Our work is more than just about HR Functions. It’s about bringing processes and people closer together by finding what’s broken and then working with our clients to fix it. Because better feedback leads to better decisions.
THE CONTEXT
Our exit interviews have shown us that a big reason for staff to leave is due to a lack of “meaningful work”. This is sometimes defined as work that’s related to their domain expertise or the ability to work on ‘solving challenging problems that move the organisation forwards’. It is our “solutions mentality” that defines our employability (or lack of it). All employees (we daresay all human beings) crave challenges. Its when these challenges seem solvable and yet far off that frustration and the ‘urge to quit’ seeps in.
The arena where these problems are solved? Team meetings – especially “Cross Functional Team Meetings”.
Team meetings should not be about getting personal but rather about identifying the root cause behind a problem and then working together to fix those problems. Too often, teams fall to rancour over a problem that can be solved by everyone working together not as a silo but as a ‘team’.
There is always a tendency to discount these pieces of information based on the source. Statements like “Why would you say you’re at fault? I know your process is broken” or “Wasn’t this team the one that ran into trouble for……” or even “I don’t care what you say. First fix your process and then we’ll fix ours”, fly thick and fast. These statements, while made in the heat of the moment can unmake the meeting. What results are folded arms, quiet lips and a general clamming up. Not a recipe for solutioning.
Needless to say, this logjam needs to be broken if things are to be fixed.
THE TOOLKIT
Naturally, this means that teams need to look beyond their silo’s metrics and understand what really causes a process breakdown. This activity mandates a sense of objectivity and a need to get everyone on the same team on the basis of a shared agenda of solving a problem and thereby adding value to all the stakeholders – the company, the process, the team and the employee/s involved in the project. Consensus is key.
The best way to build consensus is by working with both quantitative and qualitative information based data, facts, figures, quotes, statements and interview feedback.
AceNgage believes that our work is more than just about HR Functions. It’s about bringing processes and people closer together by finding what’s broken and then working with our clients to fix it. Because better feedback leads to better decisions.
That’s why we’re a firm believer in providing data, facts, figures and charts to our client companies and then working with them to dive deeper and discover insights that help them solve their problems. As an impartial third party that’s contracted by an organisational mandate, we are able to show a mirror to teams on areas we’ve been chosen to consult upon.
We are able to clear these organisational logjams and ensure that problems are solved and work flows smoothly once again.
THE OUTCOME
For Employees:
What’s not so obvious but probably more significant is the turnaround in employee morale.
Employees come to work more engaged and empowered with information to actually solve challenging problems in a collaborative and supportive environment. Solving challenges is a reward in itself – boosting retention of talent by building employee engagement.
For our Client Company:
The company becomes known as a place where employees can actually do real work and solve real problems. Narratives like “If you want to really do work, join these guys”, “I learnt so much at this place because I learnt so much here”, “Oh! She worked here? She must be really smart…let’s hire her!”, “These guys are awesome! Have you seen their processes?!” are attached – boosting brand credibility and building a pipeline of more high performers and problem solvers.