Our HR Tech Congress Rollercoaster!

As we approach yet another HR tech we’ve come to realise that HR Tech is like a milestone in our ever evolving business plan progressing us to the next level, bringing us to places we didn’t expect to be, so soon, and providing the engine and the front carriage to our start up roller-coaster.

We first went to HR Tech World Congress in search of an idea, in search of a tool that could provide the technology to our thinking. A tool to match the hypothesis that the way we manage performance in organisations needs to change, that the systems of the past are broken and the way to the future organisation is through a shift in how we manage performance; replacing judgement for growth, replacing top down feedback with crowd sourced continuous feedback, coaching people to become the very best versions of themselves. We wanted to help organisations transform how they manage performance, long before it became a mainstream debate but we wanted a tool to match our aspirations.

We looked at the traditional players and asked for such a tool but were met with blank faces and told of their performance solutions. Disappointed that we hadn’t found our solution, we looked at the Disruptors for answers and while we were excited by their enthusiasm and their bravery in forging a new HR tech world, it didn’t end our search. Our research continued beyond HR Tech but we knew walking away from that incredible show in Paris that we would be a long time searching. We had seen the best of breed technology but we hadn’t seen our idea in existence.

Technology had changed the culture of society so for sure it could change the culture of organisations, we searched for a tool that could help us do that but to no avail! That was it, we were done looking, we decided to take on the challenge ourselves. We found the best CTO that money couldn’t buy, because frankly, we didn’t have any but we did have friends, good friends, and a great friend in the Global CTO of HR for Telefonica. She liked our idea so much she committed to helping us bring it to life. Our next trip to HR Tech was a very different one, we came with our tool, built and ready to emerge as a Disruptor. What a difference 6 months had made! Armed with our new tool, Tandem, and buckets of enthusiasm we attracted the brightest and bravest of organisations. Global brand name organisations were willing to take a chance with a start-up and try a tool that fed a need that we knew was out there. Incredible, we couldn’t believe how many organisations showed an interest and signed up for trials. We were blown away with the enthusiasm and the openness of such large Organisations to do business with a start-up.  I don’t know who created the Disrupt HR zone but I sure would like to thank them.

Several trials later, we learned lots and made a real impact in our trial organisations and before we knew it, it was time for HR Tech Paris. This time we were getting competitive and entered the prestigious DisruptHR competition. We knew it would be tough and we knew we were more early stage than most of the other entrants so we were up against it.  In front of 8 thought leaders in the HR world, many of whom I had followed for years and hung on to their every word, I pitched our idea, a tool to transform how performance is managed in organisations, one that could create a continuous feedback and coaching culture not seen to date. To much excitement and sheer delight, we won the competition! I’ve had many highs in my career, topped my class in college for my degree and again for my research masters, been promoted to roles I thought I could only dream about in some of the most progressive organisations and won numerous awards along the way but there was no high that came even close to winning that award. The external validation that came from the very best of thought leadership in HR was incomparable to any other validation I could have got. An orderly queue started to form at the Tandem stand and we didn’t stop giving demos until the entire conference had emptied out and they were clearing away the boxes. Everyone seemed to want to see the winning product. Going home with an armful of leads and a large helping of pride, we got to working on our follow ups. Before we knew it, we were in front of multiple investors, endless media queries, in radio stations, delivering podcasts, leading mainstream newspaper articles. It’s like our little world had blown into a mainstream news story and we played catch up all the way! But more importantly we’ve spoken and signed some of the most progressive organisations out there, travelled the world showing them Tandem and continue to live our rollercoaster of excitement, delight and the unpredictability of life in a start-up.

What a journey it’s been and now before we know it, another HR tech is just around the corner. Can’t wait to see what you got in store for us next…..

In Search of Yoda

Performance management and talent management have long been the biggest sources of conflict between HR and the business. Despite endless search for objective data in the form of surveys, 360 reviews and even assessment centres, they remain largely subjective conversations that happen both inside and outside the boardroom. This is how careers are really made and broken. “Andrea thinks he’s a good guy”; “Ron thinks he can do more” and hence a new king is born.

Meanwhile, the debate rages on during talent management reviews. “He’s delivered amazing business results but can he coach and inspire his people?” I’ve seen HR fight for the people agenda countless times, trying to ensure that our future leadership have a strong people management emphasis, fighting for our leaders to become the perfect coach. Extensive training courses, endless evaluations, elaborate mentoring programmes, e-learning suites, you name it, we’ve all tried to create these perfect coaches who, in parallel, can be trusted to deliver amazing results. Consultancies profit from our quest by introducing new fads and models that promise this time, we will reach this Holy Grail. But where have we got to? Have we created the perfect coaches? I struggle to think of any organisation where leaders are uniformly as strong on the people agenda as they are on the delivery of business results. Maybe we expect too much, maybe we are not so much in search of great leaders, as much as we are in search of Yoda! But let’s face it, there aren’t many Yoda’s out there. Do we need to rethink all of this?

We have been trying to make coaching work in business for over 20 years but perhaps we need to revisit how we think of coaching? What if the organisation could drive a growth oriented culture where we all contribute to each other’s’ learning? Why rest the sole responsibility for growth and development of our people at one person’s door, the unfortunate leader who has so many expectations on his shoulders he may not know where to start! I don’t’ know a child in this world who hasn’t benefited from a multiple of adults, who have helped them grow and develop. Of course, the parents are the biggest influence, but aunts, uncles, friends and neighbours all feel a responsibility and play a role in their development. What if our organisation could reflect society in this way? Everyone has a responsibility to help each other grow and develop. Similar to the way our villages used to raise the kids, organisations could raise up the employee to become the best version of ourselves.

Our ways of working have changed so dramatically, we spend more time with our peers and colleagues, than our boss. Our limited face time with our bosses mean we can easily show only one side of our performance, whereas our colleagues often understand a much more rounded version of us. If they were to give us feedback, chances are they see so much more in us and can truly help our development. They better understand our strengths and weaknesses and can deliver insightful feedback on a regular basis. I’m not for a second advocating that Managers shouldn’t take a primary role in developing their people. I’m just suggesting that they aren’t the sole architect of an employee’s development and rooting for it to be a wider effort. Entering an organisation would become like entering a new phase of your learning and opening yourself to feedback coming from anyone, anywhere, that would accelerate your growth.

Just think about it, a culture where we go to grow and become the best version of ourselves, supported by bosses, peers and colleagues alike. Now there’s an organisation I’d love to meet!