his ways and become a better person.
But what if Scrooge was not a businessman, but an HR director? How would his HR practices and outcomes be influenced by his attitude and behaviour? And what would he need to change to create a better workplace for everyone?
In this blog post, I’ve (loosely) used the structure of A Christmas Carol as a guide to explore some of the HR people themes from the past, present and future. We will follow the journey of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly and unhappy HR director, who is visited by three spirits on Christmas Eve. They show him how his HR practices have affected his employees, his organisation and himself, and what he needs to change to create a better workplace for everyone.
The Ghost of HR Past
The first spirit to visit Scrooge is the Ghost of HR Past, who takes him back to the previous years of his HR career. Scrooge sees how he started as a passionate and enthusiastic HR professional, who cared about employee engagement, learning and development, and organisational culture. He remembers the joy he felt when he helped his employees grow, succeed and thrive. He also sees how he gradually became more focused on cost-cutting, compliance and control, losing sight of the human side of HR. He witnesses the negative impact of his HR policies and decisions on his employees’ wellbeing, motivation and performance. He realises how he alienated himself from his colleagues, his leaders and his customers.
The Ghost of HR Past shows Scrooge some of the HR people themes that were prevalent in the past years, such as:
🌟 Employee engagement🌟
Employee engagement is the degree to which employees feel committed, connected and aligned with the organisation’s vision, values and goals. Engaged employees are more productive, innovative and loyal, and less likely to leave the organisation.
😃 Scrooge sees how he used to measure and improve employee engagement, using surveys, feedback, recognition and rewards.
😩 He also sees how he neglected and undermined employee engagement, by imposing rigid rules, micromanaging, and ignoring employee voice and needs.
🌟 Learning and development 🌟
Learning and development is the process of providing employees with the knowledge, skills and abilities that they need to perform their current and future roles effectively and efficiently. Learning and development can enhance employee performance, potential and satisfaction, as well as organisational competitiveness and adaptability.
😃 Scrooge sees how he used to support and facilitate learning and development, using coaching, mentoring, training and career planning.
😩 He also sees how he limited and hindered learning and development, by cutting budgets, restricting opportunities, and neglecting talent management.
🌟 Organisational culture 🌟
Organisational culture is the set of shared beliefs, values and norms that shape the way people think, feel and act within an organisation. Organisational culture can influence employee behaviour, performance and wellbeing, as well as organisational identity, reputation and success.
😃 Scrooge sees how he used to shape and nurture organisational culture, using communication, collaboration and celebration.
😩 He also sees how he damaged and eroded organisational culture, by creating silos, conflicts and distrust.
The Ghost of HR Past leaves Scrooge with a sense of regret and remorse, as he realises how he wasted his HR potential and passion, and how he harmed his employees, his organisation and himself.
The Ghost of HR Present
The second spirit to visit Scrooge is the Ghost of HR Present, who shows him the current state of his HR function and organisation. Scrooge sees how his HR practices are outdated, ineffective and disconnected from the business needs and goals. He observes how his employees are suffering from burnout, stress and anxiety, due to the constant changes, uncertainties and challenges caused by the pandemic, digital transformation and social unrest. He notices how his employees are disengaged, dissatisfied and distrustful of the organisation and its leaders. He also sees how his organisation is losing its competitive edge, its innovation potential and its talent attraction and retention.
The Ghost of HR Present shows Scrooge some of the HR people themes that are prevalent in the present times, such as:
🌟 Employee wellbeing 🌟
Employee wellbeing is the state of physical, mental and emotional health and happiness of employees. Employee wellbeing can affect employee performance, engagement and retention, as well as organisational productivity, quality and reputation.
😩 Scrooge sees how he failed to protect and promote employee wellbeing, by ignoring the signs of burnout, stress and anxiety, and by not providing adequate support, resources and flexibility.
🌟 Diversity and inclusion 🌟
Diversity and inclusion is the practice of ensuring that all employees are valued, respected and involved in the organisation, regardless of their differences in background, identity and perspective. Diversity and inclusion can enhance employee creativity, collaboration and satisfaction, as well as organisational innovation, performance and reputation.
😩 Scrooge sees how he neglected and violated diversity and inclusion, by not embracing and celebrating diversity, and by allowing and perpetuating discrimination, bias and harassment.
🌟 Digital transformation 🌟
Digital transformation is the process of using digital technologies and data to transform the way an organisation operates, delivers and competes. Digital transformation can improve organisational efficiency, effectiveness and agility, as well as customer experience, satisfaction and loyalty.
