Best practice roundup: corporate sponsor forum participants. (Current Practices).

During the Forum, participants were asked to describe a best practice in their company that helped empower the HR function or influence others in the organization. Twenty-one ideas were written up and shared with the group. They included such topics as HR reorganization, organizational assessment, competency modeling, and leadership development Four of the "best practices" are summarized here.

Humana: Product Laboratory/Showcase -- New product innovation begins with HR at Humana. HR partners with the business units to design new health care products and "owns" the laboratory phase of product introduction with its own employees. Best of all, HR goes on the road to Humana's major markets and showcases employee experience with these products to the CEOs, CFOs, and HR officers who make the buying decisions on Humana's products. HR truly plays a strategic role and is a major influence on product development and sales. (Submitted by Bonnie Hathcock and Debbie Triplett.)

PNC Financial Services Group: Revenue Generation -- Fifty HR staff members meet to focus on revenue generation and potential new applications. The group has proposed and executed several new initiatives, starting with the systematic study of sales jobs and the creation of new selection procedures for sales employees. (Submitted by Tom Jeswald.)

Procter & Gamble: Performance Reviews -- Annual performance reviews required every individual to report on building the business and building the organization. Each business unit also has a scorecard, including organization deliverables: diversity, inclusion, and productivity. HR typically "owns" these measures, and influences the development of action plans. (Submitted by Lisa Stilwell.)

Prudential Relocation: Communication Strategy and Planning -- This communication model, designed by Prudential Relocation's Global Consulting Group, is used for Human Resources and corporate change initiatives. Use of the model ensures consistent and high-quality internal and external communications to associates and clients. the model includes the identification of key messages, constituencies, the announcement schedule and format, talking points, manager's briefing, a question and answer process, and ongoing communications through newsletters and webcasts. (Submitted by Carmelita Brown)