177 | (Day 2) The Strategic HR Sprint - Seeing the Bigger Picture

What does it really mean to be strategic in HR?

One of the biggest shifts you can make is to stop looking only at HR and start paying much more attention to the world your organisation operates in.

In Day 2 of the free five-day Strategic HR Sprint, Fay Wallis explores why strategic HR professionals develop an "outside-in" perspective. Drawing on insights from HR From the Outside In by Dave Ulrich and colleagues, she explains why understanding your industry's challenges, opportunities and emerging trends can help you anticipate what's coming next and make a greater strategic contribution.

You'll also discover a simple habit you can build into your routine to strengthen your commercial awareness, along with an optional AI prompt that can quickly generate an executive briefing about your sector.

Whether you're early in your HR career or already leading a people function, this episode will help you become more curious, more commercially aware and more confident about contributing strategically.

Chapters

[00:00] Welcome to Day 2 of The Strategic HR Sprint

[01:09] Why understanding your organisation's world matters

[02:39] The "outside-in" approach from Dave Ulrich & colleagues

[03:47] How external trends shape strategic HR priorities

[04:38] Today's worksheet: building your outside-in awareness

[05:55] Using AI to understand your industry more quickly

[07:10] Building a lasting strategic habit

[08:14] Looking ahead to Day 3

Useful Links

• Join the free Strategic HR Sprint
• Connect with Fay Wallis on LinkedIn
• The Essential HR Planner
• Learn about the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme

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