| |
| |
|
Management Information |
|
|
|
Human Resources: The Misidentified Subject
Interest in the field of human resources has exploded in recent years due to the promises it offers for a better understanding of human beings at work. The term is now as ubiquitous as it has once been obscure. It is taught in schools and universities; it has turned into one of the main functions of a corporation in addition to marketing, finance, and accounting. Yet despite this trend, there are still many challenges facing the field. It seems like the subject of HR is talking the talk but not walking the walk. It is true that it is easy to talk about how we should treat employees and how to reward them in order to create an incentive for greater performance, but how do we tackle the most common problem of job dissatisfaction? I believe that the root of all problems in the human resources field has to do with the fact that it has not been accurately defined. The way you define something determines how you will use it. For example, imagine a waiter at an Indian restaurant bringing you a bowl of warm water with a slice or a couple of slices of lemon in it at the end of your meal. If you define the contents of the bowl as "soup", you will begin to drink it (until someone stops you!). However, if you define it as a bowl to wash your hands, you will put your hands in the bowl and begin to wash your hands. In the very same way, the emphasis on the subject "human resources" has been misplaced. We put too much emphasis on the word "resource" rather than on the word "human". "Now what's wrong with that?" you may ask. To answer this question, we will begin with defining the words. A resource, as defined by www.dictionary.com is "an available supply that can be drawn on when needed." Now if you take this definition you can clearly see that a resource is something you rely on for a pre-determined need. You already have a need and you need to fill it. Realize that in the job market today, people are ready to do anything to get that illusive dream they call "job security". They say, "I will do anything if you give me a job." The job that they are required to do is pre-determined. The outcome of this is have to change themselves to fit the job if they are not passionate about it (this is the equivalent of trying to push a square peg in the round hole and we learned when we were younger that it just doesn't work!). If they love to do it, then job dissatisfaction is out of the question. However, if they do not love what they are doing you will have a person who is on the payroll just doing the bare minimum which creates no value to pass on to your customers. There is a high probability that the person will eventually quit because they don't feel that they are contributing to the level that they can at this job because they aren't passionate about it. They feel stifled. When you treat someone like a resource they will feel like a resource; another cog in the big wheel. If you shift the emphasis to "human" side of the definition, you are defining a being of potential. A being of potential cannot be squeezed into a pre-determined need. You will have to find out the strengths of that person and about what they are interested in; what they are passionate about! This information will then allow you to determine exactly what they can do in your company to provide value by using their strengths and working in what they love to do. Everyone can provide value when they do what they love. Job dissatisfaction is out of the question when you love what you do. When you love something you will work late for it; wake up early for it; do anything just to do it! With that as the leading attitude, all acts of creation and work spontaneously creates value for the company and the customers. Value comes from passion! A passion for something creates the venue for excellence in that very thing. All of that happens when the emphasis is on the word "human" rather than on "resource". We should change the name of the field to "human resourcefulness" rather than "human resources" to tap into the limitless potential within the human being rather than reducing them to a mere resource. The answer to any problem lies in the way you define the problem. Change your definition and you change your possibilities. This is true for whatever field you are looking at. So today, take a look at an area in your life, redefine it, and then see if that new meaning opens up a new way to live it. If redefining it creates more potential you must start using it, and if it limits you, you must drop it. Where else can you use this? What else in your life has been misidentified? When you answer these questions to the best of your ability, the myriad possibilities of life will open up for you. Sukhbir Singh is the founder and leading trainer of LifeApps! Personal Development International based in Bangkok, Thailand. The current workshop being offered by us is the Create Your Purpose Weekend which was created for people who felt that they were living the same monotonous life with no clear purpose. "By the time you leave this workshop, you will have a purpose and something to live for! You will wake up everyday from now on knowing what you were meant to do and will go out and do it!" is the resounding promise that Sukhbir Singh always states at the preview and at the beginning of the workshop itself. All of the seminars and workshops have an unconditional full refund guarantee if the participants do not sense a change or see new possibilities created by the event. We can assert this claim because of the confidence we have in the value of our programs to help people reevaluate the way they live their lives. For more information on LifeApps! or on booking Sukhbir Singh for an event, please send an email to info@lifeapps.