In 2019, I supported Prof. Dr. Armin Trost reviewing the English translation of his last book “Human Resources Strategies: Balancing Stability and Agility in Times of Digitization” these are my thoughts regarding his work…
Madness… more likely than not, this is the opinion of a manager with a traditional hierarchical mindset, whenever she hears about “people centered organizations” or the agile approach to HR, and for what I have heard the reason is often lack of knowledge and fear of losing control and status. However, during recent years, agile HR has become a topic of global interest specially in face of a continuously expanding gig economy. In fact, much has been written about agile organizations, as we can see in business press articles and academic research literature.
But despite the abundance of writing on the subject, agile HR has presented a major challenge to HR practitioners and executives who are truly concerned in understanding the nature of agile organizations. As the articles from Harvard Business Review HR Goes Agile and McKinsey & Company The drawbacks of agility accurately claim “agile transformation may be even more extensive (and more difficult) than the changes in other functions” and “agile can prove difficult to get right”.
Therefore, the latest book from Armin Trost Human Resources Strategies: Balancing Stability and Agility in Times of Digitization, is a timely and very much needed analysis of the agile vs. hierarchical HR worlds. Besides delivering a complete and comprehensive account of the major features in HR like corporate culture, talent acquisition, performance assessment and learning, among others, the main goal that the author sets for this book is not to define but rather to analytically examine “what is meant by strategic HR”, which is impeccably accomplished not only in chapter three but through the entire book.
“HR community is essentially concerned with tools, concepts, systems and programs, and it runs the risk of losing sight of the actual problem or the challenges to be overcome”
Armin Trost, Chapter Three “Building an HR Strategy”
At the end, Armin’s work may remind the reader about the fable of the man that visits a museum of nature* and who while paying too much attention to the tiny creatures that he saw there, like the tiny flies and beetles, he misses the opportunity to appreciate the magnificence of the elephant. So, let us not miss the elephant of HR, the people, while giving too much consideration to the tiny flies and beetles of HR, the details of the operation. To all those assiduous critics of agile HR world and forceful hierarchical followers, Armin Trost proves that agile HR though this be madness, yet there is method in it.
“It should be clear to every serious HR manager today that there must be a close relationship between corporate strategy and HR strategy”
Armin Trost, Chapter Three “Building an HR Strategy”
The following nine chapters go deeper into the examination of the main interfaces of HR. By focusing respectively on The structural and cultural context, Talent acquisition and selection, Goals, assessment and feedback, Learning and knowledge, Development and career, Remuneration, Engagement and retention, HR Operation, and Managing change and transformation, the author uncovers details about the functioning of each interface as well as about their impact either in hierarchical or agile contexts. The thirteenth and final chapter Transformation into an agile future, wraps up the discussion by deliberating on the complexity that implementing an agile scheme involves and the naivetés with which sometimes such implementation is approached. This is one of the segments of the book in which Armin’s criticism reaches its deepest form by remarking how hierarchical “internalized thinking and acting” may literally eat a “delicate, agile seed”. In this chapter, taking into account that making a recommendation is making a decision in disguise, Armin wisely does not make any recommendation at all about which path, agile or hierarchical, should be followed by organizations. This decision, as he proves through the entire book, must be taken by the companies themselves in accordance with their purpose and strategy.
In comparison to other HR stances, probably the most unorthodox feature of Armin’s latest work is his advocacy of the “image of man” as a mature human being, whose individuality is supported and accepted by the agile organization. In consequence, it can be implied that managers, leaders, and entrepreneurs are not above or better than employees, they are understood in relation to each other and collectively, because they are two sides of the same coin. Nevertheless, as a steadfast supporter of agile HR, Armin still manages to be as objective as possible while analyzing hierarchical organizations. Those of us who are familiar with his previous work and his steely determination to promote and defend the benefits of people centered structures will realize that for him, this must have been a huge challenge, if not a complete torture…
What is missing in Armin’s book is a broader discussion on leadership. Actually, he does states in his book that he never intended to expand his analysis on this topic. Therefore, it seems like it will be a task of his loyal followers to push him on that direction. Clearly, there is so much that Armin could contribute on this subject, since he himself is a clear example of leadership. Another aspect that could had been tackled in deepest terms is the detrimental effects on agile organizations that increasing new regulation, like data protection, anti-corruption, and health and safety rules imply or vice versa, how going agile may affect the implementation of mandatory rules.
“HR community is essentially concerned with tools, concepts, systems and programs, and it runs the risk of losing sight of the actual problem or the challenges to be overcome”
Armin Trost, Chapter Three “Building an HR Strategy”
At the end, Armin’s work may remind the reader about the fable of the man that visits a museum of nature* and who while paying too much attention to the tiny creatures that he saw there, like the tiny flies and beetles, he misses the opportunity to appreciate the magnificence of the elephant. So, let us not miss the elephant of HR, the people, while giving too much consideration to the tiny flies and beetles of HR, the details of the operation. To all those assiduous critics of agile HR world and forceful hierarchical followers, Armin Trost proves that agile HR though this be madness, yet there is method in it.
