The Optimized People Development System

Tag: workforce development

  • The Most Important Element in the People Development System

    The Most Important Element in the People Development System

    Time has a way of pressing in on our awareness. Although the clock and the calendar can exert multiple influences, this awareness does not always lead to the same level of appreciation for time. I saw this recently on an exploration of the dual vocational training system in Germany. The Germans have developed a practical patience with regard to training their workforce. Their approach is underpinned by a deeper appreciation for the impacts that time can have when it comes to developing workers. At the organizational level, time affects all of the functional areas of the people development system.

    Obviously, time is not the only key element in the PDS. There’s also money, commitment, information, and leadership. Like the element of time, each of these is directly linked to all five functional areas of the PDS and each requires significant investment to optimize the system. What is unique about time is the speed at which impacts can appear. Typically, the consequences caused by the others, whether by absence or by presence, can show up rather quickly. This is not always the case with time.

    For example, an underappreciation of time in the PDS can:

    • Short circuit training efforts.
    • Rush recruiting initiatives.
    • Reduce onboarding to just orientation.
    • Dramatically lower the probability of retention.
    • Reduce the effectiveness of performance management.

    The outcomes of each of these failures, and many others related, may only show up in the future as low morale, weak overall performance, or lack of company growth, just to name a few. Unpacking the impacts of systems thinking in The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge memorably pointed out, “Decisions and actions taken at some point in time have a delayed reaction or impact at a later time.”

    Operation of the PDS is suboptimal when time is undervalued. This is particularly true when it comes to human interactions. The wider role of the PDS is to facilitate;

    • Learning and development
    • Communication
    • Value exchange
    • Relationship building
    • Maintenance of the culture

    If process steps are truncated for the sake of expediency or the tyranny of the urgent, the organization and the individuals slowly suffer.  

    When the time for people to connect is actually invested, there are still the tools of the PDS to consider. Recruiting plans, onboarding plans, development pathways, and the process of performance management all require time to develop, deploy, and deliver results, not to mention the activities involved in training.

    Optimization, the actions of continuous improvement for the PDS, is an ongoing process that requires investment in all the elements listed above. If stakeholders who watch over the PDS are unable or unwilling to be patient; to invest adequate time for the system to operate properly, then the PDS cannot perform at its optimal level.

    Time can be a powerful partner or a formidable foe in our efforts to find, train, and retain talented people. We can’t control time, and it’s not enough to simply acknowledge its pressing influence. A more balanced approach is needed. One that keeps the sense of urgency to make progress and solve problems against the tension of the long-term investments in the system’s strategic success.

    Image by Tumisu from Pixabay 

  • What it Means to Optimize a People Development System

    What it Means to Optimize a People Development System

    In some instances optimization is a moving target. Continually improving a system that is influenced by several stakeholders and operates on many levels is challenging. Add in the fact that many system functions can occur at many different times – some overlapping, some sequentially, some unknown to most stakeholders – and you have an idea of how much the target can move. That is the nature of an organization’s people development system. Interestingly, these dynamics present some unique enhancement opportunities.

    The Obvious

    On one level, optimization of the PDS means striving to continuously improve the system’s functions by identifying efficiencies. For example, how people are logically and effectively moved through the system, how data is captured, how PDS tools are deployed, etc.

    There are also opportunities to engage all stakeholders through stronger communication and more robust connections. This might look like monitoring the types of messages being sent and received across the PDS, fostering relationships through mentoring, and creating strong visual communication pieces such as training matrices.

    This is the practical, operational side of the PDS. Other improvements at this level might involve upgrading tools like individualized onboarding schedules and development pathways.

    The Less Obvious

    Because the system is concerned with people, there is another level that is more intuitive and driven by emotion. On this level, optimization can mean things like strategically aligning the values of all PDS customers.

    The customers of the PDS are 1) the people being trained, 2) the organizational teams that those trained people will join, and 3) the organization itself. Each of these customers bring specific values and expectations, some of which are often unspoken. The PDS is responsible for facilitating the exchange of these ideals. This requires constant attention and constant affirmation that the value brought is appreciated.

    As the PDS continues to improve and become more effective, it allows each customer to consistently contribute value to the other customers and fulfill certain expectations of growth, performance, and of learning.

    Optimization on this level can also include creating and sustaining a very particular awareness. It needs to register with the individual at an emotional level that the organization wants them to grow and thrive. This perception feeds self-efficacy and helps create and strengthen bonds.

    This is more than overt communication. This type of awareness is ultimately fed by the culture, the level of enthusiasm that leaders exhibit about learning, the consistency of the expectations to learn and grow, and even the amount of money invested. These types of signals speak volumes about the organization’s level of commitment to developing people.

