Is Human Resources Missing The Boat?

Human Resources to most employees is the department of paperwork, legal concerns, dumping ground for gripes and the last stop on the way to the executioner (more so lately).  But I believe there is more to HR than that. 

What if we defined the department of HR as the department that is responsible for getting the most out of resources that are human?  Would that change the way the department viewed its mission and goals?  Would that department get involved with different issues than the traditional paper tracking and data management?  I think it would. 

Don't get me wrong - there are a lot of HR professionals that look at their mission differently are constantly looking for ways to maximize the output from the resources that are human while ensuring those resources are engaged, loyal, satisfied, positive, etc.  But those HR professionals think different.

I think they would think the way I outlined it in this post on Fistful of Talent today.  Check it out - here's a snippet to get you interested.

"'But, whenever there is a change in the process that involves people - (cricket chip sound effect here) - nothing.  I find it hard to believe that a million dollar installation of new accounting software, a million dollar installation of a CRM system or something like Windows SharePoint wouldn't be discussed in a fairly high-level meeting, around some mahogany table on some top floor of a building.  When the heads of all the departments got together to chat about business, did they discuss the new software or the new process being considered, implemented, installed?  If so, where was the person from the department that is responsible for resources that are human? 

Why didn't their hand go up and say..."Excuse me, but I think I can help the transition be simple, easy, accepted AND save the company money.'"

Good stuff, huh?  Hope to see you there.