I recently had the opportunity to interview a dozen of the very top HR executives in the country, now all retired. When I asked them some tough questions—about racism at Texaco, sexual harassment at Astra, massive and cruel layoffs at AT&T—thinking that now they were unhampered in discussing them, all but one said things like, “I really can’t comment because I wasn’t there,” or “I’m sure the HR people did everything they could,” or, amazingly, “I’m really not familiar with the incident.
The one exception said, “None of the HR people had enough guts to do anything about the abuses.” Bravo.
I’m shocked at the insularity that is often created at the highest levels of the HR community. Taking a stand on an issue could get you in trouble with the other side, but trying to remain a neutral or uninvolved observer in the middle is suicidal: there is pressure from both ends and no one winds up respecting you. I’d have more respect for—and long-term loyalty to—an HR professional who unsuccessfully fought one of my initiatives because he or she really didn’t believe in it, than one who ingenuously “yessed” me to death while watching me sit on a time bomb.
Life is short. Managers need help in turbulent times. Layoffs are beginning again. Over 100 dotcoms went out of business in 2000 alone. The issues in the work force are increasingly complex.
If HR doesn’t want to step to the plate and take a stand, then it should simply fold its tent to go out of business, too. At least the dotcom entrepreneurs weren’t afraid to take some risks.


© Alan Weiss 2001


Alan Weiss is the author of 16 books, including Million Dollar Consulting and The Unofficial Guide to Power Management. Reach him at http://www.summitconsulting.com, alan@summitconsulting.com, or 401/884-2778.