In the first issue we introduced the contextual framework and last week, we explored the definition of a career resilient workforce and demonstrated that people looking out for themselves are not a detriment to an organisation. They are critical for a company’s growth and success. In essence, we have demonstrated that a learning organisation is a progressive, productive organisation and a career resilient workforce is a productive, agile and flexible workforce. This week we explore the steps in building a learning organisation and a career resilient workforce.
Three key steps in building a learning, progressive and productive organisation are:
1.Supportive learning environment – the organisation must foster a respect and appreciation for diversity, encourage new ideas, provide a safe environment that fosters wellness and organise work in ways that provide time for reflection.
2.Concrete learning processes – this requires good communication so that information and knowledge are shared and institutionalised to ensure that the information and knowledge are passed on to new employees. In essence the culture of the organisation is shared.
3.Leadership behavior that provides reinforcement – when leaders actively question and listen to employees and thereby prompt dialogue and debate, people in the organization feel encouraged to learn (“Is yours a Learning Organisation” by David A Garvin et al, HBR, March 2008).
Leaders need to change how they view the relationship with employees, from an adult-child relationship guaranteeing lifetime employment to an adult-adult relationship with the focus and emphasis on employability
We see from the list above, that an engaged, enterprising and career-resilient workforce is critical to a company becoming a learning organisation. Last week we were challenged to revisit our view of people looking out for themselves and we appreciated that they are or can be good for an organisation. This week we also examine the factors needed for building a career resilient workforce.
In creating and sustaining a career-resilient workforce, both employers and employees share the responsibility for building the skills that both need to thrive. It requires new attitude and tactics. Companies who ignore career-resiliency risk losing their most talented employees and their competitive edge.
The new attitudes needed to create a career resilient workforce include:
1.Loyalty – Talented employees who leave are not traitors nor are organisations that no longer need the skills of employees, wicked. Employees are valued, trusted and respected members of the organization while they are part of it.
2.Career paths – Companies and employees succeed when employees cross easily over functional boundaries, switch between regular and special projects and move on comfortably if they no longer fit.
3.Customers – Without customers, no one has a job. Only employees who understand and support that have a job.
4.Company-employee relationship – A move to adult-adult relationship. Adult employees manage their own careers and adult organisations help them acquire new skills.
New Tactics include:
1.Self-Assessment – tools, including books, assessment tests, to help employees identify their skills, interests, values, temperaments and jobs they’re best suited for. Productivity increases when people love their work.
2.Skills benchmarking – employees are helped to assess their current skills against job-market demands inside and outside the company. This requires ongoing dialogue about the company’s strategic direction. A HR audit is recommended as part of that process. The HR Audit helps identify development gaps.
3.Lifelong learning – Employees are assisted in maintaining a professional development plan and in exploring job opportunities. The company provides opportunities through in-house training, webinars and assist employees in pursuing educational advancement.
4.No-fault exits – Transitions are managed with dignity, whether voluntarily or involuntarily terminated. Companies may provide assistance with counseling, investing or finding another job.
5.Credible career support – Employees must know that support is genuine. It is recommended that career management is separated from performance appraisal and stress the importance of confidentiality (HBR Onpoint product #7206 – “Toward a Career-Resilient Workforce” by Robert H Waterman et al. The expression “et al” is often used when the number of writers to an article exceeds two).
Next week we take a Caribbean perspective on building a Learning Organisation and creating a Career-Resilient Workforce.
We welcome your comments, suggestions and questions. Email us at [email protected].
Valda Frederica Henry, VF Inc.’s CEO and Principal Trainer is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR), Certified Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Practitioner, holds a PhD in Industrial Relations & Business, a Masters in Business Administration and a BSc Management Studies. VF Inc. is a Human Resource & Finance Consultancy firm with a Training and Recruitment arm, and the producer and host of a live TV program “The Cutting Edge of Business”.
I believe that this is very valuable information to career-resilient persons like myself who everyday, witness the difference between the way we think and the way the general population thinks.
We need a change in Dominica, a change in the way we think, the way we see ourselves as employees, particularly and the way we see our employers. Too often the focus is simply on the pay we receive and not the service we deliver or the opportunities for self-advancement which exist.
Thanks Valda.
Great I am taking well needed notes .
This speak to the wealth of Knowledge
Even greater is the ones we shear
Dr Henry I support points 1, 2 and 3 above regarding the three key steps in building a learning, progressive and productive organization. However I am aware that some organizations operate without regard to these key steps and seem to continue to be relatively profitable. As a matter of fact these organizations (the management and BOD) are opposed to carrying out these steps as they consider them to be interfering with their “way they have always done it” or “a waste of time and resources”, and are even hostile to a new employee who understands what it means to be a leader and want to introduce these steps in working to have the organization become a learning organization. Note that some of the management officers have MBA’s etc and are considered learnt learned people. So my question is could the existence of a learning organization be simply a myth something that exists in theory? And how do you see organizations who do not aspire to be learning organizations being impacted especially in the current turbulent global economic environment?
Good information
totally wrong medium
Way too wordy – not an easy read – more like a lecture
Rework the focus would be my suggestion
It appears your columns thus far, is geared more to business owners who are in need of opportunity education. And rather sign up for a course they are able to reap the rewards of reading your column….I was anticipating your column would be geared for the greater populus of Dominica, in mind of how the Diaspora Communinity can better assist the betterment of Dominica. I read an article that refered to 10 companies that have been in Dominica for decades, let me focus on what have they contributed to the growth od Dominica: Fort Young Hotel, ACME Garage, Whitchurch, Barclays Bank, Astaphans, etc,,,,
On the subject of customers, the following quote has been around for a long time but it still holds true.
WHAT IS A CUSTOMER?
A customer is the most important person in our business. He is not an interruption of our work, but rather the purpose of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him, he is doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to do so. A customer is not dependent upon us – we are dependent upon him. He is not an outsider to our business, but a part of it. A customer is not a cold statistic: he is a flesh and blood human being with feelings and emotions, biases and prejudices. He is not someone to argue or match wits with (nobody ever won an argument with a customer). A customer is a person who brings us his wants and it is our job to handle them profitably, both to him and to ourselves.
I like that.
I think a column on customer service would be quite beneficial to all Dominica employees, particularly, front-line employees. They really need to be schooled in that area.