By Rick Forbus, PhD
My work as a coach and leadership developer has revealed some unscientific findings in the human resource management departments of companies and organizations. Although there is much information available on such topics, experience and real-life observations are important, as well. Some of the HR professionals I work with and others who are leaders of talent development and leadership in general, face challenges today. It has been easy to get discouraged about human capital and “head count” these days.
One company Trove, Inc. works with has decided to pour their human resource development dollars into the top performers in the talent pool. It has proven to be a wise investment. They decided rather than to recruit in these perilous times, to coach and train, and sometimes cross train, their best talent. This year, this city’s branch of this international company exceeded nineteen other international offices in return on investment and raw profitability.
My experience has revealed that human resource professionals are changing focus in successful companies.
Human resource professionals used to focus on:
· Keeping star performers
· Talent management
· Recruiting great employees
Human resource professionals seem to now focus on:
· Succession planning
· Strengthening talent that remains
· Cross-training top-performers
Developing people and talent these days is crucial to success through challenging times. Maximizing potential and productivity in each and every leader and worker is now a necessity, not an option. I think that the creative human resource managers and leaders of talent in companies will make it through these times just fine.
There are no hopeless situations; there are only people who have grown hopeless about them. – Clare Boothe Luce
Idealistic and optimistic as it may seem, I believe that leaders can make a great difference in their workforce by encouraging them to develop their potential and expanding their individual talents. Motivating and inspiring current employees is the best course of action presently. Training, coaching and leveraging the current talent base is imperative to weather the storm of business uncertainty. An investment in talent development will pay huge dividends in productivity, loyalty, commitment and holding down turnover ratios.
The greatest tragedy in America is not the destruction of our natural resources, though that tragedy is great. The truly great tragedy is the destruction of our human resources by our failure to fully utilize our abilities, which means that most men and women go to their graves with their music still in them. – Oliver Wendell Holmes
Look at this article from the Boston Globe.
Program Helping Plants Compete Globally Save Jobs – By Diane E. Lewis, Globe Staff
WALTHAM — Machine operator Joe Scafidi didn’t think it would work.
Now, six months after Standard-Thomson began switching from traditional assembly-line production of thermostats for the auto industry to “lean manufacturing,” Scafidi, 46, is a believer. He is among the first of the company’s 270 workers to train in the process, and the contrast between his work area and other sections of the 160,000-square-foot plant is stark: no clutter on the floor, no extra inventory stored at the site.
Scafidi says there is another benefit to going lean: Managers listen to workers more these days.
“Before we got into lean, the things I’d say to management would go in one ear and out the other,” said Scafidi, a lead man who can run all the machines in the plant. “Now, I have much more to say. I was even in on the planning of where the machines ought to be.”
With 60 years in Waltham, Standard-Thomson is betting on lean manufacturing to help it adapt – and survive – in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. Still, there are no guarantees. Some specialists say companies are facing a Catch-22: Employers need to be more efficient to compete.
These are times to focus on each and every worker. Every hour worked, every person’s training and experience is more important to a business’s success than I can remember. Leanness is not necessarily a bad thing. Leverage the talent you have now. Of course, no one likes to hear of layoffs and downsizing, but achieving your company’s deliverables with no excess could be exhilarating. Okay, maybe this challenge is not exhilarating, but at least it is adventurous. Why not accept the challenge of pouring your best leadership development skills into the workers that are left? Of course, if you lack expertise there are companies like Trove, Inc. that can certainly partner with you to build a strong alliance.
Management is nothing more than motivating other people. – Lee Iacocca
Keep being hopeful and positive with your employees. Hope is a powerful feeling. Hope means to lead with expectations, optimism, anticipation, courage and faith. Leader-manages who can bring that into the present workplace, virtual or not, increase the bandwidth of the talent base. Employees work for hope.
This research article by A. J. O’Connor Associates entitled “Coaching – Not Only for Athletes: Leveraging Talent for Competitive Advantage” speaks to our topic well.
Jim Collins, author of from “Good to Great,” says great companies start with “who” not “what.” But in truth, great companies—and great leaders—need to address both simultaneously. In his book, “The 8th Habit,” Stephen Covey shares statistics gathered from over 23,000 U.S. residents employed in key industries and within key functional areas (e.g., accounting, advertising, healthcare, sales, etc.). The results of this recent poll conducted by Harris Interactive (originators of the Harris Poll) show:
· 1 out of 5 people polled were enthusiastic about the goals of their organizations and their particular teams
· Only 37% of employees polled even had a clear understanding to begin with, regarding their organization’s goals and missions
· And only 1 out of 5 of the employees polled perceived a connection between their tasks and the goals of their particular teams and organizations. Are leaders today doing a good job of leveraging the “who” and the “what?” These statistics suggest that they are not.
Now is the time for leaders to clarify purpose and goals, define tasks and coach towards individual excellence. Building affinity groups, accountability partnerships and coaching systems to promote productivity is a good idea these days. A reward system for cross-training and learning other skills would be helpful in a lean organization. Virtual or in-person teams enjoy clarity of purpose and working on projects together. The only way to get people to like working hard is to motivate them. Today, people must understand why they’re working hard.
Every individual in an organization is motivated by something different. – Rick Pitino
In any business situation, seeing yourself as a victim is completely self-defeating. And when it comes to your career, it’s an attitude that kills all your options – it can even be thestart of a career death spiral. – Jack Welch, Winning, pg. 301
I’d love to help you develop your human capitial.
Executive coach – rforbus@troveinc.com
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