Thursday, October 22, 2009

Our Human Capital

Times are tough. Everyone around you feels it. As the leader of a team or organization you need to be aware how these tough times affect your employees. This is especially true when it comes to their ability to perform on the job. You don’t want to ignore the concerns of your human capital. Now is not a time for guessing. There is much at stake - namely, the future of your business.

So, how can you learn what’s going on with your employees? The obvious answer is to ask. But you need to be prepared to offer a meaningful response. The message you deliver needs to be clear, relevant and truthful. You may not have all the answers but you are among other human beings. It is the common thread. The message you give needs to say “we are in this together.” These times will not last forever. Nothing ever does.

After setting the table, you will be better able to address areas for performance improvement. Here you can introduce the idea of subjective performance development assessments. This means you can help your employees to assess themselves to discover what and where support will be most helpful on the job. Remember “we are in this together.” Keep that intention in mind. You’ll be able to receive more cooperation and collaboration. And, the bottom line…, well let’s say it will be impacted. Imagine that!!

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