ABOUT ME

Hi, I’m Brian Heger!

I am a Strategic Human Resources practitioner with 20+ years of multi-industry experience in Pharma, Retail and Telecom. My professional goal is to help organizations accelerate business performance through strategically aligned and impactful talent, leadership, and organizational culture practices.

My desire to enter the HR profession comes from my fascination with individual and team performance from a young age. In competitive sports, I was amazed when someone with a natural ability to perform at a high-level did not manage to reach his or her full potential. Or, on the other hand, how someone of average ability managed to become a top performer.

I was even amazed by the extent to which a team coach could influence the
performance of a team one way or another. The leadership style of a coach and
the team culture they fostered could make or break a team. This fact led me to
ask the questions:

  • What factors determine high-performance both at individual and team levels?
  • How can we influence those factors to drive higher performance?

My desire to answer these questions led me to study human motivation and performance and eventually pursue and earn academic degrees in Psychology and Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

I have been fortunate to work for great companies as an HR practitioner, where I continue to employ various strategies to help drive individual, team, and organizational performance. I have held roles in Strategic Workforce Planning, Talent Management, Talent Acquisition, Learning and Development, and Organizational Effectiveness, as well as an HR Business Partner and Consultant.

On this website, I will provide content that is both interesting and useful to strategic HR practitioners that want to drive performance and help businesses excel. I genuinely welcome all contributions, so feel free to send me a message with your thoughts!

My Philosophy on Strategic HR

  • START WITH THE BUSINESS STRATEGY

    HR practices linked to business strategy are the hallmark of value-added HR. Start with the business strategy, then identify the strategic capabilities needed to execute it, and then determine how talent, leadership, and organizational culture can accelerate business strategy execution.

  • KEEP IT SIMPLE

    Unnecessary complexity gets in the way of execution and prevents engagement and support from others. When developing HR strategies, tools, or processes, only add more complexity when the value that is to be gained significantly outweighs the necessary costs, time, and energy.

  • MOVE BEYOND “BEST PRACTICES” TO “BEST FIT”

    While best practices and approaches help to expand one’s view of what is possible, focus solutions on what is the “best fit” for an organization’s unique culture, circumstances, and readiness. There is rarely one “best” way, and the organizational context is key when making strategic choices.

  • FOCUS ON PROGRESS VERSUS PERFECTION

    As Winston Churchill said: “Perfection is the enemy of progress.” Have high standards and strive to achieve them, but don’t be immobilized by the desire for things to be perfect before action is taken. Perfection is rarely needed to achieve the desired results, and its pursuit often leads to missed opportunities.

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