Finding Innovation Beyond Traditional Boundaries
Throughout the year, I’ve hosted several training sessions and workshops that emphasize the importance of HR folks learning more cross-business skills. The number one question I get asked is how I transitioned from HR to the myriad of positions I’ve held as a cofounder of SkillCycle (COO, Chief Customer Officer, and Business Development to name a few).
In the evolving landscape of People Operations, there's a common trap that many HR leaders fall into: limiting themselves to traditional HR resources and methodologies. While certain HR certifications certainly have their place, the most innovative solutions often come from unexpected sources. Companies expect their People teams to have high levels of business acumen - without this, People programs and initiatives will be underfunded and underresourced. As a People leader, I've discovered that some of the most transformative skills for our field actually come from disciplines like Customer Experience and Marketing.
Recently, I came across an excellent Harvard Business Review article titled "Reimagining Work as a Product." This piece did an excellent job specifying where People leaders can best learn from their peers and why those learnings will matter: the skills that make Customer Experience and Marketing teams successful are precisely the ones that could revolutionize how we approach employee experience.
Think about it: what makes marketing professionals exceptional at their jobs? They excel at:
Sound familiar? These are exactly the capabilities that modern People teams need to succeed.
Let's break down how specific marketing and CX principles can transform HR practices:
1. User Journey Mapping
Marketing teams meticulously map customer journeys to understand touchpoints and pain points. Apply this same principle to your employee experience:
2. Engagement Metrics
Customer Experience teams are masters at measuring and analyzing engagement. Instead of just annual surveys, consider:
3. Brand Voice and Communication
Marketing teams understand the power of consistent, compelling messaging. Apply these principles to your internal communications:
The challenge for People leaders isn't just about implementing new tools or processes - it's about fundamentally shifting our mindset. Here's how to start:
Expand Your Reading List
Build Cross-Functional Relationships
Experiment with New Approaches
The future of HR lies not in isolation but in integration. By looking beyond traditional HR resources and embracing insights from other disciplines, People leaders can:
Remember: the most valuable insights often come from unexpected places. While staying current with HR-specific knowledge is important, limiting yourself to these resources means missing out on transformative ideas that could revolutionize your approach to People Operations.
The next time you're facing a challenging people problem, ask yourself: "How would a marketing professional approach this? What would a customer experience expert do?" The answers might surprise you—and lead to breakthrough solutions you wouldn't have discovered otherwise.
After all, innovation rarely happens in echo chambers. Let’s break free from traditional boundaries and embrace inspiration from wherever it may come!
If you’d like your own free personalized development plan, reach out to us at SkillCycle! Our AI powered platform will translate any performance feedback into an actionable development plan - automatically.
If you’re ready to take things a step further at your organization, we have a buy one/get one offer on coaching seats through EOY! Get 10 seats for the price of 5, with a 6 month commitment.
