The Change Agents..

What are some of the factors which contribute to what you want to do in life. We all tend to be always in confusion about what we want to do. When we have good job, company and no structure kills, when we have good companies, too much structure kills. Sometimes we have both, but personal life goes for a toss. Loads of things always create an arbitrage opportunity based on which firms have people moving in and out. HR gives it a fancy term – Churn rate. Employees call is – A smart move to save the career. The idea finally behind all this is that it’s the opportunity created by imperfections and gaps at both end and in the game organizations usually don’t lose the base performers, they lost the smart ones. Of late I have started believing that after a stage in your career, from top its all about keeping the think tank of organization alive at all levels. Reinvent, question, challenge, think and change what is not working. Don’t become comfortable. Most of the large companies in India have controls and structures in which they normalize all performers as work force. The think tank becomes old, at some point stops challenging and institutionalizes everything thinking when they are gone structures will take care of everything. They miss one important point in life – CHANGE. When nothing is constant how can processes be constant. They have to change. Everything has to change, more than processes, these firms need “think tanks”- the people who are capable of changing with time and transform the processes to succeed. The Challengers. The Performers. The Creators. The Destroyers. The Innovators. The Leaders. The Managers. Have you identified them for your companies? If you are concerned about the next gen leadership for you companies, invest in people, know them, grow them, else your companies will die with you. Time and change will outsmart your processes and you will be a old juggernaut carrying loads of past. At the top of the pyramid - INVEST in people because they will make systems to suit time and need.
Is knowing people all that complicated? We are all humans and all levels and stages in life, we have some basic questions answered for us, by us or by the situations we fall in. Just know the people you want to keep and try to invest time in answering some of these questions for them. See if they fit the “Think Tank” needed for surviving in the industry. If yes, fit into their needs and retain them for that long lasting organization that outlives you:
· The basic DNA – You like process? You like challenges? You like structure? You like innovation?
· The way you like to be treated – Self worth – I believe I have mind and I want to use it, I like to be paid for it or I like to earn the same for myself.
· The Personal factor – There are people who make me happy, do you care about that part of my life? Is there a human element, do you accommodate me? I don’t care about anything as long as you pay me and give me growth which I feel compensates for everything else.
· The field that interests me – Domain – I don’t like to think about medical industry, I am supply chain, I like to think big, long term and I am pro at execution, give me free hand in kind of people I want. Do you care about what I want?
· Am I successful? I might be doing what I feel I like to do, but am I better than my peers and are my results showing that my skills match my interest? If not, I am doing someone else’s job.
· Can I make an impact? Can I speak up my mind? Am I heard by people at all levels when I think I can make a difference?
· Does my level of integrity and moral values match with my org?
· Do I get the recognition and name for what I do or am I being missed in the political or beaurocratic system? Am I one among millions?
· Does the person I m reporting to, deserve my services or it has to be other way round.
· Will I grow with age or performance?
Have some questions answered for those top 10 people in your org and work towards giving them a professional fit, put them through challenges that they will love to handle and been recognized for. The organization will have the feet of its own to stand on. I think despite all the people, process, and technology talk that I have heard in my education, I would put people at top. If they are right, process and technology will fall in place. So, next time when someone talks of churn rate – know at what level, if it’s the think tank, the org is probably dying.