The Strategic Partnership Between Commanders and Civilian Human Resource Leaders in Department of Army

Leading human resource (HR) professionals in private industry have recently recognized the advantage that HR leaders bring when they become Strategic Partners with business executives. They believe this Strategic Partner role is necessary because of the speed and extent of change challenging business today. Studies published by several government review offices assert that it is also time for government HR leaders to become strategic partners with commanders. The current Army civilian HR (CHR) community is emerging from ten years of turbulence caused by downsizing and restructuring. CHR leaders are exploring new roles and learning new skills. The current CHR system is held hostage in outdated rules and guidance, limiting the range of options available for an HR leader to use in designing strategies that fit mission strategies. In spite of these obstacles, partnerships between commanders and CHR leaders can exist. Army can and should take specific actions soon, to ensure that Army's CHR professionals become skilled in strategic thinking, credible, technically sound, and committed - in order to design and execute strategies supporting the commander and enhancing mission accomplishment.