The Power of Belief: 7 Key Questions to Transform Your HR Team

An executive's belief in their department’s vision is the cornerstone of effective leadership. It helps align efforts, build trust, and guide the department toward its long-term goals.

When leaders are truly passionate and committed, that belief ripples through the entire organization, driving positive outcomes.

This is why the upcoming smoke test is specifically tailored for the HR department.

At the core of workforce or HR transformation is the belief of the team members—and it all begins with the leader. Without that, even the most well-structured plans can falter. Interestingly, research shows that

Teams with strong belief in their vision are 41% more likely to exceed performance expectations.

We don’t need a lengthy questionnaire; just 7 targeted questions can serve as a powerful belief "smoke test" for your HR department. Let’s walk through them and assess where your team stands on this vital factor.

Do you believe we can become an innovative team?

• Yes we can
• Maybe
• No

Do we have the right skill set to become an innovative team?

• Yes we have
• Maybe
• No

Do we have the right amount of time and energy to become an innovative team?

• Yes we have
• Maybe
• No

Do we have the right resources to become an innovative team?

• Yes we have
• Maybe
• No

Do we have the right resources to become an innovative team?

• Yes we have
• Maybe
• No

Do we have the right direction to become an innovative team?

• Yes we have
• Maybe
• No

Do we have the right incentive to become an innovative team?

• Yes we have
• Maybe
• No

Assess Belief - Skills, Energy Resources, Direction, and Incentivize 

For the questions, this will follow this pointing system

You can just ask them in a comfortable environment or send them the form to give their input. You can download that survey from here. Just duplicate the form and you will be able to utilize this. 

So after completing the smoke survey, you will have a total score from your team. 

Now let’s have a look at this research, which will show us how others made mistakes. So we can learn from their mistakes to avoid those mistakes. These data will also help us to reflect on last year’s aspects which we did well and what we can do better for the next cycle.

Since 2021 we have researched 150+ companies and then we put them among these three groups

And this is what we have found of those 3 group’s performance in term of the transformation projects 

So what action do we need to take for these 3 groups?

Not Prepared

In this group, the HR team is not yet ready to lead a workforce transformation. Therefore, the first priority is to equip and empower the HR department. This begins by raising the belief and expertise levels within the team. Many leaders mistakenly think that simply hiring an additional HR member will close the gap, but this often proves ineffective.

What’s truly needed is onboarding the right skill set by partnering with a consultant or agency and integrating that expertise into an HR team that has confidence in its own abilities.

Under Prepared

This group has the potential to drive a successful workforce transformation, but their current belief system is holding them back. Before any real transformation can begin, it's essential to first uplift and empower the HR team. Strengthening their confidence and expertise is the foundation for lasting change.

Many leaders believe that simply adding another HR team member will close the gap, but this rarely solves the problem.

What truly makes a difference is partnering with the right consultant or agency to bring in the skills and insights needed.

By doing so, you not only equip your HR team with the tools for success but also inspire them to believe in their own ability to lead the charge towards transformation.

Well prepared

This group is primed to drive a sustainable, long-term transformation that will position them at the heart of the company's growth and profitability. With a strong, positive belief system, they are ready to embrace learning, take decisive action, and maintain a winning attitude.

The first key step is to craft a clear transformation strategy while partnering closely with the CFO to secure the necessary budget.

By adopting an iterative approach, they can launch the transformation in smaller steps, gathering momentum and insights before scaling up to make an even bigger impact

We understand that smoke test scores can sometimes feel like a double-edged sword—both motivating and demotivating. However, these scores are actually powerful tools that help us pinpoint where potential issues (the "smoke") are hiding, so we can take targeted action to prevent them from escalating. Think of it like this: if we don’t manage the smoke, the entire building could catch fire. Similarly, in business, running a smoke test allows us to identify those "micro fire points" and address them early.

According to a study, organizations that proactively address issues identified in early assessments see a 32% improvement in operational efficiency and a 22% reduction in crisis response time. As HR leaders, it's our responsibility to use these insights to safeguard the organization’s success. After all, this is exactly what the CEO expects from every HR team member—anticipating problems and acting swiftly to protect and drive the business forward.