In an era that has brought new and unexpected challenges for virtually every company, one would be hard-pressed to find any responsible manager who is not thinking about what the future will bring. In the wake of these challenges, strategic planning has moved from being the reserve of large corporations to becoming an essential need for even small and medium-sized enterprises. But what good is even the most convincing strategic concept if the company's people are unwilling or unable to put it into practice? The key is to develop people, and to develop them not only for the work of today, but also for the challenges that the future holds. Strategic HR development has become a decisive force for the success of any business. This book, edited by Matthias T. Meifert, shows us which basic considerations we need to remember and what strategic HR development means in practice. Its interesting and vivid approach takes the reader on a tour of the eight stages of HR development, introduces the critical factors, and highlights many practical recommendations for strategic HR development practice in business.

Meifert, Matthias T., PhD., born 1968, is a Partner at Kienbaum Management Consultants GmbH, Berlin, where he is in charge of the Human Resource Management unit. He is active as a management consultant, coach, and trainer, with a focus on aspects of strategic HR development, project management, effective HR management, the management of complex change projects, and leadership. He has advised and coached numerous individual managers and businesses on the practice and tools for leadership. In his work, he applies a consultancy concept that is highly practice-centric and holistic. His experience arises from his academic background in business education and from twelve years of management practice at a German corporate bank. Matthias Meifert has published numerous papers on topics including strategic HR development and cooperates actively with academic partners, such as the European Business School, Oestrich-Winkel.

Email: matthias.meifert@kienbaum.de