What is a CPO - With Toby Hough, HiBob

I think on the What is a CPO podcast, we're really exploring senior leadership roles in the HR function and how they differ or are similar in lots of cases, depending on whether we're talking about big, small companies.

geographically spread or niche, unconnected or connected workforces.

So we're really looking at all the different elements of the sort of senior leadership roles within HR.

So I'm going to ask you a question about what is a CPO?

So it's a big question in three words or four words.

I would say it is the spinal cord of an organisation.

And I don't think that was the case universally pre-COVID.

Post-COVID, A lot of organizations that weren't there before have now caught up to that view.

And I think in the AI world we're in now, that's being further proved to be the case.

And without a CPO at the heart of your C-suite who is able to challenge leaders across all disciplines, slow down when things need to be slowed down in order to speed up in the right way, look round the corners and bring that translator role from experience and impact of an individual employee up to the stresses and requirements that the CEO is under from the board or from investors, you can't exist in that spinal cord place.

But that nerve system spinal cord is how I would view it.

And it's really interesting.

Some of the things you describe in there are interesting things.

So again, if we bring that to any sort of senior regional geographical business unit, HR leader SVP in your case it it's an interesting question around how do you plan for the future how do you look around the corners so often what we're faced with is such busy day job that finding the time to stop and breathe and think about what's coming how do we prep for it how's it going to impact our business how can we stay ahead of the competition in that field that can be challenges that how are you able to make space for that

You know, this has been something I am much better at, but also trying to figure out.

And when I first joined HiBob in this role, I was not so good at it.

And actually, our chief customer officer, who is one of my key clients, partners, and also gives very good words of wisdom, said to me at one point, you need to sort your diary out.

Otherwise, you'll never find any thinking time.

So actually, just diary discipline.

Sometimes I think the space to be strategic starts with an operational decision.

I'm being uniform about who I meet and when and on what cadence to free up more space.

I'm getting rid of that regular one-to-one and I'll say, I'm available reactively if you need me, but let's not block out the time, was the first needle mover.

The second one was the team I built around me.

That's been the

biggest