    At this level of the PDS, personal commitment and a willingness to engage are nurtured. Optimization requires first that leaders understand the nuances of this level of performance in the PDS and second that they maintain a commitment to constantly monitor it for improvement.

    Appreciating the Levels

    Due to multiple levels of complexity, it takes a very focused effort to see the complete PDS that operates within an organization. Seeing the obvious opportunities as well as those less obvious but still powerful movers requires that all stakeholders have a holistic understanding of the system, including those influential levels where bonds are created and emotions are engaged.

    Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

  • Just how Powerful are Your People?

    Just how Powerful are Your People?

    Everyone has some amount of power – even if it isn’t much. I remember discussing this idea on several occasions in my graduate studies in educational psychology. The learner has power in the system meant to grant them access to knowledge.

    They have the power to choose to participate; they can determine at what level to affect outcomes within the class; and, if given the opportunity, they even have the power to shape the curriculum.

    The point is; they bring something to the table that is important for the system’s success and survival. They also bring this type of power to the workplace. 

    Some may look at an organization’s people development system and think that generally the power flows in one direction. After all, the organization offers training, development, and other growth opportunities. Employees receive these benefits and find security, safety, potential success, etc.

    However, the caretakers of an optimized PDS understand the nature of shared power and seek to use it to continuously improve their system.

    According to the American Psychological Association, reciprocal determinism, “…maintains that the environment influences behavior, behavior influences the environment, and both influence the individual, who also influences them.” A concept largely attributed to Albert Bandera’s work in social learning theory.

    The people served by the PDS are beneficiaries but also benefactors; customers but also value adders; free agents that can either help or harm.

    Respecting and enabling these give-and-take relationships can help ensure that the undeniable power possessed by employees gets invested back into the organization.

    The Power to Choose

    People get to decide whether or not to contribute; they can selectively add value; they can deliberately enhance organizational pride; they can intentionally choose to be a positive force in the culture. They can do all of these and more – or not.

    They can choose to learn, to strengthen communication, or to underperform. They can elect to exercise their power to help attract talent, to help train that new talent, and to help retain it. Even if they are not directly involved as stakeholders of the people development system.

    The best people development systems use tools like development pathways that help clarify available choices and encourage greater engagement. These top-notch systems acknowledge contributions and are careful to recognize the value that each person chooses to bring.

    The Power to Effect

    The collective motivations of individuals drive an organization’s efforts. Inspired people pour extra energy into their work and their teams. That extra energy underpins stronger relationships, fuels creativity, or simply adds to a heightened level of determination to excel. Uninspired people are generally unconcerned about the affect they might have on the team and the organization.

    Leaders of an optimized PDS develop a new appreciation of the idea of engagement. They understand that the power of influence ripples throughout the organization and can enhance the environment even more.

    The Power to Change

    Being adaptable in today’s workplace is a much-desired skill. People who possess the power and willingness to change, continuously upgrade, and repeatedly step out of their comfort zone are highly valued.  

    Yet change requires support from the organization. It requires a culture that celebrates learning and, to a great extent, a culture that embraces failure as a means of moving forward.

    Development processes that not only support these ideas but actively encourage them can attract people who are excited by change and motivate those who might be intimidated by it.

    Recognizing that every individual has some degree of power is a sign of respect. It is an acknowledgment that everyone involved brings something valuable to the table. And that can make a people development system more effective.  

    Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay 

  • Will Last Year’s People Development System do the Job in 2023?

    Will Last Year’s People Development System do the Job in 2023?

    It can mean transformation, modification, or alteration. It can also indicate an exchange, a swap, or an effort to trade out one thing for another. Change is a noun and a verb that usually means we have to do things differently. We most certainly have learned that we must do things differently when it comes to developing people.

    Organizations continue to wrestle with the unyielding changes in workforce development and workforce training, changes that come from so many directions. Whole economies are changing, global trade is changing, and even the idea of work itself is changing.

    Multiple systems, internal and external, are all in flux. And, as always, people are changing. Only now, it seems that these particular, people-related changes have more direct influences on all businesses.

    Improving the organization’s people development system requires that leaders and stakeholders look beyond the typical HR-centric goals set for the new year and look for leverage in other areas of the PDS.

    Some of the usual goals typically championed by or given to the HR team might include things like better recruiting efforts and the expansion of benefits to try and gain a competitive edge. There might also be some ill-defined declarations to increase training and maybe some focus on retention (which often means more team celebrations or events).

    All of these options offer some potential for improvement. However, with some determined curiosity, new and powerful modifications might be identified.   

    Ask: Where are other opportunities for improvement?

    Five functional areas make up the PDS. Can we:

    • Improve efforts to ensure data quality and accuracy?
    • More effectively leverage the connections between the five areas of the system?
    • Upgrade the design and/or delivery of Development Pathways (do we have these for every team member)?

