1.
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PART 5: Your people are
where it’s at. But do you
have a strategy for them?
How to build a high-performing organization in the 21st century.

2.
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Does this sound familiar?
Your CEO
says your
people are the
organization’s
No. 1 asset.
HR is an afterthought in your
organization’s strategic planning process.
Your recruiting team
can’t get a clear view
of priority needs and
talent gaps from the
business.
Managers are
frustrated they
aren’t getting req’s
filled fast enough
Your leaders say you need
stronger business acumen and
enhanced delivery capabilities.
Your training
budget gets cut.
Your leaders
are looking for
insights and
analytics on
their global
talent
You’re managing a
set of disparate
HRIS and Talent
Systems that no
longer meet your
needs.
Your HR team isn’t
aligned on where to
start to turn the tide
Your employee
engagement results are
improving but turn-over
is still a problem..
You start
eating more
chocolate…
START

3.
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You’re not alone.
Almost every organization says their people are their No. 1 “asset”. Yet too few plan and act in a
way that shows they really mean it. The result: organizations fail to invest in their people, talent
processes, and organizations, in a manner that best supports their strategic businesses needs –
leaving HR responding to demands and changing priorities without the benefit of an agreed-upon
focus.

4.
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So, what’s missing?
 an aligned view of talent needs
 a clear employee value proposition
 a cohesive investment strategy
 a plan.

5.
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In other words, you’re
missing a people strategy.

6.
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What’s that, you ask?
Yet, while most
organizations have financial
and go-to-market
strategies, very few have a
clear and articulated
people strategy.
It’s a big gap in your
strategic planning,
that’s what.
Consider this: every organization
competes in three markets: the
capital markets for funding, a
product and services market for
customers, and the labor market for
people.

7.
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Here’s some secrets to a
great People Strategy…

8.
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1) It’s owned by the executive team
If you think a people strategy belongs in the HR department, you’d be wrong. A great people strategy
needs to be considered, developed, and fully owned by the organization’s leaders. Sure, HR has an
important role facilitating and enabling it – but a great people strategy is owned at the top, since it
influences company decisions and your people’s every day experiences.
Remember those financial and go-to-market
strategies? They are as sure as shooting owned
by the executive team. Your people strategy
should be no different.

9.
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2) It’s tied to your strategic goals
(and custom to your organization)
Does this step
support our strategic
goals?
Would something
else better support
them?
You heard us. You certainly wouldn’t copy the answers of
the organization next to you when it comes to your business
strategy. It’s your strategy after all, meaning it is unique to
you - and thoughtfully developed to get your
organization where it needs to go.
Your people strategy should to be just as
thoughtful, and equally
unique to your team’s
needs and focus.

10.
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3) It addresses all five areas of high
performance: strategy, culture,
structure, people, & work
Does your culture support the
experience you promised your people?
Are changes needed to your structure to increase
the speed of delivery against your strategy?
Have you taken a good hard look at your
employee lifecycle with your people
strategy in mind?
Are your people
strategy and corporate
strategy strongly linked?
Is it easy to get the
priority work of your
organization done?

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4) It puts your money where your
mouth is when it comes to your
people.
Tip: Don’t fall into the trap of thinking of your people as your ‘assets’. You don’t own them. In truth,
you’ve bought some of their time for innovation, creativity, and the production of your goods and
services. These days, your prized knowledge worker is a “corporation of one” who’s signed up with you
for a “tour of duty” — as long as you offer a good return on their invested time!
Inspired people deliver inspired
performance… so don’t forget
that this is about your people.
Stop using empty words. Take
real actions instead.

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Basically, an impactful
people strategy is the
decoder ring that
connects the dots
between your corporate
strategy and your HR
strategy.

13.
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Tune in next month for PART 6: How to build a high-
impact talent program to support your people strategy.
But a key pillar of a good people
strategy is knowing where you
stand with your talent.
Do you?
And that’s your people
strategy, folks.

14.
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your people = your success.
www.peoplefirm.com
thanks for reading.
PeopleFirm is a consulting firm dedicated to achieving the
ultimate win-win: inspired people driving inspired
performance. We focus on effective tools, measurable
outcomes, real results, and getting your people out of their
seats and engaged in your company’s growth.