😩 Scrooge sees how he resisted and delayed digital transformation, by not adopting and integrating digital tools and platforms, and by not developing and leveraging digital skills and capabilities.
The Ghost of HR Present leaves Scrooge with a sense of fear and guilt, as he realises how he missed his HR opportunities and responsibilities, and how he endangered his employees, his organisation and himself.
The Ghost of HR Future
The third and final spirit to visit Scrooge is the Ghost of HR Future, who shows him what will happen if he does not change his HR practices and mindset. Scrooge sees a bleak and dismal future, where his HR function is irrelevant, redundant and replaced by automation and artificial intelligence. He sees how his employees have left the organisation, either voluntarily or involuntarily, leaving behind a demoralised and dysfunctional workforce. He sees how his organisation has failed to adapt, survive and thrive in the rapidly changing and complex world of work. He sees how he has become a lonely, miserable and regretful HR director, who has wasted his life and career.
The Ghost of HR Future shows Scrooge some of the HR people themes that will be important in the future times, such as:
🌟 Individual and organisational resilience 🌟
Individual and organisational resilience is the ability to cope with, recover from and grow from adversity and change. Individual and organisational resilience can enhance employee wellbeing, performance and engagement, as well as organisational survival, growth and success.
😩 Scrooge sees how he could have built and boosted individual and organisational resilience, by fostering a growth mindset, a learning culture and a supportive environment.
🌟 Organisational trust and safety 🌟
Organisational trust and safety is the degree to which employees feel confident, secure and comfortable in the organisation, and the extent to which the organisation protects, respects and cares for its employees. Organisational trust and safety can improve employee loyalty, commitment and satisfaction, as well as organisational reputation, performance and sustainability.
😩 Scrooge sees how he could have established and maintained organisational trust and safety, by demonstrating honesty, transparency and accountability, and by ensuring fairness, justice and ethics.
🌟 Creativity and innovation 🌟
Creativity and innovation is the process of generating and implementing new and valuable ideas, solutions and products. Creativity and innovation can increase employee motivation, engagement and satisfaction, as well as organisational competitiveness, differentiation and profitability.
😩 Scrooge sees how he could have encouraged and enabled creativity and innovation, by stimulating curiosity, diversity and experimentation, and by providing recognition, rewards and resources.
🌟 Data literacy 🌟
Data literacy is the ability to understand, analyse and communicate data effectively and efficiently. Data literacy can improve employee decision making, problem solving and collaboration, as well as organisational intelligence, insight and impact.
😩 Scrooge sees how he could have developed and improved data literacy, by educating, training and coaching employees on data skills and tools, and by creating, sharing and using data stories and dashboards.
🌟 Human-machine partnerships🌟
Human-machine partnerships is the collaboration and integration of human and machine capabilities and intelligence. Human-machine partnerships can augment employee performance, potential and satisfaction, as well as organisational efficiency, effectiveness and agility.
😩 Scrooge sees how he could have leveraged and optimised human-machine partnerships, by adopting and adapting to emerging technologies and trends, and by balancing and aligning human and machine roles and responsibilities.
The Ghost of HR Future leaves Scrooge with a sense of hope and determination, as he realises how he can change his HR practices and outcomes, and how he can benefit his employees, his organisation and himself.
Conclusion
Scrooge wakes up on Christmas morning, feeling a mix of fear, guilt and hope. He decides to change his ways and become a better HR leader and a better person.
😃 He embraces the principles of human leadership, which are authenticity, empathy and adaptability.
😃 He revises his HR practices and priorities, aligning them with the emerging HR trends and themes for the future.
😃 He reconnects with his employees, his colleagues, his leaders and his customers, building positive and productive relationships.
😃 He transforms his HR function and his organisation, creating a more humane, inclusive and sustainable workplace for everyone.
Remember, it is never too late to change and improve your HR practices and outcomes. Christmas and New Year are a time that we typically look back and reflect and look forward to how we can be better. But, as Dicken’s wrote in A Christmas Carol: “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.”
I look forward to working with you in 2024 and beyond, to help you achieve your HR goals and dreams.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, comments or feedback. I would love to hear from you and learn from you. Until then, stay safe, stay healthy and stay human!
I hope you enjoyed this blog post and found it entertaining and, perhaps, inspiring. I wish you a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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