Revitalizing Human Resources Management in State Government: Moving from Transactional to Transformational HR Professionals in the State of Michigan
This article illustrates how the State of Michigan transformed human resources in state government by developing HR leaders for the future. A transformational plan was developed in March 2000 to enhance the effectiveness of HR programs and services, foster a consultative approach to delivering HR programs and services, develop human resources as a strategic business partner and change agent with agency management, and create the capacity to incorporate HR best practices into state HR systems. This article also provides the HR vision for change, the training design to transform HR into a business partner and change agent, and the methodology and data that support this transformational plan. An innovative multiyear project-based learning design, featuring teams from state agencies, used workshop content to leverage system change across state departments. Finally, this article documents the change projects designed and implemented by agency teams, reports participants' reactions, communicates skill-set and mindset enhancements, and presents ideas for future diffusion.