In a time of great change and economic challenges, what HR leadership skills are the most important in supporting an organisation to be strategically agile?

At one level it is difficult to highlight any leadership skill as being more important than another. The challenges that we all face whether working in the private sector, public sector or third sector are significant  and if we are to be effective in playing our part it is necessary to use the 'full set of clubs' at our disposal.  If I were to differentiate, however, communication skills and creativity would be my top two.With communication you can never do enough listening if you are to fully understand the organisational context and make the correct decisions.  It is also important to remember that despite best intentions it is difficult to get messages through to staff when it is something they may not want to hear. Understanding this reality is key, the organisation cannot remain agile and successful if the workforce have lost sight of the goal.Creativity is the other vital skill given the level of change and uncertainy that currently exists.   It is no longer enough to simply churn out the tried and tested, our organisations and the staff who work for them deserve better from their 'change specialist', our response needs to be innovative and individually tailored to the challenge being faced.      

In challenging and difficult times I firmly believe it’s key for HR to be pro-active in ensuring there is an effective and on-going communication plan in place to keep all employees updated with the situation their Company is facing. In my experience you cannot 'over communicate' as there will likely to be a feeling of anxiety and uncertainty.   It’s also important to be as open and transparent as possible with the information given to staff, once again in my experience if staff feel that they are being treated fairly, there is more chance they will accept whatever news may be communicated. Line managers have a key role to play in the process and an agreed communication process is so important to avoid individual interpretation which will lead to confusion.Therefore the qualities required by HR are great listening skills, be aware of your staff's concerns and consistently find ways to explain what/why decisions are being made taking the opinions/views of the employees as much as possible.      

Agility in organisations is vital in making the step changes required to respond to market conditions and challenges.  The role of HR leaders is to enable organisations to become more innovative and agile by using ever greater instinct and insight. A deep understanding the business and its operating environment is vital.  Developing the right culture of innovation and skills in business change are essential.  Being confident and clear about the contribution made by HR and the outcomes achieved are also required. To be successful a HR leader should be focusing on 3 key issues:1. Absolute clarity in terms of business strategy 2. Alignment of people and the business 3. Delivery of clear measurable business outcomes‘Less is more’ at the moment – doing fewer things really well and being ruthlessly focused will deliver the best results for the future.      

We don't need to look too far to accept that survival is about agility: It was Charles Darwin and his 'On the Origin of Species' who adopted the phrase 'survival of the fittest' as a synonym for natural selection and a metaphor for 'better adapted for immediate, local environment'.  For a business to survive it needs to gain and hold a competitive advantage.  It will do so by watching and evaluating its marketplace, constantly evaluating alternative strategies before selecting and implementing an appropriate set of actions.  And real success is about having the humility to accept that whilst the vision remains robust, its strategic execution and plan may need to change en route and perhaps change several times.HR is at the core of an agile business.  There are five core HR leadership capabilities that, in my experience, underpin success:  Integrity, Collaboration, Insight, Humility and a dose of humour.  An HR leader who is centred in integrity, trusted because they are the same on the outside as the inside, has a stronger, louder and more influential voice.  Having an ability to suspend judgement whilst listening to the ideas of others, yet not self-affacing, able to elevate everyone, are the capabilities of collaboration and humility.  It is, however, the skill of creating insight that truly powers the the success of an agile organisation.  The insight into where talent exists and why it may flow into, and out of, your organisation; how different cultures respond to a product or brand proposition; how an employment policy or practice is accepted or rejected by different groups of employees or co-workers; the knowledge that flows from understanding and shaping the values of the business - insight is the power that determines the speed agility.  Finally, a sense of humour is the power that helps us make sense of our work environment and remind us that we all working towards the same end - the delivery of our common vision.