    Think: Continuous Improvement.

    Optimization is an ongoing process.

    • Identify waste in the PDS and set about reducing or eliminating that waste.
    • Help all stakeholders become better at their role in the PDS. Does everyone know and understand the importance of the part they play in finding, training, and retaining people?
    • Improve communication (share goals and successes, celebrate progress)

    Look: Below the Surface

    Sometimes, the most impactful changes happen in the least visible parts of the system.

    • Engaged stakeholders bring energy to the system. Involve everyone.
    • 2023 promises to have a host of challenges. Is the PDS adaptable to shifting market conditions?
    • Ensure that the true purpose of the PDS is defined and communicated.

    The start of a new year embodies the idea of change. To optimize is to change. Intentionality is key to driving continuous improvement in an organization’s workforce development efforts. The challenge is to dig deeper – ask probing questions, think differently, and look more closely – to identify the changes that will empower a more effective people development system in 2023.

    Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay 

  • A System That Never Quits… or, Shouldn’t Anyway  

    A System That Never Quits… or, Shouldn’t Anyway  

    In some systems, processes can be easily followed from a beginning point to completion. For example, production systems tend to have a start-to-finish flow. Raw materials come in, modifications occur, and finished goods exit the process. Service delivery processes can often be easily traced within systems designed for that purpose. In these systems, it is fairly easy to understand what is happening at any given time. It is not so easy with the people development system. If leaders do not understand the dynamic behaviors of the PDS, opportunities could be missed, system performance could be limited, and poor decisions could harm the system’s effectiveness.

    Phases of Activity

    I have made the case that the PDS is difficult to see in operation. This is due to non-linearity and to multiple variables that come into play sight unseen. An important implication of this is the need to recognize what parts of the system are active and when those activities are taking place.

    As an open system, the PDS operates in and is influenced by its environment, taking feedback from other organizational systems and adjusting. The system is always active at some level. When headcount is unstable, recruiting and onboarding efforts are more active. Think of this as phase one system activity.

    When headcount is stable, the emphasis shifts to retention and performance management – phase two. Training processes support both phases of the PDS, with these activities fluctuating based on several system variables.

    Something is Always Happening

    No matter which phase is dominant, activity in the less dominant phase should still be present. Does the act of recruiting ever really come to a complete stop? In an optimized PDS, there is always some effort made to improve and refine sources, improve materials, and identify potential audiences, even if there are no current job openings to fill.

    Is the training program constantly evaluated for efficacy and efficiency? No matter where the greatest workforce development activity is focused, continuously improving training should be of paramount importance. Good training has far-reaching impacts on the organization.   

    Development pathways are a tool that should be used in all phases of the PDS and are especially important in bolstering retention and performance management. Are these pathways being actively managed? It doesn’t matter where the overall system emphasis is; this training map is most effective when used at the opportune time along the individual’s journey.

    Before or After

    Typically, when there is a contraction or spike in some system performance, stakeholders respond after the fact. For example, if attrition numbers change, attendance issues suddenly develop, or some quality issue points to the need to revisit the training processes.

    The optimized PDS proactively monitors data and interacts with stakeholders and the individuals served by the system to get out in front of any potentially harmful issues.

    Why it matters

    At any given time and at various levels, the PDS is active, or should be. These activities might involve both the initial phases of adding people or the secondary phases of training and retaining them. Or, it could include robust efforts in both. An awareness of the fluctuating dynamics of the system is vital to managing it well and improving overall system performance.

    Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay 

  • Identifying Waste in the People Development System

    Identifying Waste in the People Development System

    Some types of waste are easier to spot than others. In many industries, lean concepts aim to identify, from the customer’s point of view, what adds value and what does not. Whether in a product or service, those non-value-adding wastes are to be ruthlessly hunted down and banished. The wastes in an organization’s internal workforce development processes can be tangible and intangible.

    Tangible Losses

    Most organizations invest money, time, and effort in their people development system. Naturally, waste can cause losses to all three resources. The negative costs of a poorly managed PDS can occur at multiple levels over both the short term and the long term.

    Within the PDS examples of tangible wastes can include:

    • Paying people to attend ineffective training; this wastes the wages, time, and effort of participants and trainers. 
    • Wasted personnel hours in unproductive recruiting.
    • Onboarding that does not effectively engage new hires, resulting in their premature departure.  
    • If the new hire leaves before an ROI can be realized, other cost of a hire factors (pre-employment testing, advertising, placement agencies, etc.) are wasted. 
    • Mismatching people and jobs. Instead of optimizing the talent, all the effort to train them, manage their performance, and retain them in jobs that are below their potential results in a lower ROI than might have been realized if they were properly matched and thriving.
    • And, of course, there are the quality issues caused by poor training.

