--snipity
>All you can do is try to find people who love what you need done, and
>let them loose.
>We all chose to work where we do; why don't more people make better
>choices? I think
>that is the heart of the issue. --Ben Compton
--snipstop
more snipity--
>Do you or others have suggestions?-- Bill Burgess
--snipstop
I think the first part of Ben's comment is astute. In job positions with
tasks and responsibilities that are well known it is quite possible to
find candidates who genuinely like doing those tasks using behavioral
preference tests --perhaps even before they're hired! I think this is
more important in the hiring procedure than job competencies. Even if
they don't start out with the most well developed set of proficiencies,
there's a good chance they'll try to get better and better if they like
what they're doing. And in positions that require changing and
unpredictable tasks it is still possible to "predict" the job
competencies, thriving on unpredictablity and innovative thinking skills.
OD texts refer to this phenomenon with the equation:
motivation*competencies=performance (but I prefer old Dad's phrase: the
will and the way lead to pay!). This approach may be more effective as a
front-end or hiring strategy for smaller organizations, but with a large
enough organization (like Eastman) it may also be an effective human
resource management strategy as well.
As for the second part of Ben's comment "Why don't people make better
choices?" 1) I think some don't have as much "choice" as he suggests.
Often individuals don't have an awareness of either the job tasks or their
own behavioral preferences before they are hired. (This is a solvable
problem!) Obligations can be an impediment: to creditors (steady income
stream for the mortgage) or their family (baby needs new shoes),
health-care provider concerns (non transferability), the necessary
financial and time investment in job-searching, etc. etc.--you get the
point, there are definitely some obstacles. 2) Others want the rewards
(i.e. higher salary) that comes with behaviors that our capitalist economy
values more highly (supply and demand), even if they don't like doing
those jobs. (BTW Ray Harrell: If Mnr AM de Lange is correct about the
demise of capitalism then this too shall pass along with the "deafening
silence".)
All this having been said, I still agree passionately with Ben's ideal of
everyone doing what they prefer to do in order for them to be motivated.
All the best,
--Reed A W Altman, Institute for Systems Leadership Coordinator A&EE, 113 Ricks Hall, Box 7607, NCSU, Raleigh, NC 27695-7607 Email : altman@amaroq.ces.ncsu.edu Phone : (919) 515-2819 FAX : (919) 515-1965
/ '', / / ' , ________________________________ ---<@ ) >>>>>>> { ---[You only fail if you stop trying] \ --------------------------------
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>