We have now looked at all 8 of the "key themes" for driving sustainable organisation performance identified in the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) report "Sustainable Organisational Performance: What Really Makes the Difference."
To refresh your memory they are:-
- Alignment;
- Shared purpose;
- Leadership;
- Locus of Engagement;
- Assessment and Evaluation Capability;
- Short-term and Long-term Balance;
- Agility;
- Capability Building.
Is there anything on that list, as a business leader, you are not grappling with already? Perhaps locus of engagement begs a second look is and that is possibly only because it is not a phrase you commonly come across. Having seen what it means you will also recognise it is something that you are well aware of and constantly trying to address.
So this is not a bad report.
I am sure you will agree with me that the list is a good summary of your everyday people management issues. As such it certainly identifies the 'what' of your challenges. And the report gives a number of equally good examples of what the sample companies are doing to address these issues. That has to add some value.
But as I said before the "Shaping the Future" headline suggests that it can help you to find new ways to meet these challenges. Unfortunately, I don't think it does that. As we have looked at these themes in detail over the past weeks you have seen that there is little new that could help you shape the kind of future you are really looking for. The case studies reinforce the 'what' but are pretty light on the 'how.'
This all makes the report pretty disappointing overall.
Of course, it is easy to be critical. It is always easier to knock down than to build up, so we need to look at what is missing and offer something more tangible as an alternative.
That is a no-brainer. You have to start looking at you people in a different light. The fact is people are your organisation and they make or break your performance. They give you whatever competitive edge you have. Consequently you have to start recognising and appreciating their value more. The traditional approach is to look on the investment you have to make in your people. Do you ever stop to think that those people – your employees – are also making an investment? They are investing their lives in you. After all they devote a significant proportion of to working for you and that in turn represents a significant chunk of whatever time on earth they are allotted.
How does that change things? Well, if both parties can recognise this, it makes work a partnership. And that is the underlying premise of the Zealise model. It creates the platform to make this a reality.
The concept of valuing people as assets changes the mindset and encourages recognition of the value of people. It is the signature on the deal and creates a partnership to develop that asset and enhance its value, and thus make life more worthwhile. It engenders capability building that encourages employee engagement. And simultaneously, it offers a new model of employee ownership that embraces shared values and so embeds alignment and builds a strong foundation for greater, sustained success.
In fact if you think about it it effectively addresses all 8 of the themes identified in the report. So it certainly offers a better platform than anything currently being suggested and hence a new opportunity to really shape your own future – the way you would like it to be.