Plus tips on how to increase alignment if they are not...
Unlike most business functions that concentrate on their own objectives, resource management's goals ARE the organization’s goals. They’re one and the same.
This is why resource management needs a seat at the C-suite table – so you’re in the best position to drive the organization’s strategic objectives forward.
Whether you’ve secured that spot or are still striving for it, your organization will thrive when your resource management function and C-suite work together.
But how can you tell if you’re in harmony or hopelessly out of sync? How can you elevate your strategic value to secure senior buy-in?
We spoke to three resource management experts to discover the five signs that your RMO and leadership team are aligned. And how to boost engagement and alignment if they’re not…
Your expert guides today are:
When positioned at the right-hand of the C-suite, resource managers are uniquely placed to help them drive the business forward.
But, despite the clear strategic benefits of RM representation at a senior level, it can be hard to get stakeholder buy-in. So how do you know if your organization is getting it right?
Here are three signals our experts say to look for…
‘Resource management goals are the goals of the organization. Unlike a lot of other functions, where there's a very narrow scope, Resource Management facilitates the entirety of the organization's objectives,’ says Tim Copeland, CEO of Runn.
If your C-suite recognizes this and treats you as a trusted strategic advisor, it’s a strong indicator of alignment.
Say there's a large restructure that needs to happen – or there's a large new initiative that requires resources to be deployed. If you're involved in that conversation, then you're at the top of the food chain in terms of value and importance within the organization," says Tim.
Cindy Tan, General Manager of IT and Digital at TPG Telecom agrees, saying resource managers want to be in a position where the C-suite comes to them as part of their strategic decision-making process:
Because you built the trust with transparency over your workforce and resource capacity, they can come to you. They can say 'I need to react and change these things and roll something out', and you can explain what's feasible what's not feasible, when is the right timeline, where we're constraints-free, and predict. And then, in that manner, you're an adviser to the C-suite. But if we're just reporting on availability trends and all that, we're missing out on a key piece for the business."
While being consulted is a strong indicator of respect for RM, having a seat at the table is even better. Resource management representation at C-level shows the strongest alignment.
Anyone who’s seen the musical Hamilton knows the significance of being in ‘The Room Where It Happens’ – being consulted, involved, and influential in decision-making. The same goes for resource management.
Gary Ward, Director of Global Resource Staffing at Guidewire Software, says that, as much as the RM function might feel ‘pressure’ when they’re in demand, it’s better than the alternative.
I would be more concerned about what happens in the rooms that you're not in than the ones that you are in. If you're in more of them, it means you have a seat at the table and you're able to represent what's happening in the resource management space. And that’s important because it's very consequential for the business in multiple different ways. From sales to talent supply, to engagement and retention, and from operating efficiently to your customer satisfaction scores. It's everywhere…"
This direct access to decision-making – live and on a level playing field with other senior leaders – ensures resource management has the opportunity to steer the organization to better outcomes.
Another positive sign is that you frequently field data requests from the C-suite. Gary Ward asks ‘How often are you being hit up for data? How much pressure are you under?’ This demand underscores the C-suite's reliance on RMO data for informed decision-making. ‘If that data is coming from the resource management function, then you're obviously valued by the C suite,’ agrees Tim.
Resource management data is comprehensive and cuts across different functions, making it valuable to various C-level leaders.
The data might reveal capacity with a particular skill set which – in a professional services context – you want to tell Sales about because they might be able to find work that would fit it. Or there might be constant demand for a particular type of skill and you're using contractors at the moment but maybe it'd be more efficient to bring in full-time employees or start training your staff in this particular way... It’s when you're able to surface this that your role is elevated in the organization. You’re no longer just an operational function."
If you’re not seeing those signs of alignment in your organization, you may need to strengthen and cement the relationship further.
Our experts have some concrete advice on stakeholder management to raise Resource Management’s profile at C-level – so you’re able to advance your shared success agenda.
A common theme of our resource management webinar series has been the importance of listening – listening to concerns and challenges at every level, so you can comprehensively address them in your strategy.
Be curious about what the business is doing,’ says Cindy Tan. ‘Be curious about the data that you have. Be curious and ask questions of the resource managers, the line managers, the C-suite, different levels. 'What are your challenges?' Then use the data and these different conversations to connect the dots. What is the root cause? That curious mindset will bring everything together. And then you can then bring that to the C-suite."
Gary Ward acknowledges that RM professionals are extremely busy with operational matters. But it is worth investing time in getting to know the organization better.
Most companies have town halls, company meetings, etc. I know everybody's busy – RM is a notoriously busy space – but prioritize that stuff, take the time out, and plug yourself into the organization.
Your RMO is the antidote to silos. But what you don't want is for the resource manager to end up in their own silo and separate from the organization. It does not work. So join those meetings. Listen to what the C-suite is talking about. Listen to what your counterparts are talking about. It will clue you into what's top of mind for them."
Once you’ve completed your listening tour, schedule the next one. Staying in tune with organizational needs is an ongoing process. Regularly refresh your understanding of business priorities and people’s pain points, so your RMO stays relevant and delivers desired results.
