Lucy Lloyd doesn’t like the name “Human Resources.” She says it, “Evokes this idea that people are some kind of capital asset to be bought and sold; to be traded and downsized.” So what does she think it should be called? “Human Reconnection.”
Her presentation at a DisruptHR program in Birsbane, Australia, is all about changing the focus of HR, whichever meaning of the “R” you prefer.
“Unlike human resources, human reconnection taps into the strength of the community, and single-handedly has the ability to solve all of the issues facing HR” (this R meaning resources), says Lloyd, who is CEO of Mentorloop, an online platform connecting mentors and mentees. That’s a bold promise. Yet Lloyd insists it can be done, “by implementing inherently social and inclusive platforms and programs that make people feel connected to others.”
What might these be? She mentions two or three, but mentoring is a key ingredient in building the kind of tribal attachment humans have formed for eons. “Tribes help us find a sense of belonging by connecting us with people who take us under their wings. By connecting us to mentors. By connecting us to someone else who is actually invested in the success that we have.”
Whether or not you subscribe to this notion of tribal identity building, developing social capital within an organization has real value, as this TLNT article explains. Insists Lloyd, encouraging connections among the members of your corporate or business “tribe” “is what turns individuals into teams and teams into high performing tribes. This is why Human Reconnection is the new HR.”
In partnership with DisruptHR, TLNT presents some of the best Disrupt presentations from events across North America and now the world. Disrupt talks are modeled on the TEDx concept: Short, to the point talks on all things HR — talent, culture and technology.