Are you part of a workforce where the emphasis is performing functionally, but not purposefully? Then, consider the cost of your employer’s business model and hiring strategy on not only your professional role driving workplace profitability. But also, your employee experience.
Also, consider that revenue generation is part of everyone’s job description, whether stated or not. As a result, does meeting your employer’s key performance indicators reinforce – or diminish – a sense of professional purpose in you? You know, that nagging feeling that you are not quite living up to your human potential?
Consequently, ponder how employees who only perform functionally short sell an organization’s human capital strategy.
- First, take a look around your own workplace. Consider that today’s workforce includes up to five generations. What does yours look like?
- Often, the aggregated knowledge, experience and human capital value residing in each of these generations remains siloed: by age, education and pay grade. So, what do your silos look like?
- Also, the workforce is segmented further, by job functionality. Identify who your order-takers or innovators are. How about manual workers or knowledge workers? Then, business professionals or engineering/technical professionals?
- Eventually, a workforce hiring strategy based on employee segmentation diminishes the quality of aggregated workforce performance value. Where do you reside in this hiring continuum?
Is where you are, Today, where you want to be Tomorrow, and in the Future? How are your employer’s hiring strategy and business model short selling Who You Are as a Professional of Worth?
Consider how employees, like you, miss out on developing a strong sense of professional purpose due to missed opportunities to cross-pollinate with multi-generational, multi-educated colleagues.
What are the gaps in your organization?
When opportunities for developing human potential are minimized, you only are performing functionally within the workplace. Understandably, you feel limited. In addition, you feel like a self-contained functional cog within a legacy wheel.
To change the world, are you self-propelled to start communicating and working collaboratively? Or does “someone” need to give you permission to think outside of the proverbial box? For starters, deconstructing silo-based communication barriers in business models leads to improved knowledge sharing across the organization. Consequently, the result not only is enhanced competitive productivity and profitability. But also, more purposeful and engaged employees. Where does your own organization fall within this continuum?
If you could have “that” talk with your leadership, what does this conversation “sound” like? What role are you prepared to take, moving this concept forward? Who else is involved?
How about some help engaging your employer in this purposeful conversation!
- Planning your next corporate or association meeting? Engage me to deliver one of my speaking programs or workshops for a refreshing change from the same-old stuff. Catalyze your mindset and skill sets!
Babette Ten Haken is a customer retention specialist. Her One Millimeter Mindset™ speaking programs and workshops improve communication in organizations with disparate or siloed groups, especially in industries with technically-focused stakeholders. Her playbook of communication hacks, Do YOU Mean Business? is available on Amazon.com. Image source: Fotolia
Leave a Reply