The following interview was held between Bruce Lewin and Mike Haffenden in December 2009. Mike co-founded the Corporate Research Forum1 and was formerly HR Director for Hewlett-Packard. The discussion focussed on a review of 2009 and themes for HR, along with exploring more broad topics for the function and profession as a whole.

Welcome to the final Quarterly Review of 2009. In this issue we touch on some of the following themes; • Henry Mintzberg on bonus culture • How perverse norms drive corporate strategy • New research on motivation and its effect on engagement • A case for the counter intuitive approach Articles are included from the likes of the Harvard Business Review, Henry Mintzberg, HR Magazine, Jeffrey Pfeffer, MIT Sloan Review, Nokia, SuccessFactors and the Wall Street Journal.

There is a tension at the heart of our efforts to collaborate. This tension and its possible resolution is best captured by the following questions. Should we be putting people first, before technology, in our efforts to collaborate? Does collaboration benefit from a more formal process? Can collaboration be encouraged in a replicable and systematic manner (as much as anything concerning people can be repeatable and systematic)? Does the lack of a formal process for optimising collaboration hold back productivity and performance?

After having the best talent, relationships play the most important part in creating a high performing team.

The Foundation Course is an advanced developmental application of 4G. By combining the Social Profiles from 4G with the skills of a facilitator, the Foundation Course represents an alternative to traditional executive coaching.

There are always unforeseen risks associated with any corporate restructuring programme. In terms of a metaphor, restructuring can be seen as undertaking major organisational surgery, with all the attendant risks and uncertainties. One route to reducing the risks and raising the possibility of a successful outcome comes from gathering information on both the structural, tangible elements of the organisation and complementing this with a focus on the more subtle or intangible factors.

Acquisitions vary widely in ambition and scope, ranging from relatively small bolt-on transactions to transformative mergers.

By making the traditionally intangible aspects of an organisation tangible, managers can benefit from superior information and greater choice. This new perspective combines insights and knowledge that would previously only have been available by chance alone with a comprehensive view of the organisation in question.

Four Groups has developed a new model for understanding and predicting relationships and team dynamics called 4G. One of the areas of application for 4G is management due diligence and ongoing portfolio management within the private equity industry.

Linking talent development to talent deployment and extending the reach of talent management all go towards creating a high performing organisation.

The financial and cultural values of an organisation often appear to be two separate and distinct entities. However, simultaneously linking and managing them can have a major impact on the success of both strategy and its execution.

While profits per employee are a good measure of human capital, the real challenge is knowing how to increase them.

Commentators are currently polarised around the future of the HR function. Some suggest that the function is about to enter a boom period as after several years of cajoling, organisations are placing far greater emphasis on talent management and putting strategic HR activities at the heart of the business. On the other hand, others believe that HR is still struggling to rise to the challenge and is destined to remain a transaction based cost centre for the foreseeable future. As with most things, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

This article describes how a tool developed by Four Groups, 4G can be seen as a foundation or bridge which links typically hidden organisational gaps and issues. By systematically understanding and addressing intangible and ‘people based factors’, it is possible to close these gaps, make more informed decisions and enhance the chances of a redictable and successful outcome to management initiatives.

The ability to predict team fit and relationships between candidates and existing team members can make the difference between a successful hire and a high performing team or a costly mistake.

Companies need to innovate relentlessly to even stand still in an increasingly global and competitive economy. No longer is it sufficient to deliver incremental improvements at a leisurely pace. Instead disruptive innovations of the type that fundamentally alters markets and business processes must be sought out and delivered regularly and predictably. Disruptive innovation must become a core business process. This article shows how to achieve this.

4G is a proprietary approach to predicting relationships, behaviour and group cultures. Based in part on the work of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, 4G incorporates measures of people’s strengths, creativity, motivation and weaknesses. The model contains 16 definitions of individual’s behavior, 14 different relationship types and 4 examples of group culture.

Four Groups have developed a tool to better understand and optimise behaviours, relationships and culture in the workplace, 4G has been designed to help prevent and resolve intangible issues and problems that impact individual and group performance. This document is designed to introduce 4G and to show how it compares to and differs from other tools and techniques which organisations use to help manage their people.

Welcome to 2009’s third quarterly review, as with previous issues, engagement continues to be at the forefront of people’s thoughts. Behind the engagement debate however there seems to be a growing call for a wider reappraisal of the fundamental way corporations are organised and for me personally, this is the most interesting aspect of this quarter’s articles. Other themes include; • Shifting the Organisational Pyramid • The McLeod Review on Employee Engagement • The Leader/Manager Debate • Line Managers who Lead

Reading through this quarter’s articles, there were plenty of pieces rehashing practical tips on how to deal with the recession. However, there are a number of interesting ideas and themes lurking beneath the surface. * Intangibles such as engagement, networking and collaboration are hot topics but managing these issues is easier said than done * New technologies have the potential to revolutionise the way we understand organisational behaviour, although the appetite for this information is as yet unclear