Are we there yet? Designing an Effective HR Function...

If you’ve been following Ulrich’s advice for redesigning the HR Function over the last ten plus years or so, you probably find yourself asking…”are we there yet!?”  You started with a three-box model organised around artificial outcomes…but a few things weren’t quite right. Then, you had to figure out where implementation fit into the equation – so a fourth and/or possibly fifth box was added.  Then, you had to weather endless power struggles and class warfare based on which box took precedence over the others.  But aren’t all three are equally important? Well... they are and they are not. Then, let’s not forget about building personal fulfilment and joy into the work experience – unless of course you were stuck in that transactional bit.  And now, just when you thought you have accounted for everything and you’ve arrived, you must now consider the customer, business context and relationships with key stakeholders – “outside-in thinking” as recently proposed by Ulrich -  a “new” pre-requisite for building HR credibility.  Are we there yet?