Every organisation has one: a strategic plan. Often neatly outlined in vision documents and PowerPoint presentations. But as Dieter Veldsman, Chief HR Scientist at the Academy to Innovate HR, aptly puts it: “Strategy is not the problem. The real work lies in the execution.” HR professionals play a much bigger role in this than they often realise—or dare to embrace.
We’re at a crossroads. The labour market is evolving rapidly, driven by technology, globalisation, and shifting employee expectations. Yet strategic plans are still too often translated into generic initiatives, without considering the everyday reality on the work floor.
According to Dieter, this is exactly where HR can make a real difference—not as an executor of policy, but as a strategic compass. That starts by asking the right questions: What is needed now to bring people along in times of change? Which skills are essential to remain relevant three years from now? And how do you design work that fits both the individual and the organisation?
To answer those questions, HR must be willing to move forward itself.
That calls for new capabilities, from data-driven decision-making to creating learning experiences that truly resonate with people.
And it requires courage. Because bringing strategy to life sometimes means breaking away from old systems, letting go of redundant processes, and daring to choose what actually works.
Dieter advocates for a dual approach: HR must develop from within (skills, mandate, courage) and from the outside (understanding of trends, technology, and talent expectations). Only then can HR become a department that not only contributes to strategic discussions but makes strategy tangible at every stage of the employee journey.
Because in the end, strategy only becomes valuable when people can put it into practice. HR holds the key to that. But only if we stop thinking that strategy ends at the boardroom table.
The future of work doesn’t live in a document. It starts with people. And HR is up.
Meet Dieter Veldsman and other leading thinkers at the Global Talent Strategy & Intelligence Conference 2025 in Amsterdam. Discover how data-driven strategy and human impact go hand in hand.
Will we see you there?
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