Thanks, Rick, for the invitation for those of us who have been struggling
with some workplace issues to post some questions.
As I had mentioned on an earlier post, I am have just begun a consulting
career by starting a company which will specialize in consulting to the
life sciences businesses (medical labs, lab product suppliers etc). One
of my two fine client organizations happens to be my former employer, a
laboratory equipment distribution company.
This company is a family owned firm (very nice owners, but not what you
would call "professional management") and has been operating for more than
25 years. They are not on a path towards LO concepts, but I feel that my
belief in LO concepts should atleast come through in the projects I do for
them.
The three projects I am currently taking on are rather diverse...sales
training, database marketing, and job descriptions (first draft). The job
description project will start in mid-July. And of the three, it is the
one I am struggling with the most. The job descriptions will be the first
"human resource" documents to ever exist at this company. There are about
50 employees (over a wide geographical area), but to date the company has
functioned with no HR policies, performance management etc.
Given the above situation, what would you sages out there recommend as the
best approach to this job description project. I know I can't change the
entire company culture, but if the creation of some formal HR "beginnings"
can be a positive one for the owners and employees, I think it will go a
long way to build the owner's confidence in continued investment in "the
people" side of the business.
Also, if anyone has some specific reading to recommend, I would appreciate
the opinions. To date, my LO reading list has been the "typical MBA" list
of Senge, Argyris, Kofman, Hendry, Marsick, and Isaacs.
Thanks in advance.
Claire Hilscher
Shackleton Resources Inc.
Vancouver, BC, Canada
--"C. Hilscher" <hilsher@ibm.net>
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