    Some of these costs are often captured in a cost-of-hire calculation. It is surprising though, how many organizations do not fully understand all of the costs that go into developing people.

    To prevent the PDS wasting time, money, and effort requires stakeholders to look more deeply at the system. Is data being collected that can help evaluate the effectiveness of training and recruiting? Are development pathways in place that guide the growth of each team member? Are they actively involved in constructing and managing these development plans?

    Intangible Losses 

    Then there are the wastes that are more difficult to see. These include lost opportunities, lost potential, and missed relationships. These might look like:

    • Missed business opportunities (increased productivity, launching new products, continuous improvement efforts).
    • Opportunity for teams to get a well-trained member when they need them.
    • The potential to put the right person in the right position.  
    • For recruiters to be connecting to better sources.
    • Employees are not allowed to pursue a personalized development pathway.
    • The opportunity to gather more and better data that could help improve the PDS.
    • Not using tools that connect people (development pathways, coaching, etc.)
    • Leaders not fully utilizing coaching and training techniques.

    Understanding the intangible losses that can occur in the PDS requires some reflection by all stakeholders. Does the system reliably identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for each position? Do we really understand the strengths and weaknesses of our team members, and have we properly aligned their development plans for their success? Does the PDS promote and help sustain meaningful relationships for mentoring and coaching? What opportunities are being missed, and what potential is being overlooked?

    Lean thinking, rooted in manufacturing, has enshrined eight types of waste to be eliminated. Some of these traditional wastes, but not all, can be identified in the systems used to develop people. However, recognizing that waste is present in the PDS, though it might be hidden or difficult to quantify, can help leaders to focus continuous improvement efforts on this very important system.

    Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

  • Improve Workforce Training to Fight Inflation

    Improve Workforce Training to Fight Inflation

    A continuous improvement mindset is a critical trait; now more than ever as inflation rages on. In the fight to offset rising prices, there is a need to look at all parts of the organization, and the system we use to find, train and retain people is no exception. This people development system (PDS) and its five elements can be optimized to provide a competitive advantage to the organization. An honest and in-depth examination of the training portion of the PDS can present opportunities to reduce waste, add new capabilities and increase engagement.

    Waste in Training

    Inefficient or poorly designed training efforts can waste time and effort. Change in our work systems is forever impacting the need for training; however, many training processes are slow to adapt. Over time, new processes are introduced, technology is added, raw materials are substituted, or other changes occur. How often are the training programs reassessed to absorb these changes? Using outdated material or training processes wastes the time and efforts of the new team members and the trainers.

    Wasting time can happen in a variety of ways with regard to training. Besides ineffective training, there’s the waste of the trainer’s time to be considered, and even the time needed for remedial training. Also, delivering training in a way that does not promote learning is a type of waste. This could be through a mind-numbing stream of videos that each person is required to endure on day one, or it could be in an ineffective classroom setting.

    Continuous improvement includes continuous learning. How often do long-established team members experience training? Is that training updated? Is it being delivered effectively – utilizing new learning tools and technologies; employing time valuing approaches like micro-learning or short webinars? Training is often out of sight, out of mind. Making the effort to truly see the process is a good start toward identifying waste.

    Expanding Capabilities

    Adding or upgrading capabilities can create new opportunities. This can include enhancing a technical skill or adding new knowledge such as conflict resolution, communication or leadership skills. Keeping staff these days is challenging and losing them is expensive. A culture of learning that invests in their capabilities can be a powerful determining factor when it is time to decide to stay or to go.

    Upgrading the teams’ skills is a part of continuous improvement. Helping each person to advance along their development pathway can help the organization realize untapped potential. For example, training the team to be better problem solvers can uncover hidden savings through the elimination of waste or the implementation of new and better ways of working. Improving the capabilities of those delivering training can also be beneficial. Train the trainers so that they are more effective and then give them the tools they need to do it well. Training is a key capability that can add value across the organization.    

    Deepening Engagement

    Keeping trained, knowledgeable people is good for the bottom line and development is a great way to support retention. Evaluate how well the current training regimen is performing with regard to these efforts and look for improvement options. A personalized development pathway helps to communicate the value that the organization puts on their learning journey. This also helps enhance performance management by establishing goals and highlighting growth. Using training and development to engage people is a tried and true technique. People who feel valued and can see how they are making progress within an organization tend to be more loyal.

    Pursuing perfection in the PDS can help fight high inflation. Last week we looked at optimizing the recruiting and onboarding efforts to lower costs. Continuous improvement in the way we train people requires a determined effort to see how time is spent and effort is expended. It requires that we look at workforce training delivery, at training materials such as job breakdowns, work instructions, and training modules, and at the technology we use. Thinking long-term about improving the people development system will help in this era of high inflation and will continue to pay off when inflation recedes.