Schlagwort-Archive: Personal

Glow without substance

As virtualization progresses, the qualities of things, facts and, above all, people become more and more important. The selection of new employees, whether executing or executive, is becoming increasingly difficult. In advance it is only possible to assess to a limited extent whether the respective person fits into the company, the team or a task. If then the first selection is made by an area that has little knowledge of the daily task, decisions are made based on formal criteria that have little to do with the actual business. In the long term, it is more effective to leave the choice to the departments, which have the experience, know the different contexts and, above all, should get their personal impressions of the possible new employee. Who still believes in the copied CVs based on pertinent cook books, which consist of quickly made degrees plus many years of practical and international experience plus pronounced social commitment? This self-staging creates a glow without substance.

This substance less glamour does not have to artificially grind away corners and edges. Sometimes it is better to show profile, to have soiled oneself at work in order to come across more credibly on the basis of the scars of one’s own actions.

  • Personal glow
    With the introduction of the school and university system, the traditional learning styles, the long-standing apprenticeship as trainee and journeyman, were expanded with scientific study and research. The real goals of these learning systems were to transfer and anchor knowledge. The most important aim was to actively get to the bottom of the topics. Due to the increasing importance of a factual assessment, the focus of the evaluation has been shifted. A high score suggests appropriate skills. A clever strategy and a little luck in the tests is enough to pass. And this, although practical knowledge would be better in everyday situations.
    The personal appearance is better polished up by failures and realistic responsibilities without a gigantic budget, than by pretentious presence.
  • Entrepreneurial glow
    Other areas of the business also have certifications to prove their capabilities. With the appropriate certificates, customers are supposed to gain confidence in order to decide in favor of the according offer. Today, these proofs range from customer ratings, the so-called likes, to official certifications and frameworks such as ISO 9000 for quality management, ISO 27001 for information security or COBIT for IT governance. While these certifications were originally intended to reflect a company’s current status, people affected have learned to prepare for these exams to be able to pass. The real purpose of a neutral assessment of the real abilities gets lost.
    It becomes more important to prove with real-life examples that you can practically master your business, and not just to shine with a certificate that everyone has.
  • Borrowed glow
    If direct evidence of the reputation is missing, then only indirect signs remain, which are generated above all by ambiguous statements. The protagonists achieve this the easiest by mentioning and citing competent sources. For this reason, people and companies like to adorn themselves by quoting prominent thought leaders. In doing so, they implicate an appropriate mindset that makes inattentive target groups believe that the values described are important to them. This can be boosted by personally integrating or at least meeting the mentioned celebrities in an image-effective way. Within the target group the assumption gets triggered that you need to have special skills. On closer inspection, this type of indirect use of external appearance happens on a daily base in publications without the target group noticing the manipulation. This adornment with borrowed plumes needs nothing more than a large enough budget.
    If you want to take advantage of the experiences of others, you should seriously integrate them into everyday life and implement their ideas consistently and not just shaking hands media-effectively.

Regardless of the way reputation is built, it remains nothing more than an indicator. The actual efficiency only becomes apparent in day-to-day practice. Since it is not possible to see it in advance, on the one hand, the observers must be always aware of the risk of possibly being only attracted by a glow. On the other hand, individuals and companies must not rest on their laurels, but have to reprove it every day. Who is in competition is like someone who rows against the current. As soon as you stop rowing, you fall back. Reputation must be renewed without ceasing.

Bottom line: It is becoming more and more important to find new approaches in order to be able to recognize performance and its development potential in advance. Direct certification is only partially suitable for this, since the candidates prepare opportunistically in advance for passing an exam – not for acquiring knowledge. Although the indirect indicators generate evidence, they do not allow any real insights about the know-how and behavioral repertoire of those affected. The information society needs a new approach, in order to be able to recognize the glow without substance.

Momentum always evolves from within

The readiness to stand up for something cannot be stipulated. At best, you can try to extort fulfillment with sanctions. However, this works only for simple, rather uncreative results. If individuals should develop commitment, nothing else remains, then providing an activating framework that creates the desire to engage inside of the people. Momentum always evolves from within.

Commitment02

Despite this fact executives wish for possibilities of awaking this momentum inside the employees. Three basic starting points are available: formal, contentual and personal flywheels.

  • Formal flywheels
    With formal measures that are tailored to the company, employees can be activated. Acceptance can evolve with collaboration guidelines, role clarity, leadership and sponsorship tools. The collaboration guidelines that should be available in the context of governance include defined reporting processes, the organizational interaction, employee participation and similar. Role clarity is achieved by documenting the essential roles with their tasks, authorities and responsibilities. The leadership tools are characterized by transparent evaluation systems, clear leadership style, target agreements, feedback talks and similar tools. The sponsorship tools are not only for commitment amplifying, but also for increasing the sustainability. This includes training and skill management, career development programs as well as performance-oriented incentives. In daily business it is easier for the target group to commit based on the appropriate amplifiers.
  • Contentual flywheels
    The topic-oriented approaches are the most diverse that result from the field of work. They include various, interesting tasks, focus on reputation-enabling elements, visibility as well as challenges that maintain autonomy, are innovative and support changes. Interesting tasks appeal the individual interests of an employee. The variety of opportunities comes from cross-functional project alternatives that allow a broadening of knowledge. Reputation-enabling elements, like certifications and employee diploma, should be integrated into the measures. Visibility is realized by an open communication style of the content. Challenges emerge from new topics, cross-functional and personal responsibility. Take a look at your initiatives from the perspective of your teams and make your tasks more attractive.
  • Personal flywheels
    Personal approaches for amplification are the most sensitive, because they are tailored to the interests of individuals that are triggered by internal controlling convictions. They are created by feeling of self-efficacy, justice, satisfaction and curiosity. Internal controlling convictions are provided by alternatives, creative and decision freedom. Self perceptible authority (self-efficacy) results from recognition of existing skills and personal offers. Justice is transferred by transparency, fairness and legal certainty. Satisfaction results from a desired integration of the target group into the overall organization and the creation of an attractive identity. Curiosity can be satisfied by an appropriate exchange of information. Consider personal incitements and leave enough space for the creativity of the individual people.

Bottom line: Even if you do not have direct influence on the readiness of the employees, there are sufficient starting points available for the organization of an activating framework. The formal flywheels should be already intuitively used in day to day business. The contentual flywheels result from the zest for action of the client, if he is appropriately on fire. The personal flywheels are the most complex, since you have to be actively interested in the people and their needs. Momentum always evolves from within – particularly with the appropriate stimuli from the outside.