This guide is a sorely needed prescription for achieving strategic focus in complex organizations.

Drawn from the author's 25+ years of experience and insights as an HR practitioner at Hallmark and other companies, Roadmap to Strategic HR outlines a 10-step, results-oriented plan for making the transition. It helps you integrate top-quality tactical work with innovative internal systems -- talent systems, training systems, reward systems, or work processes -- that will meet the strategic business demands of your organization.

Easy-to-read, thought-provoking, and packed with real-world examples of what worked and what didn't at Hallmark, this book helps you:

• Boil down the reams of research and concepts into a comprehensible plan you can successfully implement.
• Understand the business realities that are driving change, including employees afraid for their jobs, and demanding and scarce customers.
• Compress the multitude of HR activities into five fundamental processes: workforce planning and staffing, learning and development, organization development, performance management, and employee relations.
• Examine each of the five processes through a powerful strategic lens.
• Resolve the tensions between HR specialists and HR generalists.
• Build a real partnership between the frontline managers and HR staff.
• Identify the competencies required of HR professionals who assume the crucial role of "organizational architect."

The connection between people issues and business success is irrefutable. Roadmap to Strategic HR is the most succinct, most practical book available for strengthening the link between people and value -- for building a department that drives excellence throughout the organization -- and for honing your department's focus so that it stays locked on the marketplace and the business strategy.