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11/12/2007

Human Sigma

This is the third mention in the last week that I’ve seen regarding Human Sigma, a new book that's only been out about two weeks now. Judging from this except in last week’s Gallup Management Journal ( Yup, the folks that do the polls), I think it’s moving to the top of my list.

Culturing culture

Having a high-performing business culture is a competitive advantage today. Most companies expect every employee to be a builder, because every employee, through his or her actions, either makes the culture stronger or weakens it. Employees, in turn, want to be proud of their organizations and local teams. And, in many countries today, the employer needs the employee more than the other way around. As the world shifts from an industrial to a knowledge-based economy -- and as employees are increasingly valued for what they know as much as for what they produce -- the employer’s power has diminished or evaporated.

So how do we manage people for success and high levels of productivity in the new economy? Too many organizations build management models on the assumption that managers and leaders have the power in the company/employee relationship, but that’s no longer always the case. The answer is employee engagement or the ability to capture the heads, hearts, and souls of your employees to instill an intrinsic desire and passion for excellence. Engaged employees want their organization to succeed because they feel connected emotionally, socially, and even spiritually to its mission, vision, and purpose.”

In age where libraries are looking at and experimenting with new management models to help create cultural change in our organizations, this looks like it offers some interesting thoughts and reading.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What is important is not the manager's "ability to instill an intrinsic desire", rather the manager's opportunity to build a culture in which the employee can build her/his own passion, desire, commitment.

As Fleming points out it is the culture that stimulates. And it is the manager who drafts the cultural blueprint by which individuals construct the culture itself. Consequently, a culture of engagement-- architected by managers/leaders with appropriate awareness of and belief in the power of engagement--can reinforce and replenish itself...continuously.

Natalie said...

I agree completely. Many people who work in the library field do so because they believe in the mission of libraries and the tenets of lifelong learning.

Staff members who feel that their work matters and that their input is valued will generate more positive public relations and net 'good' than advertising can buy.