1. Diagnosis first
Four pivots for stakeholder HR
Where the function is being asked to move
Use when
Setting an HR function's direction, or sense-checking a people strategy against where the profession is heading
Why: human value
The point is value delivered to stakeholders, not HR practice for its own sake
What: whole capability
One complete human capability, not disconnected programs; talent, leadership and culture pay off together
Who: shared accountability
People outcomes owned with line leaders, made explicit rather than assumed
How: analytics and AI
Raise the standard of the decision, not just the speed of the process
“Name the stakeholder value, the capability, the shared owner, and the evidence, or it is a program, not a strategy.”
How to use it
A 2026 restatement of what the function is for, in four moves. Read it as a direction of travel and as a test: for any people initiative, can you name the stakeholder value, the capability, the shared owner, and the evidence. If not, it is a program rather than a strategy. HR owning accountability alone is how people outcomes stay undone.
Card details
- Model type
- Grid
- Origin status
- Established
- Content last reviewed
- 28 July 2026
Origin
EstablishedDave Ulrich, "HR at an Inflection Point: Four Pivots for Stakeholder HR," in The Age of HR (Nyberg, Kehoe, Ulrich and Wright, eds., 2026). Described here from the idea layer; no text or figures reproduced.