“An HR strategy describes what needs to be focused on, and how, in order to be competitive as a company and employer”
Armin Trost, Chapter Three “Building an HR Strategy”
The book conveys to expert HR practitioners, managers and C- Suite executives in simple but accurate terms, framework conditions, possibilities and limits of HR in agile vs. hierarchical organizations. Moreover, the now traditional fresh and easy-going writing style of Armin makes the book a robust yet practical, pleasing, reading experience, which allows readers with limited experience in the field of HR to understand the concepts discussed here. But readers shall not be confused, despite the pragmatism of Armin’s new book, this is not a: Ten easy steps to a happy agile life book. This is a serious study.
As it happens with all previous publications by Armin, this book has been granted its own personality and attractiveness. In the same way that Virgil and Beatrice guided Dante through the tribulations of the Inferno and Purgatorio to the contentment of the Paradiso, here the reader will be taken by hand by the author, and presumptive guide, in this venture of exploration of the complex and even scary world of the traditional hierarchical HR world – just read the extremely detailed description of Central planning and control in chapter two to appreciate how creepy HR can be – while also guides her to see the light that agile HR offers. This book is also characterized by Armin’s force of art and creativity. By an instance, in chapter ten, Engagement and retention, besides the obvious content that the title promises, he ingeniously exemplifies through the floor plans of reminiscent monasteries, like the one of Blaubeuren Abbey in Germany, how physical spaces can be intended to promote “collaboration, spontaneous exchange and encounter as well as spaces for retreat and concentration”.
Armin’s work is divided into thirteen chapters. The first one, the Introduction to this study highlights the “different roles that HR can have in the context of digitization”. The second chapter Agility and stability leaves the reader with the question: Is the traditional hierarchical organization solving people’s problems or it is creating more problems to be solved? Then, in chapter three Armin moves on to discuss probably the most relevant part of his work. In Building an HR Strategy, the author explains why only when HR is fully aligned with the whole purpose of the organization, or on whose behalf the organization was created, the version or approach of HR is appropriately designed and therefore performing.
“It should be clear to every serious HR manager today that there must be a close relationship between corporate strategy and HR strategy”
Armin Trost, Chapter Three “Building an HR Strategy”
The following nine chapters go deeper into the examination of the main interfaces of HR. By focusing respectively on The structural and cultural context, Talent acquisition and selection, Goals, assessment and feedback, Learning and knowledge, Development and career, Remuneration, Engagement and retention, HR Operation, and Managing change and transformation, the author uncovers details about the functioning of each interface as well as about their impact either in hierarchical or agile contexts. The thirteenth and final chapter Transformation into an agile future, wraps up the discussion by deliberating on the complexity that implementing an agile scheme involves and the naivetés with which sometimes such implementation is approached. This is one of the segments of the book in which Armin’s criticism reaches its deepest form by remarking how hierarchical “internalized thinking and acting” may literally eat a “delicate, agile seed”. In this chapter, taking into account that making a recommendation is making a decision in disguise, Armin wisely does not make any recommendation at all about which path, agile or hierarchical, should be followed by organizations. This decision, as he proves through the entire book, must be taken by the companies themselves in accordance with their purpose and strategy.
In comparison to other HR stances, probably the most unorthodox feature of Armin’s latest work is his advocacy of the “image of man” as a mature human being, whose individuality is supported and accepted by the agile organization. In consequence, it can be implied that managers, leaders, and entrepreneurs are not above or better than employees, they are understood in relation to each other and collectively, because they are two sides of the same coin. Nevertheless, as a steadfast supporter of agile HR, Armin still manages to be as objective as possible while analyzing hierarchical organizations. Those of us who are familiar with his previous work and his steely determination to promote and defend the benefits of people centered structures will realize that for him, this must have been a huge challenge, if not a complete torture…
What is missing in Armin’s book is a broader discussion on leadership. Actually, he does states in his book that he never intended to expand his analysis on this topic. Therefore, it seems like it will be a task of his loyal followers to push him on that direction. Clearly, there is so much that Armin could contribute on this subject, since he himself is a clear example of leadership. Another aspect that could had been tackled in deepest terms is the detrimental effects on agile organizations that increasing new regulation, like data protection, anti-corruption, and health and safety rules imply or vice versa, how going agile may affect the implementation of mandatory rules.
“HR community is essentially concerned with tools, concepts, systems and programs, and it runs the risk of losing sight of the actual problem or the challenges to be overcome”
Armin Trost, Chapter Three “Building an HR Strategy”
At the end, Armin’s work may remind the reader about the fable of the man that visits a museum of nature* and who while paying too much attention to the tiny creatures that he saw there, like the tiny flies and beetles, he misses the opportunity to appreciate the magnificence of the elephant. So, let us not miss the elephant of HR, the people, while giving too much consideration to the tiny flies and beetles of HR, the details of the operation. To all those assiduous critics of agile HR world and forceful hierarchical followers, Armin Trost proves that agile HR though this be madness, yet there is method in it.