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How Your Business Can Pick A Software Developer Eventually, your business is going to need to have some software development. Your business is unique - you can't rely on a huge, faceless corporation to handle your unique needs with a shrinkwrapped, mass produced, production-line solution. The "Better People" Fallacy It's easy enough to convince your own staff that better people will prevail, even against the odds. It's what they want to hear. Smart Hiring: What Makes the Right Employee? Good hires do not happen by accident or luck. In this economy, employers are finding a large pool of available workers. Riding the Waves to Success Last week I was confused and frustrated about a few things related to one of my businesses, and a bit upset with myself and "The Universe." As a result, I went into a deep meditation to get some clarity and help. Key Control - Who Has the Keys to Your Kingdom? Key control, or more accurately the lack of key control is one of the biggest risks that businesses face.What is the risk?Imagine, you have fired a trusted employee, unknown to you that person had a spare key to your business, they come back after hours and steal business secrets, account lists, equipment or anything else of value. Best Practices Plan: Dissemination of a Great Idea Good news spreads quickly News of the invention of the wheel must have traveled in every direction as quickly as horse or camel could run. Those who learned of its advantages over the litter and the sledge adopted it right away. Recognition: A Quick, Low-cost Way to Motivate Employees Recognizing good performance through praise or other positive action is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to motivate people. It provides three major benefits: It lets people know that their performance was valued, and increases the likelihood that they will continue to perform well. Building A Stellar Business One Employee At A Time Top businesses that continually lead their industry clearly understand a simple fact:People are their most vital assets.Every employee plays a key role in the company. Creativity and Innovation Management: Specialisation or Generalisation? Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas. Using an Appraisal to Benefit Your Organization PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS BENEFIT THE ORGANIZATION:Appraisals help spot employees with potential for advancement. Appraisals bring attention to the so-called high-potentials - people who have both the will and the ability to excel in the organization. Align The Enterprise & Make Beautiful Music Together Q: Why is a great business like a great marching band?A: The players in both organizations are in alignment.Alignment? Yes, Alignment. Focus on Outcomes to Keep Your Business On-Course Did you know that an airplane in flight is off course nearly 98% of the time? No flight is completed in a straight line from Point A to Point B. Gravity, side winds, updrafts, and downdrafts are continually moving the plane off course. Radical Creativity from Incremental Creativity - large movements from small changes Positive radical movement is the holy grail of nearly every decision maker. Every CEO wants to radically shift his profit and loss statement into the black, every inventor yearns to find the next killer gadget and every screenwriter wants to make the next significant leap in film. The Key to Successful Performance Objectives Have you ever tried to drive somewhere without proper directions? This almost always turns out to be a frustrating experience. Sure, if you stop and ask enough people you may eventually reach your target destination, but think of all the wasted energy, time, and resources needed to accomplish your goal. Innovation Management - changing the world! Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly, distinct processes that enhance idea selection, development and commercialisation. Where Businesses Fall Short 1. No vision. Working with Hearing Impaired Employees - Giving Them a Fair Go Hearing impaired people often encounter difficulty at work because their disability isn't visible. I'd like to relate to you, briefly, the sorry saga of a young man who has recently been dragged through a performance management process, essentially brought about by misunderstanding, frustration on his behalf, and failure by an employer to make a 'reasonable adjustment' [Australian law includes the concept of reasonable adjustment which in effect means that employers are required to make reasonable adjustments necessary to enable employment opportunities for disabled people]in relation to this person's employment. Bullying and the Not for Profit Organisation Where there is people there is politics! Bullying is now a major workplace issue that has invaded our not for profit organisations. Take the following example. The Crisis of Modernity Since the beginning of the industrial era our world has been facing what some historians call an ongoing "crisis of modernity". As fast as we adjust to new circumstances, the circumstances change again, and, the rate of change seems to be multiplying exponentially. A Management Strategy I witnessed some interesting behaviour from one of our premier management schools this summer. A behaviour that I have since discovered is not uncommon.
|
| Article List | Index | Site Map |
|
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved. |
