The Context of IHR

Since 1995 when I started my career in Human Resources (HR) I was exposed to Total Quality Management, strategic planning and other management theories like ISO 9000 and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). Looking back, I learned and still learn many lessons. First, I learned how much HR was integrated to other practices inside business. Second, how HR could serve as a catalyzer to implement good practices. While doing that, HR was very close to its clients. Last, I learned how to work with multidisciplinary committees to pursue business’ goals. This position increased my interest around disciplines that are related to people at workplaces, reason why I studied group dynamics in 2002/03 and obtained my Master in Social Psychology using Complex Thought and Systems Thinking to research group process in team management in 2008/09. Now, as a graduate student at OSR – Organization Systems Renewal – I am rethinking all these areas of knowledge in the North American culture.

In my HR experience, I incorporated the OD approach and also concepts from other disciplines like Systems Thinking and Complex Thought. Currently, I am an active member of SRHM through the LWHRA (http://www.lwhra.org), and WA HR State Council (http://wastatecouncil.shrm.org), PNODN (http://www.pnodn.org), and ISSS (http://www.pnodn.org) so I navigate around different areas of knowledge bringing my HR identity to all of them and using their knowledge and tools to think a better HR practice. Since 2013 I started studying Liberating Structures (http://www.liberatingstructures.com) as a way to increase everyone’s participation in meetings, trainings, etc.

I believe HR practices can be enriched using different approaches to understand its own challenges and also how to support business’ needs.

When I hear about HRBP (HR as a Business Partner), which means that HR needs to understand business to better serve it, I like to add that a business partner process requires a mutual process, where HR work can, by its nature, enable the consideration of different perspectives, clarifying different levels of the system, so that we have a real partnership.