 |
|
| |
David
Lee
Consultant
Speaker
Author |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For
More Information:
David Lee, Principal
HumanNature@Work
P.O. Box 430
Bar Mills, Maine 04004
Tel: 207-929-3344
E-mail: info@HumanNatureAtWork.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AR
|
| |
How
HR Professionals Make High Performance Organizations |
| By
David Lee |
|
|
|
| Reprinted
from The Boston Business Journal |
|
|
|
Being an HR professional today
isn't for the faint hearted. Industry leaders
are questioning the viability of the profession;
many organizations are asking rather pointedly “So
what exactly do you do that helps us compete
in the marketplace?” Yet, ironically,
companies need the HR Professional's expertise
more in today's marketplace than ever before.
Why? Because in today's marketplace, organizations
compete not just on productivity, but on knowledge,
service, and organizational responsiveness.
To survive, they need to be “fast, flexible,
focused, and friendly” (to use Rosabeth
Moss Kantor's words) - and smart. To create
this kind of company requires knowing how to
create an organizational culture which brings
out these attributes, a culture which brings
out the best in people.
HR Has The Knowledge Today's Organizations
Need
This is where the HR professional's unique
knowledge base and skill set is so valuable.
By helping your organization understand how
to create a high performance culture, you are
directly influencing the fundamental source
of potential competitive advantage - its human
assets. World class organizations know this.
They know the saying “our people are
our greatest assets” isn't a slogan to
put in an annual report, but a bottom line
business reality. You can't provide exceptional
service, achieve innovative breakthroughs,
or respond rapidly to marketplace changes with
an unmotivated, overwhelmed, or burnt out workforce.
Corporate Culture - Your Secret Weapon
High Performance companies know the power of
such a culture. Kathleen Hubbard, HR Manager
for Cambridge Technology Partners, recently
listed in Fortune magazine’s 100 Fastest
Growing Companies, calls it “The Cambridge
Magic.” At Wright Express, the nation's
leading provider of information processing,
management and financial services to vehicle
fleets; it’s called The WEX Way.” These
organizations, as do all high performance organizations,
recognize that their culture is their “secret
weapon” - the fertile soil from which
excellence naturally grows.
Thus, creating a corporate culture in which
people want to do well, in which people want
to excel, should be on top management's short
list of Key Result Areas. Helping management
do this is where you come in. You can do this
by helping management identify practices which
are consistent with human nature and which
therefore bring out the best in your people.
To do this, you need to first work with them
to identify what makes “people tick,” what
motivates people to perform at peak levels
(and it isn't money or a nice benefits package).
Don't assume this is common knowledge. A recent
Kepner Tregoe study showed that less than 1/3
of workers felt their supervisors knew what
motivated them and over 2 of supervisors agreed.
Identify What Brings Out the Best - and Worst
- In People
How can you begin the process? Ask managers
to recall an organization (work or volunteer)
which brought out the best in them. Have them
think of times where they were bursting with
enthusiasm and creative energy, times they
were honored to serve others, and delighted
to “go the extra mile.” What was
it about this organization which brought out
their best side? What was it about the organization
which made them care, which made them want
to go the extra mile? If they picked a work
environment, what did management do, and not
do, to make this such a great place?
Have them compare this with an organization
which brought out the worst in them. Have them
think of a workplace which brought out the
rebellious, entitled teen-ager side of them;
where they were suspicious, defensive, and
disinterested in helping “the cause.” What
was it about this workplace which brought out
this side of their personality?
By creating an opportunity for management to
identify what works and what doesn't - from
their own experience, you are more likely to
facilitate true learning about how to bring
out the best in people. You are also more likely
to create management “buy in” to
the idea that it is worth the effort.
When I've presented this, I ask participants
to estimate the difference in their personal
productivity between their best and worst place
they've worked. Typically, participants cite
figures ranging from 25% to 80% (although one
participant estimated 5000%!). This is the
Productivity Gap - the productivity and profitability
that Low Performance Organizations leave on
the table.
In helping management begin the process of
creating an environment of excellence, you
can help guide the process by asking questions
which address some of the key attributes of
High Performance Organizations. By guiding
managers through this process and helping them
implement the practices common to High Performance
Organizations, you will be very directly and
tangibly helping your company compete in today's
increasingly more demanding marketplace.
"Are We A High Performance Organization
Yet?" - Questions For Your Management
Team To Ask Itself |
| |
| 1. |
Is our organization - who
we are, what we do and how we do it - worthy
of pride and passion? If we were a volunteer
organization, would anyone join? |
| |
| 2. |
Do employees know what is expected of
them, what equals a "job well done;" and
do they get feedback on how they are doing
more than once a year at performance appraisals? |
| |
| 3. |
Do employees understand how specifically
they contribute to the bottom line, why
they are important, how they create value? |
| |
| 4. |
Are employees rewarded, not just for
showing up, but for the value they create? |
| |
| 5. |
Do employees have the power and the information
to be actively involved in making a difference? |
| |
| 6. |
Since all people have a wide range of
maturity levels, what level of maturity
do we elicit in our people through our
management practices and policies? Do we
treat our employees like children who can't
be trusted with information and decisions
or like valuable "players?" |
| |
| 7. |
Do we treat our "customers" -
our employees - the way we want them to
treat our company's customers? |
| |
| 8. |
Do we have an emotionally safe organizational
climate? Do people have to waste a lot
of time with CYA activities? Are people
frequently "emotionally beat up," resulting
in resentment, low morale, reduced productivity,
and poor customer service? Is abusive behavior
tolerated? Which terms fit our workforce:
demoralized, fearful, resentful or upbeat,
enthusiastic, and optimistic? |
|
|
| |
|
|
About the Author: David Lee is an internationally recognized authority on organizational and managerial practices that optimize employee performance. He is the author of Managing Employee Stress and Safety, as well as dozens of articles on employee and organizational performance that have been published in trade journals and books in North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia. For information on his programs and service, click here.
|
|
|
| |
|
print this page
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
