Thank you so much for ‘telling it like it is’. I totally agree about the need to identify the Mission (purpose for why the company exists). This is something that, as you state others, not only HR, struggle with – all too often I have seen Executive and Senior Management misunderstand the importance of Mission, seeing it as one of those ‘management tools’ that’s a fad and has no real bearing on ‘the business’ clearly your Kodak case study shows otherwise.

As for HR understanding their role in the business – I agree HR needs to look beyond the defined roles in the various ‘business partner’ models, reality is Organizations are dynamic and needs change and HR must be skilled enough and, Visionary enough to deliver what is needed, whether it’s traditionally seen as their role or not. To do that as you point out we need as Hr practitioners to develop some key competencies, which apply not only to HR- but leaders generally; now there’s a thought…if we have the same skills sets as leaders shouldn’t it be a given that we ‘have a seat at the table’ to make use of those skills!!!!

Once again great article.