The document discusses the role of HR in innovation. It argues that HR needs to act as a strategic business partner that creates solutions aligned with business needs, while also standardizing processes for efficiency. HR faces challenges in balancing centralization with diverse stakeholder needs. The document also discusses the role of an ombudsman in mediating conflicts and increasing employee satisfaction. Finally, it promotes the idea of "constructive controversy," where intellectual conflicts drive new understanding and problem solving, as a way for HR to facilitate innovation from all levels of an organization.

1. Leaving the tunnel:
How HR can help to re-innovate
Vlerick HR Day – June 8, 2011
the company?
Why HR Managers should act as bottom
up intermediaries?
Regina Regenass
UBS AG – Ombudsman

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Table of Contents
Section 1 HR Transformation - streamlined and business focused
Section 2 What is the role of the Ombudsman?
Section 3 Constructive Controversy for Innovation
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3. Section 1
HR Transformation -
streamlined and business focused

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HR Transformation since around 1999 … ?
A fundamental change of the organizations, roles and responsibilities …
♦ Re-channeling of high touch services into self-services
Standardization ♦ Pooling of specialist functions – exploiting synergies
& ♦ Cost management
Cost Management
♦ Outsourcing of commoditized HR services
♦ Acting as HR Business Partners / Business Enablers
♦ Creating HR Solutions that support the business strategies
Business Focus ♦ Gaining competitive advantage by creating new innovative tools and
practices
♦ Alignment of processes/services and development to client needs
… from a pure Administrator to a Strategic Business Function!
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Current HR Models: The Human Capital Management
Creating HR Solutions
HR Specialists / Subject Matter Experts
Strategic
HR Capital
HR Business Partners Management
Shared Services
Operational Efficiency
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Innovation - HR Key challenges
We must recognize that innovation is a painful act!
Find the "right balance" between centralizing/standardizing versus
1 the diverse needs of the "other stakeholders" (business, line, employees)
2 Manage costs, whilst focusing on the business priorities/strategies
3 Transformation of the HR function towards trusted business enablers is a long journey …
4 … and never forget: Innovation starts with people!
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Innovation: How to make the case for change?
Vision (what do we want?)
Creative Tension (what is the gap?)
• how well can we see it? (mental models)
• how will we shift it?
Current Reality (what do we have?)
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8. Section 2
What is the role of the Ombudsman?

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UBS Ombudsman – since July 2010
Requested by Employee Relations Committee Switzerland
Approved by Group COO
Service Mediation service for conflicting parties and/or advise for
individuals
The aim is to clarify misunderstandings, preventing
Goals escalation and initiating common steps to mutual recognition
of all participants involved
Active contribution to the increase of the employee
Contribution satisfaction and employee productivity as well as the
reputation of the bank
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UBS Ombudsman / Business Impact & Adding Value
Supporting the HR Model by closing a gap in the area of employee advise
Efficencies
(15 %)
Transparency Efficiencies
Reputation Leadership
(15 %) (50 %)
Reputation Leadership
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11. Section 3
Constructive Controversy for Innovation

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"Obligation to Dissent" leads to "Constructive Controversy"
Turn the power of conflict …
Intellectual conflicts can be constructive, motivating people to seek new knowledge and to
1 accommodate others' perspectives.
In contrast to debates (a competitive process where one view "wins" over the other),
2 constructive controversy involves deliberative discussions aiming for creative problem solving.
Participants are strongly motivated to produce solutions, and display high-level reasoning and
greater mastery and retention of new knowledge gained. They generate high quality, creative
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solutions. Expertise is more effectively shared, and participants often undergo a lasting change
of attitude
4 Participants develop a stronger sense of mutual friendship and support. They become more
able to cope with stress and adversity, and have higher self-esteem.
… towards innovation!
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What is Constructive Controversy?
A technique for developing robust and creative solutions to problems
5. Draw a 1. State
conclusion your case
4. Search for better 2. Hear different
understanding conclusions
3. Feel
uncertain
Approach introduced by David Johnson and Roger Johnson in 1979
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What is Constructive Controversy?
Based on 5 Key Assumptions
1. We adopt an initial perspective
towards a problem based on our personal experiences and perceptions
2. The process of persuading others to agree with us strengthens our belief that we are right.
3. When confronted with competing viewpoints, we begin to doubt our rationale.
4. This doubt causes us to seek more information and build a better perspective, because we want
to be confident with our choice.
5. This search for a fuller perspective leads to better overall decision making.
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Constructive Controversy
"If there is any secret of success, it lies in the ability to get
the other person's point of view and see things from
his/her angle as well as from your own."
Henry Ford
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Why HR Managers should act as bottom up intermediaries?
Innovation is not owned by the Management only …
Because change and innovation
HR facilitates the exploitation of the full
happens across the whole
1 potential of each individual.
organization.
HR acts as change catalyst by
"Obligation to Dissent": Constructive
providing a cultural frame work where
2 controversy supports innovative
all employees contribute to the
solutions.
success of the company.
Diversity (Knowledge, Experience,
HR is the driver of the processes and
3 Perspectives) enables decisions
tools by rewarding innovation.
towards a common business strategy.
4 Trusted dialogue is the way people
HR acts as bottom up intermediary.
achieve significance as human beings.
… it is a mission for all!
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Contacts
Regina Regenass
Ombudsstelle UBS Schweiz
Flüelastrasse 32
CH-8048 Zürich
+41 44 234 65 41
regina.regenass@ubs.com
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