I’m at #cipdnap14 listening to DPG’s Mike Collins, better known to social HR folks as @Community_Mike. He is running a session enticingly called ‘Dragging HR out of the Dark Ages’.

He reminded us of the technology changes, social changes, future of work changes that we talked about yesterday. He reminds us of the need for organisations to adapt, using examples of the high street corporate corpses like HMV, Kodak, Woolworths. We know what happened. They failed to understand and adapt to changes in what their customers wanted, how they lived. They stuck to the same old same old.

The parallel hangs in the air. What if HR can’t either? What if we still keep asking the same old questions, having the same old conversations, fitting old solutions to new problems?

Mike talked of disruption. He asked us what gets in the way of HR. He asks us what is disrupting HR right now. My answer? Not enough.

There is plenty happening in there world around us that is disrupting organisations. But as a profession? Not enough.

Mike takes us to the CIPD professional behaviour map. Does this help us? Does this help us come out of the dark ages? Really help us help our organisations to face and embrace the changes to come?

There are no answers in the room. Just the same debates and laments.

Coming back to the CIPD professional behaviours. I don’t disagree with anything on the list.

Role model.
Curious.
Decisive thinker.
Skilled influencer.
Personally credible.
Collaborative.
Driven to deliver.
Courage to challenge.

But maybe we need something more, too.

Maybe disruption should be on the list? Maybe we should encourage it, support it, develop the competency.

Disruption.

Just a thought.