Charisma Won’t Save Us: The Cult of Personality in People Analytics
Directionally Correct Newsletter, The #1 People Analytics Substack
By: Cole Napper
This article continues my "Forbidden Ideas" series—content deliberately tucked behind a paywall. Why? Because if I risk my reputation to surface these provocative perspectives, you're going to share skin in the game to access them.
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The Charismatic Mirage
A few years ago, I wrote a series of articles called “You’re Leading People Analytics: Now What?” In the Building a team and team capability article, I argued that operating models in people analytics shouldn’t be cookie-cutter. Every function should be tailored, flexible, and ruthlessly aligned to business value. I still stand by that.
“It’s difficult not to notice a recent push to standardize — and likely commoditize — the operating model of a people analytics function. I find myself often bristling at the notion of standardization. My preference for a people analytics operating model is the bespoke, organization-centric, and non-”cookie cutter” manifestation. No two functions in which I’ve been employed and/or built from scratch looked anything alike..… How does a new people analytics leader make sure that a new function is aligned to the success of the organization, rather than squandering organizational resources on pet projects and wasted technology? My answer has been to ensure the people analytics function is flexible, nimble, and tailored to the exact specifications of value produced for the organization at which a people analytics leader is employed.”
But we need to reopen this discussion. Why do operating models matter in people analytics? I think it’s time to discuss that we need a better operating model for the future of people analytics.
Yuyan Sun and I recently wrote “The Evolution of People Analytics: A Decade of Transformation” which states that people analytics is in the “Enabling Transformation” phase of people analytics maturity. I think that phase of people analytics ended with the last presidential election. Later in the article I’ll propose the next phase of people analytics we’re entering and what to call it, and it includes three areas of focus: Geopolitics, AI disruption, and labor shortages.
The truth is this though, for now, people analytics has a cult of personality problem. And it’s holding us back.