The human resources (HR) press and professional associations continue to produce volumes of information about HR becoming a strategic partner. HR professionals are working hard to have a seat at the table, to be a strategic business partner, and to add value to the organisation. Yet, many HR professionals still don't seem to have made this transition successfully.

The tip of the ice burg consequences of HR not transitioning from ‘traditional’ to ‘strategic’ include reinforcement of the doubt within many senior ranks that the HR function has no relevance to the companies financial value and in turn the possible demise of the function that should provide the critical strategic focus and voice on attracting and retaining the people who realise the strategy. So what needs to happen to transition HR into a critical strategic financial value add to organisations of today?

The transition to a strategic consultative position will take time. But, if HR professionals can shift through these suggested gears, that transition will be made more quickly and confidently.

1. Listen to triggers through frequent pulse checks & provide solutions

If HR is always thinking about HR, they are missing the boat. Tune into the key issues that are at top of mind at the top. What are they most worried about? What is their biggest challenge? What is keeping them awake at night? HR will only be effective if they deliver services and solutions that meet the critical needs of the organisation's leaders.

2. Present ideas & solutions in value-added terms

Often, HR presents new ideas and solutions that reflect what HR or the employees want usually from an internal perspective only. The next time you offer up a new idea, ask yourself, "how will this make the organisation better or bring value?" If the solution adds no value nor contributes to the organisations strategy, rework it until there is a clear value and execution commitment.

3. Learn the lay of the land and talk that language

If you don't know the lingo of your industry or your organisation or just as importantly your culture, you will not succeed. Remember, you might be an HR professional, but you don't work just in the HR industry. You work in the manufacturing or the financial or in the utilities or telecommunications industries or the public sector. If you aren’t aware of the lay of the land both within and outside your organisation i.e. what's going on with your competitors, management has no reason to listen to you.

4. See yourself as a peer to management

If you don’t visualise yourself as a value add member of the senior management, they will see you that way too. Leading HR professionals need to begin to position themselves as key contributors to strategy execution and in turn strategy creation. Strategic focus can be translated into a set of organisational capabilities that HR can then lead. The emphasis on capabilities provides a tangible solution to the future thus adding value to the organisation.

5. Live your mettle

Part of being a peer to management is to be confidently frank and honest with your feedback, not through alienating everyone but by being true to yourself. Being on your mettle means you have an understanding of the character, disposition or the stuff you are made of. As you make the shift to being strategically and value orientated, it is critical that you share this focus. Too many HR people spend their time protecting their job by avoiding being honest about what they know is really going on.

6. Expand your knowledge

Those who are most respected are those who continually hone their craft. We all know colleagues who are doing their job using the same strategies year after year. Eventually, they have nothing new to offer to management; yet, management's challenges change daily. If we are not continually growing and showing our mettle, the organisation will not either.

HR professionals are most valuable when they can forge strong partnerships with top management in order to affect the organisation's strategic direction. We all want a seat at the table. However we won't even get to the highchair if we don't improve our core relationships and make a significant shift in our thinking and approach. Most of us have heard “For things to change…first I must change”. Funnily enough many of us in the HR profession are the ones that most likely coach this or similar, yet a lot continue to struggle implementing it ourselves.

Mettle Consulting’s latest ‘On Your Mettle Podcast’ entitled “Transitioning HR from Traditional to Strategic” shares pragmatic steps HR can take to shift their concentration to a strategic value add focus. Go to http://www.mettle.com.au/news_and_media/podcast_series/default.aspx. See also Leaders on their Mettle blogg to share ideas with others at http://findyourmettle.blogspot.com/