An ambassador is a person who acts as a representative or promoter of a specified activity or organization. Ambassadors in foreign countries are representatives of the President who are stewards of the United States and its interests. Ambassadors speak for and champion the needs of their nation, activity or organization. You have ambassadors in your own company.
Consider the Chief Financial Officer. He or she is the ambassador of finances. They promote legitimate and often conservative spending as they nurture the delicate balance of cash – the very lifeblood of a business. They wake each morning and go to bed each evening thinking about finances. They are champions of cash flow and suggest activities which keep it healthy and in balance.
If people, like cash, are the true lifeblood of a business, who is their ambassador? Who will wake each morning thinking about them and their wellbeing. Who will be their champion? Many leaders default to HR. Works for me but many companies do not have a full-time HR professional. If we believe people, like finances are vitally important, someone must fill this role.
My HR executive was my ambassador to the approach I share in my first book, “It’s Personal, Not Personnel,” called Investing in People. I kept my finance officer close and he fulfilled his ambassadorial duties but I kept my HR executive closer. She did her duty superbly. I could (and did) write volumes on this topic. Here I’ll share some of the roles and functions of an ambassador of people…
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