Blinded by Science
SteveThere is no shortage of calls for people in Human Resources to get more business savvy, and to strive to become more well versed in math, statistics, and finance. Many of the leading vendors of Human Resources software have reflected this trend, by rebranding, launching new analytics tools, and emphasizing the importance of data in HR strategy.
Polyhedron - Magnus Wenniger
And it is not just Human Resources professionals that have been told that better command of hard subjects of math, science, and technology are needed for sustained competitive advantage; here in the USA we have seen repeated calls for an increased focus on these subjects in primary and secondary education. It is kind of conventional wisdom that American students are falling behind their peers around the world in these subjects, and without concerted efforts to raise these skills in the next generation, America's position as a leader in industry, invention, and innovation will surely be diminished.
Let's put aside for now that in China, considered by many to be America's main competition for invention and innovation, many educators are striving to find ways to enable more opportunities to encourage student's creativity, and to move away from their traditional 'drill and test' approach. In the words of one Chinese educator ‘You’re racing toward our old model. But we’re racing toward your model, as fast as we can.’
A recent survey by IBM of over fifteen hundred CEO's showed that these CEO's rated 'creativity' as the single most important attribute needed for future organizational success. Perhaps these CEOs felt that the basics of math, statistics, and analytics are a given, a necessary ante to even play the game, and only those organizations and leaders that can apply the insights derived from the analysis of operational and workforce data in creative and innovative ways will be the winners in the future. Or perhaps it was a unspoken nod to the over reliance on financial and statistical analysis that has dominated formal business education for ages.
I understand that the push and the advice to HR leaders and HR professionals to gain a better understanding of math, finance, statistics, etc. probably stems from a perception and history of being concerned with the 'soft' stuff, employee relations, benefits admin, and the like. Gaining credibility as professionals and as a discipline certainly seems to hinge, at least in part, on changing that perception by demonstrating 'real' business skills and acumen.
I just hope that the emphasis on analytics and data does not swing the pendulum too far, that we begin to lose sight of the other skills and attributes that are essential to effective management, leadership, and contribution to ongoing business success.
CEOs, countries, customers, and students are all looking for creativity, let's not try to respond simply armed with spreadsheets.
Reader Comments (11)
I am of the opinion that one isn't limited to being either creative or analytical. I feel that that is a myth put forth by people who are strong in one area, and fearful of trying the other.
It seems to me that this trend you speak of, will be beneficial, and that those who try to engage the other sides of their brain, will be the better for it.
I enjoyed the post. :-)
Thanks Brian - I think you are probably correct. I just wonder if the perspective is getting a bit off when there seems to be so much focus on numbers and analytics. Thanks for reading and commenting.
In business school I learned the formula for standard deviation but as soon as I plugged it into my business calculator I promptly forgot it and would have to look it up today - what was important was interpreting the information, not the calculation itself.
Lately I've begun to see more possibility in software to make up for the lack of 'business skills' that HR is commonly criticized for and wonder if we can't have the best of both worlds? There's no reason modern business systems can't support creative people with key business data. Conversely, there's no reason business people should abandon all common sense just because a number on a spreadsheet (which may be wrong) gives them a different answer.
Analytics serve a support function, not a leadership function.
I think HR will be better served to recruit more well-rounded brains into the space than try to round out most of the brains we already have. That's not just HR, but many biz functions.
With the profession of HR elevating as of late, I altruistically believe our future will be better than our past.
Speaking of standard deviation, we need some more outliers . . . we need some longer tails on each side of the bell curve because all the cows and toy soldiers moving in the same direction gets old real quick :)
Emotional intelligence and more right brain, baby. That's where it's at.
@working girl - I think we can have the best of both worlds, but I just think in the rush to race towards analytical we tend to move too far to that direction. As you say, understanding what a standard deviation is won't help solve any real problems, knowing when and how to apply those techniques are the key.
@josh - I 100% agree on the outliers observation. Chasing the latest trends just leaves you constantly chasing anyway.
@kevin - Thanks Kevin - I am with you
Your post reminded me of one of my favorite quotations, from Albert Einstein no less: "Not everything that counts can be counted. And not everything that can be counted, counts."
Creativity, business knowledge, and the ability to analyze data and present them to support your position are important for HR professionals as well as all business people. In my experience, Companies that have demonstrated the ability to recognize shifts in markets as well as changing customer preferences. History is replete with examples of failed Companies that refused or could not change and suffered the consequences. The ability to understand the change that an organization must go through to survive and grow and drive that change through the organization is the most important skilll that all business must develop and practice.
Hi Steve,
Thanks for the great article! I agree with you that creativity is a key to the U.S. and in HR, but I feel there is a nice happy medium between analysis and creativity and they actually go together quite well. People in general should be encouraged to push the envelope and think of creative ways to solve problems, but metrics provide a really great way to see if these creative solutions hold their weight in water. Metrics and analysis are a great validation tool for creative ideas, and while they can't and won't drive success all by themselves, they are a needed companion to understanding where creativity is getting you. The key is to understanding the most important metrics for determining success in whatever you are doing.
All the Best,
Chris
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