The Loyalist Team by Linda Adams

Author:Linda Adams
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Published: 2018-09-12T04:00:00+00:00

Day 1: Discuss Sunlight’s overall strategic direction and align HR priorities

Day 2: Create the vision for the HR function and build the HR-specific plan

Day 3: Build the global HR team

Day 4: Move forward through an action plan

We talked through the big picture with Marta in person and then scheduled a few phone calls to finalize details over the next four weeks. And those weeks flew by for all of us.

When we landed in Atlanta, Marta met us at the airport.

“I came to get you myself because I’m so excited about this whole event,” she said. “My team is all here. They’re all looking forward to working together, and the CEO is so fired up that he keeps talking about using this as a blueprint with other departments.”

The next morning, we saw that enthusiasm in action when the CEO addressed the HR team. A charismatic man, he went around the room shaking hands and welcoming each person individually. He talked about Sunlight’s proud history and the elation he felt when he took the job. His tone changed, however, and became more serious, when he discussed challenges the company was facing and the ways globalization would help fend off the competition.

“The entire company will be adopting the approach of driving globalization across each function,” he said. “And you lucky folks will be first. I’m counting on you to find the smoothest path forward and to show the rest of us the way.”

Going a little deeper into the need for globalization, the CEO explained the overall strategic plan. Treating the HR team members as if they were his peers, he showed what he believed were the most likely areas of growth and the company’s plan to go after those opportunities. He talked about risk and how the company was prepared for that. And he concluded with praise for the people on the team.

“Hard act to follow,” Marta said as he finished. She thanked her boss for kicking off the four-day work session and introduced us to her team.

“These women will lead us through conversations and exercises designed to teach us to work better together,” Marta said before telling us about each of the members of her team.

Veronique ran HR for the European division from the office in France. She spoke four languages and was, as you might expect, stylish and a careful observer of details. Wen was the youngest of the bunch. In his early thirties, he had studied in the United States before returning to Hong Kong. And Olivia was the chattiest. An Australian with a gentle laugh, she’d been cracking herself and her teammates up from the moment they entered the room.

Two of the Americans were named Pete. Tall Pete ran Talent Management and the other Pete ran Total Rewards. Lizbeth oversaw Recruiting.

From there, Marta talked through the HR plan and priorities for an hour before opening up the conversation for questions. And there were many.

“I hear what you’re saying about globalization, but I don’t see how it will change my priorities,” Wen said.

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