Archiv der Kategorie: Management

Here you find topics like planning, organization and leadership.

Commitment happens inside

Enterprises are using tools for the administration of employees – the planning, procurement, employment, administration, development and controlling of the personnel. The employees are encouraged, retained, satisfied, developed and appreciated. The most important element is the commitment that enables the employees to engage themselves in the enterprise. Unfortunately the commitment always happens inside and therefore it is not directly attainable for HR managers.

Commitment

There are three possibilities to stimulate the commitment: formal, contentual and personal amplifiers.

  • Formal amplifiers
    Formal amplifiers are administrative measures that are tailored to an enterprise. They support acceptance by providing collaboration guidelines, role clarity, leadership and sponsorship tools. The collaboration guidelines that should be available in the context of the governance include defined reporting processes, the interaction, employee participation and similar. The role clarity is achieved by documenting the essential roles with their tasks, authorities and responsibilities. The leadership tools are characterized by comprehensible evaluation systems, clear leadership style, explicit target agreements, periodical feedback talks and similar instruments. The sponsorship tools are not only for commitment amplifying, but also for increasing the sustainability. This includes training, skill, and career development programs as well as performance-oriented incentives. Extend your current initiatives with appropriate amplifiers, in order to make it easy for your target group to commit.
  • Contentual amplifiers
    The contentual amplifiers are the most varied, because they are topic-oriented amplifiers that result from the field of work. They include interesting tasks, a variety of offers, focus on competency-oriented elements, and open exchange of information as well as challenges that maintain autonomy that are innovative and support changes. Interesting tasks appeal the personal interests of an employee. The variety of opportunities comes from various, cross-functional projects that allow a broadening of knowledge. Competency-oriented elements, like certifications and diploma, should be integrated into the measures. Exchange of information is realized by an open exchange of the contents. 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 contentually.
  • Personal amplifiers
    The personal amplifiers are the most sensitive, because they are tailored to the interests of individuals that are triggered by internal control conviction. They evolve through the feeling of self-efficacy, justice, satisfaction and curiosity. Internal control convictions are conveyed by choice, creative and decision freedom. Self perceptible authority (self-efficacy) results from recognition of existing skills and personal offers. Justice is transferred by openness, fairness and legal certainty. Satisfaction results from a desired involvement of the target group into the overall happenings and the creation of an attractive identity. Curiosity can be satisfied by a respective exchange of information. Consider personal incitements and provide enough space for creativity for the individual people.

The commitment amplifiers are often used without a plan. One can boost the commitment by integrating the three amplification areas into the assignments and by using the other HR-tools (Personal development, incentive systems, and creation of an attractive working environment).

Bottom line: Even if commitment happens internally, there are various approaches to stimulate it. Formal amplifiers use administrative tools, contentual amplifiers use business challenges and the personal amplifiers use the individual interests, in order to facilitate the commitment of the employees.

The too tightly held egg breaks

Every time I take an egg in my hand, I pay attention that it does not slip out and breaks on the ground. At the same time, I avoid making a too strong grasp, so that I do not break it. I am aware that the shell is stable, but nevertheless the careless pressure could crack it.
Aren’t executives not in a similar situation? They lead the employees and ensure that they adhere to the sets of rules that result from the laws, the corporate guidelines, contracts and other arrangements. As with the egg, the leaders have to create the balance between a too loose and a too tight guidance. If results are missing or the employees withdraw their respect, then the leader forfeits his authority. If the manager controls too pedantic, then he risks the staff commitment and loses employees through fluctuation in the mid-term. In any case the danger exists that the basis for cooperation will be broken.

Eibroken

In the past executives could grow into their tasks by accompanying experienced superiors. Today, after graduating, a few internships and some short professional experiences, one can already get assigned to an executive position. This trend is amplified by HR policies in large companies, which rely more and more on assessments in artificial „lab conditions “. We can recognize these bosses from their work style. They are characterized by their Micro Management, the taking over of project functions and thereby missing out the leading.

The following leadership tasks are crucial, in order to accomplish the guiding role.

  • Communication
    The regular exchange of thoughts, opinions and facts is particularly important and at the same time very time-consuming in groups. The more employees are directly assigned, the more time is needed for the exchange of thoughts and the less time is available for each employee. It takes time for personal talks as well as for different forms of conversation (e.g. fireside chats, coffee talks, powwows). Besides personal discussions the comprehension of the employees is increased by publishing regularly important topics as emails, newsletters or a personal intranet page.
  • Coordination
    The skimpiest alternative of coordination is the command chain with their order and obedience. It is actually clear for most people that this model is no longer workable. Who would like to be led in such a manner! For this reason there are today further mechanisms for coordination, e.g. agreements, targets or the Linking pins. This naturally requires more time, than simply issuing an order. In the long run, however, the involved people learn to act autonomously. Then the remaining effort happens particularly in the information exchange.
  • Cooperation
    Also executives are forced to work together with others. For this purpose an environment should be created, that facilitates teamwork. Apart from the necessary equipment with spaces and media, workshops offer a setting outside of everyday life. In these work groups people coordinate the direction of the area and business models as well as the culture.

In all cases it is crucial to find the right balance between demanding and promoting. It is not a matter of not being able to exert pressure, but to create with the right leadership results AND to keep the acceptance, motivation and commitment of the employees.

Bottom line: Leadership is a critical task, since it has a large influence on the economic well-being of the company. It is an important contribution, in order to keep the teams on track and to provide them with sufficient hold. The same way as the too loosely or too firmly held egg breaks, the efficiency of a team stands and falls with too little or too much leadership.

See also: Out of the liability