INTERVIEWER: MAHMOUD MANSI

“Agile HR plays a key role in helping companies to become more adaptive and responsive in the face of constant change. It is the way forward to not only survive, but also thrive, in the Human Economy. And the best thing about it is, we in HR finally get to reinvent ourselves…”

Fabiola Eyholzer
About the Interviewee

Fabiola Eyholzer is a thought leader in Lean-Agile HR. She is a seasoned Management Consultant and Executive Advisor and an internationally renowned speaker and guest lecturer. Together with her team, she helps enterprises to accelerate their agile transformation by focusing on their crucial asset: their people.

About Just Leading Solutions LLC (JLS)

Just Leading Solutions LLC is a renowned transformation consultancy for People and HR Agility based in New York City. JLS works with forward-thinking organizations of all sizes and industries and advises them on their efforts to build stronger, more responsive, and innovative businesses through a contemporary HR approach.

THE
INTERVIEW

1-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: Agility has been a global trend in management and business, in addition to being an essential competency in several leadership roles. JLS provides a unique and original line of certifications that focuses entirely on Agile HR, can you share with us why you have chosen this track in specific?

Fabiola Eyholzer: Agile HR is our business and passion for two reasons: 1) We care about HR and 2) we believe in the power of Agile.

We are at a unique and critical juncture. HR has always tried to keep up with the changing demands of work, but right now we are lagging behind. Work is already in the augmented era, but our HR approach is still stuck somewhere between the industrial and information era.

That is where Agile comes in. Agile is the present and future of work and provides us with a unique set of values, principles, and practices, that are perfect for HR. When you think about it, Agile and HR are really two sides of the same coin; they are both about leveraging the unique potential of people. And there is nothing more important in a Human Economy than people.

2-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: How does JLS define Agile Human Resources from its own perspective?

Fabiola Eyholzer: We are at the onset of the Human Economy and Agile HR is a term used to describe a modern HR and People approach that aligns to the demands and characteristics of this emerging economy.

Other words often used are Future of Work, Disruptive HR, People Operations or HR 4.0. We call it Agile HR, because we embrace Agile values and principles and Agile is an umbrella for some amazing concepts like System Thinking that shows us the power of complex, adaptive systems, or Design Thinking that teaches us to empathize with people.

Agile HR plays a key role in helping companies to become more adaptive and responsive in the face of constant change. It is the way forward to not only survive, but also thrive, in the Human Economy. And the best thing about it is, we in HR finally get to reinvent ourselves and turn HR into the kind of powerhouse we know it can and should be.

3-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: How do you create the content of the certification? How do you assure its effectiveness?

Fabiola Eyholzer: Our courses are created for professionals who are truly interested in making a difference and who have the courage and determination to embark on or elevate their transformation journey.

We apply modern teaching and facilitation techniques such as TBR (training from the back of the room) to make our courses engaging and interactive, so that they can learn and build new skill fast and with a lasting effect.

The content itself is based on our substantiated knowledge of the topic and is further enriched with our extensive experiences as Agile HR advisors and transformation consultants. That is also why our courses continuously evolve as we reflect the latest thinking and trends, as well as to incorporate feedback from participants.

4-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: How can I as a learner measure the ROI of my training through the JLS training program and when reflecting it on my organization?

Fabiola Eyholzer: A learning journey is always very personal; participants have their unique takeaway. If you are the famous HR Department of One, you will have different takeaways, than if you are in charge of running a large-scale Agile HR transformation. But that is the beauty of our courses. We provide such a width and depth to Agile HR, that every participant, from novices to highly experienced Agile HR consultant, will find value in it.

One of our recent participants had this to say: “The course reinvigorated my passion for HR. I have been studying and practicing Agile HR for 20 years and I walked away with a completely new perspective on a topic that I felt I knew very well. I have reviewed the course materials numerous times since course completion for continued inspiration on new ways to approach HR.”

When we get testimonials like this, we know we are on the right track and we are making a difference not just to this one participant, but also to the people in his/her/their company.

5-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: We are curious to know the story behind Just Leading Solutions as an organization; how did it start and what were the challenge you have faced?

Fabiola Eyholzer: JLS was founded six years ago, but our story really started in 2010. At the time, I was a Partner at one of Europe’s leading HR consultancies and I was seeking a new leadership approach for my team. I came across Agile and implemented Scrum with soon thereafter. It was such a mind-blowing success and it opened my eyes to the possibilities of Agile and the impact it will have on HR. JLS was born out of that experience.

In the early days of JLS, Agile had been around for some time and was already labeled as the best kept management secret on the planet, but it was still a new field for HR. There was limited interest and knowledge on the side of HR, but I worked with a few others in the movement to introduce HR and organizations to Agile.

Today, we work with some of the most fascinating companies across the globe and advise and guide them in their quest for HR and Business Agility. I think it is the best job ever!

6-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: What skills does JLS consider indispensable for HR and L&D professionals in the coming period considering the disrupting changes we are passing by?

Fabiola Eyholzer: It has never been this exciting, but also challenging, to be in HR. Shaping the future of HR – whether you call it Agile or something else – is not for the faint of heart.

We will have to challenge the very core of our mindset and underlying beliefs if we even want a chance of setting your organization up for continued success. We will need to be willing and determined to get out of our existing box and reinvent ourselves at all levels.

But the good news is, there is a bright future out there for any HR professional with the courage and stamina to face this massive transformation head on.

-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: Thank you Fabiola for bringing innovation, new spirit & agility to the HR World.