It's important to talk to people on a regular basis," explains Gary Ward. "We fall victim to resting back and saying 'Right, we know the job' but you need to be in front of stakeholders, you need to be engaging with the rest of the business. It keeps you plugged in and keeps you relevant."
Not everyone understands the unique value proposition of effective resource management yet. It’s up to you to prove the strategic and competitive advantage you deliver. Gary Ward has the following tips.
It’s about knowing your audience, says Gary.
What's important to them? What's top of mind for them? That’s what you need to know. Then it becomes a matter of stepping away from the day-to-day and elevating the communication level to topics and themes that matter to C suite.
RM is well-placed to have an unbiased view and take a cold, hard look at the business. You don't want to be the team that brings all of the issues and problems to light. It's more about spotting opportunities, being able to articulate what the downstream effects of decisions are.
Sometimes – when we’re communicating the value proposition – we might lean towards all of the positive things that RM can bring when it's done effectively. Which is correct. But you can actually turn that on its head as well and ask what it looks like if we don't do it. You can reverse engineer it too."
The very nature of the C-suite is that every member represents a different set of interests. RM professionals need to understand their audience and be ready to address different priorities and help arbitrate between competing interests. Stakeholder mapping can help here.
What the CFO cares about is very different to what the heads of delivery is about, which is very different to what the HR department cares about," says Tim. "So you've got to appreciate what it is that they care about."
Jump on every opportunity to present to the C-suite.
Grasp those opportunities where someone from the RMO can get in front of the C-suite and present to them," encourages Gary. "It could be on what utilization means, it could be on capacity planning, or why governance is important. You need to lean into the opportunities that are there and engage in dialogue. Don't shy away from it."
Be ready to articulate the strategic value of Resource Management in two minutes or less – so that you can use even the shortest exposure to C-level executives to communicate your value.
Every RM should be ready to deliver their elevator pitch with a C-suite executive. We talk about having a seat at the table, influencing, and being a strategic partner. How can you do that if you're not seen in that light? You need to be able to effectively communicate that value proposition and stand behind it. What it is you do and why you do what you do."
One of the key advantages of centralized resource management is its comprehensive data overview, offering insights that other departments just don’t have. Here’s how our experts suggest you leverage that benefit.
You should prioritize data completeness and accuracy to maximize its strategic value, says Tim. When you first start to centralize your RM function, you may only have basic information, such as time and hours. But aim to build out a more comprehensive data set in partnership with other teams.
The first bit of data that gets into the system is just time. But there are multiple dimensions you can add on top of that. Maybe the rates you charge clients or the cost of your staff. But those bits of data aren't always easy to find. It might need a conversation with HR. 'Are you comfortable with that degree of transparency and who's got access to that information?' It’s just being aware of the data that you do have and the data that you don't. So that as you get more mature as an organization, you'll know more."
On the theme of collecting data from other parties, Cindy Tan advises making data collection processes as easy as possible.
Don’t introduce a very tedious administrative process because the resources themselves will hate it and just not use it or not put the right information in. And there goes the accuracy of the data. When that happens, then the tool is useless and whatever you produce is not going to be useful. Always look at how can you simplify the process to make it as easy as possible."
Of course, raw data isn’t going to win hearts and minds. That’s why Gary Ward recommends getting better at data storytelling. So you’re not presenting raw statistics, but effectively communicating what they mean for the business.
One of the key key skills for resource managers is [...] being masterful at telling the story with data. You don't need to be the data scientist, you don't need to physically be able to build everything yourself. But that you can communicate what that information is actually saying. So you can highlight risks and opportunities. You can highlight the positives. And grounding that all in quantifiable information is always a win."
The ultimate advantage of resource management is that it helps leaders make better decisions and benefit the business. Here’s what our experts had to say on that.
Visibility is one of the biggest things the C-suite is looking for," says Gary. "Can we see our pipeline and our capacity? Do we know where everyone is today and what they're working on? What pockets of time may still be available? If you can't see, you can't plan you can't react."
Tim goes on to explain that decision-making without data can lead to poor outcomes. ‘I think we've seen that – in the absence of having a shared view of what your supply and demand is – essentially it's the loudest voice in the room that wins. And that's never a good way to build a healthy company.’
Ultimately the resource management office is there to optimize limited supply to meet demand. For RMs, a lot of time is spent on the supply side," explains Gary. "But one of the pieces of the puzzle that tends to be missing is prioritizing demand. It tends to come after the fact when there's already some sort of challenge or you're in a pinch. So now you're back in that frame of reacting rather than being as proactive as possible."
To help the C-suite decide which projects to prioritize and pursue, use scenario planning says Cindy Tan.
The ability to assess different ‘what if’ scenarios and their downstream impact on capacity, workload, and financials, helps leaders choose the optimum path for the business – including the ability to pivot quickly and confidently as the market changes.
Neutrality is key to working effectively at C-level. The RMO touches on most areas of business success and needs to remain an impartial facilitator to maintain trust and goodwill. You don’t want to be perceived as a ‘blocker’ says Cindy Tan, but as a ‘facilitator’ of solutions.
That way, the role of the resource manager changes from someone who tells departments what they can and can't do, to a facilitator who helps two departments have a productive, effective conversation and find a solution themselves. This helps protect and elevate the perception of the RM function throughout the organization.
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