Charles Nielson relishes new focus on importance of people - Texas Instruments' VP and director of worldwide human resources - Society for Human Resource Management: Award for Professional Excellence

HR Magazine, Sept, 1997 by Michelle Neely Martinez

"I have been in business for 40 years and I've never had a time in my career like now," says Charles "Chuck" Nielson, vice president and director of worldwide human resources for Texas Instruments in Dallas. "For a long time, there's been a lot of talk about the concept of people being the most important asset," he says. "But now it is true."

As a key strategist for Texas Instruments, the Labor Policy Association and the Business Roundtable, Nielson has broad experience working with CEOs as well as HR colleagues. The most significant message heard from all sides, he says, is that people are a major component of any successful business strategy. "What I see happening now is that people effectiveness is a mainstream part of success or failure."

Known for integrating HR practices with core business processes, Nielson recently led each of TI's major business units through a process to define - then develop or enhance - the "human characteristics" needed to win in the marketplace.

After one such planning process, Nielson recalls a unit manager telling him: "You know, when I look at my business strategy and look at how important the people components are, I'm wondering why I don't spend more time on the people part of it."

"Comments like those from line managers are what make my job really exciting," says Nielson, who began working at TI in 1965. "Our operating people are becoming truly involved and see people - and the HR function - as an essential business strategy."

Nielson also created an innovative way for TI to assess managers and officers - even the chairman - according to uniform criteria. Since 1994, more than 5,000 managers worldwide have participated in this goals-oriented developmental program, which is based on 360-degree assessments.

Some of Nielson's most influential work centers on productivity of individuals and teams. When rulings from the National Labor Relations Board sparked a national debate on the value of workplace teams, Nielson jumped in the middle of the fray. Through his personal testimony and innovative tactic of bringing actual teams to testify on Capitol Hill, the nature of the debate shifted. Today, the argument is not about the value of teams, but whether current law sufficiently protects and encourages them.

Nielson's "unique contributions have made a significant difference to our leadership team and to our company," says TI president and GEO Tom Engibous. "His value to TI has been demonstrated throughout his career as he has played a major part in integrating our people strategies into our business strategies and led the company from a hierarchical organization to a team-based culture."

In 1993, Nielson's focus on diversity among teams spawned a TI gram, "Teaming Up for Achievement." The program's measurable and successful diversity efforts earned it an award from Catalyst Inc., a New York-based business research organization.

Nielson, who was rendered legally blind in 1964 from retinitis pigmentosa, says "organizations are coming to understand that differences are an asset, not a liability. Differences are now being seen as valuable because, to compete innovatively and creatively, different opinions and ideas need to be introduced."

By way of example, he points out that TI has "virtual design teams" - some of which may include employees from Japan and France as well as Texas - that "really help bring together different perspectives."

In addition to his other contributions, Nielson has been a pioneer in drug-free workforce issues. For example, Texas Instruments was the first company to implement a policy on universal drug testing for its U.S. workforce. Nielson and three other individuals met with President Bush to discuss a proposal that resulted in hundreds of U.S. small businesses incorporating similar drug-free workforce practices. His efforts earned him an appointment by President Bush to the President's Drug Advisory Council in the early 1990s.

In other volunteer service, Nielson is a member of the Dallas Workforce Development Board, which manages government-based workforce development programs in the Dallas area. He also helped to meet the development needs of employees at Dallas-area civic organizations by playing a large part in opening up TI's internal training sessions and seminars to civic programs' staff, when space is available. Nonprofit employees may attend seminars on topics such as Total Quality Management at no cost.

When it comes to HR, Nielson believes that "courage is really important; so is attitude. Attitude is your choice, you can't look at yourself as a victim of circumstances. You must make choices, be a risk-taker, as well as be able to integrate the business strategy with the HR function."