🛠️ Strategy in the Field: The Power of Ground-Level HR Work

Not every impactful HR initiative starts in a boardroom. Some of the most transformative strategies I’ve led began with a notebook in hand, walking through shop floors and workstations, shadowing both top and bottom performers — listening, observing, and learning.

This wasn’t just a field visit. It was a deep dive into the real-world rhythms of the organization — the things no dashboard or executive summary can capture. It’s in these moments that culture speaks loudest — in the pauses between tasks, the workaround routines, the tension points, the sparks of initiative.

🧠 Why Ground-Level Insight Matters

While many strategies look great on paper, sustainable impact begins when you understand what people actually experience. That’s why I made it a point to step into their world before stepping into solution mode. I wanted to know:

What frustrates them?
What do high performers do differently — and is it scalable?
What systems help or hinder performance?

This groundwork was foundational in shaping a Train-the-Trainer (TTT) program that actually worked.

🏪 Realignment on the Ground

One such experience took place at Choithrams in Dubai, where I oversaw a distribution division of over 600 employees for HR related matters.

When I noticed the trend of a significant number of employees placed on Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs), I didn’t settle for surface-level metrics. I went into the field, shadowed employees across performance tiers, and asked deeper questions — not just about output, but about clarity, coaching, and expectations.

What I discovered led me to redesign the entire PIP process — aligning it with team realities and individual learning curves.

The result? A 39% boost in employee satisfaction and a noticeable reduction in attrition. It wasn’t just a change in process; it was a shift in mindset — from punitive to developmental.

🔁 Train-the-Trainer: Not Just an Event, a System

The traditional approach to training? A single facilitator running one-size-fits-all sessions. But I knew we needed something more nuanced — something that would embed the learning into daily operations. So I designed and implemented a Train-the-Trainer model at Dubai Marine Beach Resort and Spa that empowered each department to take ownership of its evolution.

Here’s how I did it:

Identified Strategic SPOCs:
Not just any staff member, but people with influence, credibility, and willingness to grow. These SPOCs became the knowledge anchors within their units.

Equipped, Not Just Informed:
I didn’t just “train” them. I co-created the material, made room for questions and challenges, and built psychological safety into the learning experience so they could do the same in their departments.

The Rollout:
From feedback loops to resource kits, I stayed with them — coaching them as they trained others.

The real impact? Beyond smoother updates and stronger adoption, it sparked a shift in ownership. Teams didn’t just adapt to change — they drove it, leading to a 45% increase in collaboration and knowledge sharing.

🔄 Cross-Training for Empathy, Not Just Efficiency

Another subtle but powerful initiative was cross-training between departments. On the surface, it addressed coverage gaps. But underneath, it created something richer: empathy.

When teams walked in each other’s shoes — even for a few hours — they began to understand:

• Why some delays happen
• How their role impacts others upstream or downstream
• Where collaboration could replace friction

What started as a project to boost workforce agility — achieving a 31% increase — quickly transformed into a catalyst for deeper cultural change.

🌱 Why This Work Matters

These weren’t just programs — they were intentional shifts in how people saw their roles, their peers, and their potential.

I didn’t lead these initiatives from behind a desk — I designed and delivered them from the field, through conversation, collaboration, and clarity.

This is how I approach HR: not as a support function, but as a strategic lever for growth, trust, and long-term performance.

✨ The Takeaway
 

Strategic HR isn’t just about frameworks and KPIs. Sometimes it looks like sitting with a team to understand why a new SOP is causing stress. It looks like mentoring the quiet high-potential who’s now leading their department's training. It looks like designing systems that respect how people learn, lead, and live.

It’s in these “not-so-high-level” moments that lasting transformation begins.