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Who Are Your Company’s Superheroes? Your Employees!

human capital

 

Although managers love to live by various adages regarding the importance of their employees and the necessity in investing in their development, sometimes the workload and busy schedules end up taking precedent.  Often, investing in your people can be placed on the back burner.  In your organization, are employees treated like the super heroes they are?  Each individual possesses a natural talent, a honed skill, a superb strength or “super power” that can be used to dramatically impact the bottom line.  When all employees’ super powers are activated, amazing things can happen!  Mountains are moved, miracles are performed, and organizations can be transformed.

 

In today’s workforce, less than 1/3 of global leaders “are confident their organization has the necessary leadership talent and skills to achieve their strategic goals,” and people-related costs (including benefits and compensation) are the largest budget lines for the majority of companies.

 

So, how do we transition from a culture of viewing human capital as a cost to considering human capital a benefit, investment, and – ultimately – a company’s greatest super power?

 

  1. Nurture a Growth Mindset: Particularly at large companies, a constant focus on hiring and onboarding can lead to ignoring the talent they already have. Rather, it is critical to consider that any- and everyone can grow, develop, and nurture their talents to maximize success.  Check out our Top 5 Tips for Developing a Growth Mindset.
  2. Obtain, Listen to, and Use Employee Feedback: What better way to make the most of employee efficiency – and, as a positive byproduct, boost employee engagement – than by finding out what they think, what they like, and what they would like improved? After obtaining feedback, the only way to ensure employee voices are being heard is by taking action, setting obtainable goals, and keeping communication lines transparent and open.
  3. Get to Know Your Employees: We’re not simply talking about what they provide on their assessments, but about getting to know who they are personally. According to a recent Deloitte study, only 13% of people are passionate about their jobs – so, find out what they are passionate about!  Taking a personalized approach to human capital management is necessary to get the most out of each and every person.  For example, a strong “EF” on the Myer’s Briggs Type Indicator might require a more personal relationship with more frequent dialogue, as opposed to a strong “IT.”
  4. Leverage Their Strengths: It was one of the greatest minds of our world (Albert Einstein) who said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” If you can encourage employees to utilize their skillsets – their super powers – and maximize their talents every day, incredible levels of engagement and improvement can take place.

 

Since the individual personalities of your employees can’t be pigeon-holed, human capital management is never a one-size-fits-all approach.  However, with the right focus, effort, and resource dedication, companies can learn to activate their greatest super power – their people!

 

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