Organizations- Human Resource Issues

     

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     An Organization’s system structures can make or break a company.  One page 96 of Pfeffer and Sutton’s book, Hard Facts Dangerous Half-Truths & Total Nonsense, they discuss organizational structure within companies under the section titled Great Systems Are Often More Important than Great People.  From personal experience, I agree that it does not matter how talented or how hard one works, if the business foundation is not set in stone then the organization is setting the employees up to fail.  Pfeffer and Sutton state, “People’s performance depends on the resources they have to work with, including the help they get from their colleagues, and the infrastructure that supports their work  (Pfeffer & Sutton 2006, p 96)."  The infrastructure should come from the counterparts that are involved with building the companies’ strategies.  In the EIA, The New Science of Human Capital by Professor John Boudreau, he elaborates on the importance of finding the pivotal points within a company.  Once the pivotal points are located, managers can appoint the appropriate person for the task.  This is an effective way of implementing infrastructure while including the employees.  Therefore, the structural strategies complement the employees and give them the best opportunity to succeed. 

“All well designed system filled with ordinary but well trained-people can consistently achieve stunning performance (Pfeffer & Sutton 2006, p 96).”

By giving all parts an equal chance to improve upon their weakness and thrive on their strengths,  it will lead to phenomenal input and output in companies.  These strategies can also reduce conflicts, turnovers, and blame among employees and management.

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      I think this leads perfectly into the next topic, which is feedback.  In addition to feedback, mangers should begin with clear fundamental strategies for employees.  Secondly, placing them in the best positions that they will succeed in will open up the door for employees to accept feedback from management teams.  In EIA’s Focusing on Feedback, Kym Ward Gaffney discusses the importance of feedback; she discussed the importance of feedback.  She defines feedback as information that is helpful, and a conversation that talks about one’s performance.  Feedback should be considered as a gift, but often feedback is considered as bad criticism.  Gaffney lists the two reasons why people are offended by feedback.

These two reason are based on the confliction of human needs:

A.      The need to grow and develop.

B.      The need to be accepted just the way we are.

“Feedback provides an excellent foundation for improving your performance” (Gaffney).  I applaud feedback even though I still find myself tensing up at receiving my own feedback.  I will agree will the following explanation above that was stated by Gaffney.  She also gave out five tips that makes a difference in your career. The following tips are:

1.      Ask for feedback

2.      Watch your emotions

3.      Ask questions

4.      Reach out

5.      Engage your potential

All of these tips will reassure employees’ abilities to move up and improve upon their jobs skills. I think Gaffney’s suggestion should be a part of new employee training programs.  This way, employees know from the start that the companies are rooting for them to succeed.

This Little Word Will Make You A Better Manger by Jessica Stillman  is an article about giving feedback to employees.  According to Stillman, VC Ben Horowitz identified feedback as one of the hardest skill sets executives to master.  This article is not evidence based but does include a research-based study on negative feedback.  Stillman suggested that in order to give negative feedback, mangers have to sandwich the negative feedback in with the positive.  The idea behind the sandwich is a way to ease people into harsh feedback by starting the conversation with praise and then lead into the negative.  To go along with this approach author and entrepreneur Ben Casnocha emphasized that adding the word “yet” to negative feedback will ease the initial shock that employees experience.  For example, a manger could say, “You do not have the skills set for this project yet.”  I do not agree with this approach; simply sugar coating the negative feedback to employees will hinder their ability to approve on their job.

 During this session, many of the concepts - especially feedback – resonated with me.  Being a Graduate Resident Director, I am subject to receiving constant feedback from my supervisors.  I really enjoy receiving all types of feedback because I would like to continue to grow and mature on my job.