Adding Value To Your Organization
Posted on December 19, 2008 - Filed Under Business, Viral-Marketing | Leave a Comment
Many managers have distinguished themselves by tightly managing their operations, focusing heavily on building in operational efficiencies, while always maintaining a close watch on their budgets. Often they will do whatever it takes to keep costs down while maintaining good service to their customers. And isn’t that what they are hired to do?
Innovation and improved performance don’t happen by accident. It requires investment and managers who are always focused on reinvesting in their organization.
Good managers identify problems and then solve them. If there is a defect, they fix it. If there is a deviation, they right it. While this is essential, it merely maintains the status quo and frankly, in an ever-changing environment, those who stand still, fall behind.
Great leaders are always looking around the corner, identifying emerging trends and potential opportunities, and then are seeking ways to taken advantage of these for the betterment of the business. They are raising the bar—driving the performance of their organization and their people to the next level.
Leaders zero in on activities that create real value for the organization by investing in those things that add value—whether it’s people, systems or equipment. While systems and equipment are important, we must first focus on people. Without people, we have no operations. Yet recently, I spoke with a manager who strongly believed her job was to vigilantly search for ways to cut costs—a task for which she was very adept. Unfortunately, her good work has resulted in an organization that struggles to recruit and retain people, and the employees she has are unprepared for the challenges of the 21st century.
So where should you make your investments. Here are four areas:
1. Develop your talent through continuous training and development. Job specific training and interpersonal skills training are essential in a world experiencing rapid changes that require people to work in a collaborative team environment.
2. Pay and treat your people well. If you want the best and the brightest, you have to treat them as such.
3. Invest in performance management systems. Employees must be focused on the things that are important to the business.
4. Invest in recruitment initiatives. Placing ads simply does not work. Creative, “outside the box” approaches must be developed.
By investing in your people, you will get better performance and increased employee capability. Trained employees develop better insights and make smarter decisions. And finally, the quantity and quality of your recruits will improve resulting in employees who can make an immediate contribution.
The best managers are taking control of their operations. They are focusing on opportunities to create real value by investing in their people.
Rick Dacri is an organizational development consultant, coach and expert in human resources. Since 1995 his firm, Dacri & Associates (http://www.dacri.com) has focused on improving the performance of individuals and organizations. Rick publishes a monthly newsletter, the Dacri Report (http://www.dacri.com/enewsletter.htm) with the intent to provide clients and friends critical information on issues that impact them, their organization and their employees. Rick can be reached at 1-800-892-9828, or rick@dacri.com
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