Workforce Innovation for the Modern Times

There seems to be a perception that the reason of our incentive, performance measurement and ownership problems and difficulties lie in what we do to the workforce. Experience tells us that the difficulties and obstacles are not because of what we ‘do’ to the staff, they are simply caused by the mindset which believes that as managers we could manipulate and dictate the staff to ‘do’ what we want. This mindset or kind of thinking is often the basis of failure. If what we are doing now to the workforce is not working well, then we have to change what we ‘do’ to the staff.

The greatest hindrance that blocks the way of the staff’s purpose is the boss telling them what are their targets, telling them what machines and equipment to use to reach those targets and most especially telling them what to do. The largest part of the answer is quite easy and that is Workforce Innovation # 1.) Stop telling people what to do--but then what do bosses and managers have to do? How to inform the group that telling people what to do is wrong? Or do you ever have to do that at all? If we believe in the power and value of the staff and we know that they want a job well done, then the management’s job stops being to get the staff to do what we want by asking them what to do and it starts being to find for the things that are keeping the staff from doing a good job, and removing them.

The initial proposition that we want to work from this workforce innovation is that the staff know well and understand how to do a good job, they want to do a good job that could come up to the standards and they just need to be equipped with what they require in order to comply with the task. Managers and leaders only need to listen to what the staff want and give it to them. Workforce Innovation # 2.) The management needs to speed up in listening to the workforce. If only we are able to modify the manner that the workforce feel about what they do, then the managers will ask, “Well, how did that happen?” It is because when individuals are proud of what they achieved, their performance becomes amazing.

Actually no one has been asked what to do. We simply permitted the workforce themselves to become as competent and capable as they could by getting rid of the barriers that bosses put in the way and the ending performance makes the managers wonder, How did you manage to do that? Because they asked, we can now reveal to them, because they asked. We do not have to let the managers to ‘do’ any differently. When they find out what is happening to their workforce and their end results, they will fully understand it for themselves.

So how to tell people that telling others what to do is wrong? No, you do not--simply make them curious about the possibilities, and then they will get the rest on their own.