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CAREERS
CREATING RESPONSIBILITY AT INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATION LEVELS
©
Ganesh Shermon
Creating
careers for professional managers through the varied methodologies
of career templates, career anchors, career pathing has in
itself an inherent dimension of the concerned individuals
point of view about careers as well as the organizations design
for the individuals career. The question we seek to answer
in this paper is whether these two plans and expectations
match, if so why and if not why.
Increasingly
careers are seen as successive job responsibilities ultimately
leading to the top echelons of the corporate hierarchy in
one or many organizations. Shortly hierarchies would cease
to exist and in a flat, horizontal organization careers would
mean intellectual contribution. This eventually means that
in situations where the career match does not take place within
the organization the individual continues to look for career
opportunities in various other organizations.
This
leaves organizations fewer options for retaining trained manpower
for extensive lengths of time and would force organizations
to select and extract productivity in as short a span of time
frame as possible from professional managers. Harsh but true.
This phenomenon would also lead to defining people oriented
strategic policies keeping knowledge management in the horizon.
In specific short-term situations, reward orientation of a
selective lot who are perceived as high performers is done
exclusively and explicitly. And from whom the demanded levels
of performance is obtained. For the others who are relatively
at the middle order/solid performers of the performance scale
are rewarded overtly conveying the organizations point of
view about them on where they stand for long term continuity.
The Common terminology would be "See the writing on the
wall – We have no specific ambitious plans for you other
than what has been disbursed and therefore you have received
a tempered reward".
CAREER
PLANS – A POINT OF VIEW
Consideration
for the organization
Selection
is a basic and time-tested methodology for identifying a careerist.
Although all organizations recruit, few use selection as a
career start up tool. In fact interview evaluations of mediocre
top management would simply state , "Technically Sound/Positive
Attitude/HIRE". If only hiring were to be so simple that
with the 4 word statement corporations are built. These statements
articulated by responsible top management's show foolishness
and scorn for the basic people concern premises assumed in
well-managed organizations.
Socialization
and cultural integration is a prerequisite to help individuals
expeditiously adapt to the new or the changing environment.
The changing environment would apply to older managers who
have been in the system for longer period of time, who definitely
need to accept and adapt the changing scenario as well the
College graduates who have just about begun seeing corporate
life.
On
the job development inputs for merely sustaining the present
level of performance in the case of old timers and on going
inputs for trainee confirmed managers and young direct recruits.
Formal
training courses as a methodology for upgrading an individual
knowledge, competencies, and functional and managerial skill
or attitude base and also to act as an implicit communication
methodology to managers to learn or perish. Make application
of learning as the point of transition.
Creating
opportunities for contribution through challenging and change
oriented assignments, creating work pressures genuine or otherwise,
pulls and pushes perceived as appropriate and need oriented,
all with the noble intention of getting the best out of your
people.
Identification
of potential for growth through consistency in performance
over a period of time, skill attributes identified and accepted
by the organization as imperatives and assessment of potential
through specific formats by immediate superior as well as
by the human resources personnel.
Ambitious
work plan, goals and objectives to match the ever-changing
needs of the business and identification of lateral opportunities
for contribution.
Creating
an administrative environment supports staff and facilities
for promoting performance and increased management productivity.
Work
environment conveying a message that what matters at the end
of the Day RESULT MATTERS.
Make
the corporate culture conducive to learn and share. Competing
environments make collaboration difficult. Competing individuals
make sharing impossible. Corporate degenerates when a significant
portion of its management staff choose to retain their learning
and experience. More importantly they are doing so consciously
and politically. This lot is what I call the "Tyrannical
Destroyers of Corporate Value". Sadly it is this same
set of management staff who also seek career growth and advancement.
Considerations
for the individual
Gaining
acceptance among organizational members through professional
and personal credibility building. This is achieved through
competence as perceived by one’s own standards, self-insight
and sensitivity to the environment.
Application
of academic/previous work experience knowledge into the new
situation in an appropriate and relevant manner.
Seeking
recognition for the contribution as an individual as well
as a member of a relevant peer group in the form of rewards
as per organizational standards. The relevant peer group in
this context would not openly include colleagues within the
organization but also the batch mates from institutes/colleges
working in other organizations. A typical trainee considers
his entry into the organization not only as an achievement
but also as a professional sacrifice for having given up other
better compensation jobs at the campus for the sake of the
inherent advantages of joining an organization of professional
standing, market leadership etc. This parameter would also
apply to direct recruits who join with an air of expectation
and hope. To every individual the change means a sacrifice
for an unknown opportunity.
