So How do We Do It? - FROM PETER HOSIE'S DESK

I was looking a while ago for a practitioner and came across the following statement on a website, no trouble guessing just who I called first.

"By employing great people up front. By making sure we stay on top of the cutting-edge techniques and technologies that are introduced around the world every year. And by making sure our practice is a warm, inviting place to enter".

You know we spend thousands and thousands of dollars on our businesses  making sure that the gardens are done, the lawn is nicely manicured around our office and that we have the best technology that money can buy, yet we sometimes we forget that without our customers and indeed our people we have nothing!!  So just how do we go about getting the right people is it still just a matter of gut feel or is there something else that now counts.

Q. When Are Assumptions Good?   

 A. Never, When Options Exist   

Even employers with the best of intentions are guilty of assuming too much. As they see workers of different ages, genders and racial makeup working side-by-side, they might think that this one fits in a group that wants to multitask at a fast pace because she is young, while her counterpart from another generation is interested in slowing down.
 

As we learn from experience, assumptions are often wrong. That young person may prefer devoting her attention to one workplace issue at a time, while her older co-worker is the multi-tasker. Many things, including life stages, could affect each of them. And if a leader changes work assignments based on erroneous assumptions, he could end up with disgruntled or absent employees, high turnover and unfinished projects.
 

The only truly effective method of managing diverse employees is to look at each one as an individual and to understand what motivates them. Then, coach them regularly to get the behaviour you want.
 

As Baby Boomers retire in larger and larger numbers, the workforce will contract. That means you will have a smaller pool of potential employees to choose from, and they will reflect all of the differences you see in our changing society. To succeed at coaching and managing, employers will have to study their workforce more intently than they did before and learn what makes them tick.
 

You are likely seeing these different segments in your workforce now, and perhaps did not fully understand the transformation taking place or realise how widespread the changes were. Now that you know, why not take the time to find out what your employees want on the job?
 

Assessments can aid you in identifying job fit and worker satisfaction, which can lead you to the best segment makeup for your organisation. They can tell you which employees are well suited to their positions and which ones might benefit from a change. Once you know your employees, you will know which ones work most productively together and the combinations that could lead to disaster. And as your organisation delves more deeply into coaching, your leaders will thank you for charting the territory in advance

     Peter Hosie
Profiles International Australasia