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A Rational Organization and It’s Key Elements – I

19 Jul 2011

Remember Dilbert’s Cartoons for the work world that did the rounds and resonated across the US? Their harsh yet true illogicalities had a telling truth about those people who were caught in a workplace that makes little sense! They talked about organizations where the balanced order of things had gone crooked and managers were far away from the real world corporate mantras.

Irrespective of its size, the management of an organization, is ought to function through formalized systems to communicate with their people, about what they are supposed to know and do, officially. Often in the realm of communication, the old axiom holds true: ‘Actions speak louder than words’. Which means, what the management really does, is the message that employees make note of, replicate and respond to (almost immediately).

The actions of the management are what makes for those social conversations in the break rooms and constitute an informal grapevine almost automatically.

Now, an organizational circus begins when, what is said and what is actually done has a huge gap!

The workplace realities are a true reflection of the management thought process.

Coming back to Dilbert and his cartoons! While they may be funny on account of their honesty, they could become really sad for the same reason and moreover, ‘threatening’ if they hold true for your organization!

If people comprehend what they are doing and why they are doing it, it means they have a rationale, unifying their workplace. The moment there are contradictory messages, the work environment becomes a place of negativity where everything is viewed as a threat and employees refrain from compliance and commitment.

Which is why, the management, by its very essence should work their way through formal means and systems to build a rational organization.

This calls for a rationality audit by each manager where he/she takes stock of the workings of their teams

Let’s begin at the beginning!

Optimizing the Assets of the organization

Hiring and possessing resources is not the same as utilizing them optimally. To set stage for further discussion on this point, let’s define what asset optimizing is.

When an organization has skills and knowledge resources and they are employed in the right manner, the right place and right time, optimization has occurred.

Most organizations today go by the rationale, “People are our most important asset” while that may be easier said than done, as much as people being the brightest light at the end of the tunnel, they could be the reason for heartburn as well!

Having said that, getting people to do what the organization needs is the toughest job that manager’s hold.

We hear managers say daily, ‘we want good people’… as if the quest for good people will solve their problem! The answer is rarely found in just hiring good people with outstanding capabilities. In reality, outstanding performance is little to do with the capabilities and more to do with the work environment that fosters superior performance!

Good talent can flourish in one place and die in another.

Outstanding people are hard to come by and an organization’s success or failure lies in the average talent that it retains. Most organizations have the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed, however what works in one situation, may not in another. It is then a manager’s job to find smart ways to utilize what they have and create situations of success.

Now that’s when we can say that optimized utilization of assets has occurred.

Having said that, people are not an organization’s most important asset. It is what they do and how they work together to create value and gain that competitive advantage. Some organizations may have a richer talent pool, however it still boils down to the organization’s ability to optimize its selection, performance management and its rewards mechanism to acquire, utilize and retain their talent.

We will look at the other chips of the block in articles to follow.

Come start a dialog today with a rational organization that thrives to work together to create value and help you gain a competitive advantage. Contact us or Call us on 1-877-RISHABH (1-877-747-4224).