To
an individual not only new recruits but also to careerist
of a long term nature what matters is not only the end result,
which needless to mention is important, but also the means
of achieving the result.
KEY
ORGANIZATIONAL RESPONSES
Structuring
of rewards based on performance standards that are relevant
and tailor made for the needs of the organization and standards
that are absolute and unique. It is critical to move away
from generic, across the board compensation structures to
a competency based individualized reward system. Perhaps even
the concept " system" may necessitate elimination
and the reward program becomes truly one on one.
Communication
of the individuals performance level to the individual explicitly,
to others through policy statements, the levels as assessed
by the organization and demonstrated through rewards like
increment quantum, special MD’s awards, elevation, creative
task forces, international assignments, international training
opportunities etc.
Individual
communicated of his/her worth in monetary terms not with the
intention of reflecting on the person but on the performance.
DISSONANCE
Organizational
careerists are of three categories:
-
High
Fliers
-
Operating
Core consisting of capable/ above average performers,
who have been running their present show well but who
may show slower potential for growth within the company.
They too have a set of aspirations that needs managing.
-
Organizational
member misfits:
-
Older
age managers and managers who have been in the traditional
businesses and whose performance has consistently been
below basic expectation.
-
Incorrect
selection and mismatch occurred at the time of joining
and for which corrective action has not been taken for
internal peer grouping, benchmarking or any miscellaneous
reasons or so called humanitarian approaches.
-
Diminishing
performance levels of specific managers given radical
shifts in business environment, competencies and performance
demands.
Concrete
dissonance also emerges:
Communication
and understanding of organizational performance standards
as voiced by the immediate superior, departmental/unit head,
and Management Committee members. And as told upfront to the
subordinate. It is but true and shameful that few managers
have the uprightness to give and receive Feedback.
Understanding
of rewards by the individual as direct indicator of his worth
and value to the organization, whether the organization intended
it or not.
Individuals
understanding of this reward as a direct indicator of his
potential for growth in the company. Reward may have meant
something completely different from what has been perceived
by the recipient.
Understanding
of the individuals assessment of his/her own performance vice
a vis his/her perception of the performance of his peer group
further aggravated by his knowledge of the various kinds of
rewards meted out to others. It is not, "how much"
have I obtained as much as why has "so much" been
given to another.
ISSUES
OF CONCERN
High
fliers have been recognized, rightly so, and rewarded- Is
a high flier really a one-company careerist, can the organization
sustain his/her aspirations and quest for continuous growth
in a long term?
Operating
core communicated that they are not high fliers, rightly so,
and therefore a tempered reward- Would he/she really continue
to make a career or would he/she begin to look for greener
pastures? Has he/she understood his/her worth and value to
this organization as the backbone of strength or does he/she
see himself/herself as victim of circumstances, may be pushed
around when need be by the organization?
Poor
performers communicated so, disappointment temporary in nature,
not an issue as far as the organization is concerned.
TAKING
THE BULL BY THE HORN
If
an incorrect decision has been taken at the time of selection
or if it is subsequently found that the individual has been
unable to fit into the environment do we review his case for
continuity in employment?
If
we do not have the right incumbent for the jobs do we consider
a quick and demonstrative shift?
Do
the units as well as corporate have a responsibility to the
individual to provide him/her on the job inputs as well as
developmental courses on a crash basis?
Do
we review whether we have provided challenging and creative
opportunities for contribution in specific cases?
Do
we communicate to individuals the organization point of view
about his/her potential for growth in the company or in the
existing job?
Does
the organization take upon itself the responsibility for helping
individual managers set ambitious work plans for achievement?
Do
we communicate as one organizational voice the standards,
absolute and unique, for performance?
Do
we make visible corporate view of top management’s who
do not share knowledge or transmit success experiences across
the board ?
Do
we actually need as a corporate more aspirants for growth
and visibility than actual performers for whom growth happens
naturally? (Live to Grow or Grow to live).
Do
we tell a manager what is in it for him/her in making a career
in the organization and why he should continue or not in the
organization?
CONCLUSION
Given
the expanse of concerns in managing careers of individual
managers many issues come to our mind, the question I have
often sought to answer is whether an overt means of integrating
the individual and organizational needs is possible in a typical
work environment.
If
I have succeeded even in a small measure I would consider
my effort amply rewarded.
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