My 2012 Business Christmas Wishlist

7 Dec 2012    6 comments
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The arrival of the month of December, and the inescapable advertising of Christmas sales wherever I look are clear reminders that another year is drawing toCalvin & Hobbes Resolution a close. Something I really enjoy about this time of the year is the conversations that invariably seem to spring up, themed around reflection on the past 12 months; "Bill, how did the year treat you at Amazing Stuff Ltd?", or "Angela and my personal highlight's of this year were..." or "Sportsman/Sportswoman Of The Year Awards".

Recently I came across an article written by the Corporate Executive Board (CEB), that is also reflective, looking back at the global financial situation and then offering innovative suggestions for improving workplace performance and employee productivity. It could almost be a 'Christmas wish list' for ramping up performance in 2013.

 

Debt Passover

The CEB surveyed 1500 senior executives globally and found that on average, those surveyed believe they will need a 20% improvement in performance over and above current levels in order to meet their 2013 business objectives. Despite the fact that the global economy is in a 'low-growth environment', 59% of executives surveyed believe their revenues will increase in the coming year but 67% also say they will face continued pressure to lower costs. And the real speed bump; only 32% of executives plan to increase staffing numbers despite optimism around revenue growth! So how do executives expect to be able to gain the 20% improvement in business performance necessary in 2013 to meet objectives?

And what of the environment we have been operating in recently? The CEB, identified ten key trends in the current global workplace, and characterised them into three distinct categories;

  • Frequent organizational change
  • More interdependent work
  • An increase in knowledge work

 

The CEB recommends three areas of focus for executives in 2013 to attain high performance:

  • help employees better anticipate, contextualize, prioritize, and respond to frequent change at all levels - ultimately making them more agile and accepting of change.
  • encourage broader employee networks and increased collaboration - connecting employees as needed and providing clear direction, aligned incentives, integrated workflow, and better technology.
  • ensure that employees have the right skills and abilities to use advanced information technology effectively in their jobs.

What the CEB is saying is that new challenges cannot be met with old solutions. Work has by nature become much more collaborative and knowledge based. To take steps forward (or indeed even to stay standing still) our approaches to dealing with change must also adapt.

 

In next week's blog I will delve a little deeper into the "how" we can make these adaptations. In it I will suggest some thoughts about how "soft skills" are quickly becoming the deciding factors in improving business performance. Relationships, integrity, reputation, leadership and collaboration are all at the heart of these 'soft skills'.

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In the meantime, for those of you like myself, who are also in a reflective mood and would like to read the full CEB report, it can be found here (follow the link and click on "download the PDF").

Inca Calendar

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© 2013 Team Alchemy. Click here to read about the Team Alchemy writers.

Dec 07 2012
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6 Comments · Make a comment

  • Fin Fin
    New Solutions

    "What the CEB is saying is that new challenges cannot be met with old solutions" - Will you expand on these next week Trevor? I don't think there's any doubt that we all face change at a rapid rate these days, but is this something new? I feel like this has been the case for a long time now?

    - Fin

  • Leanne Williams
    The "soft skills"

    It would take most companies some serious corporate b*lls to shift the emphasis to the soft skills... even though the evidence proves that profits will follow. Power naps are proven to aid productivity in the workplace but how many companies can we think of that endorse it?! In your mind, Trevor, how does one convince the senior executives of a business to adopt and lead out on using "the how" as a differentiator? Are there any good case studies or a poster-child company whose story you can share?

    - Leanne

  • Nic Thielsen - Aravis Academy
    Loneliness

    One of the emotional aspects and opportunities of collaboration is, that it can address the loneliness-megatrend. This is a recognized megatrend, which touches upon each of us. Working in a team is no guarantee that you will experience emotionally rewarding and warm relationships. One has to add the interest and involvement with teammates on a personal level - which I believe is a basic foundation for collaboration and interdependency.

    - Nic

  • Trevor Laurence - ETC
    @ "New Solutions"

    There is no doubt that "change at a rapid rate" has been here for quite a while. Work is continually getting more complex and most organisations across the globe have fewer resources to achieve the required productivity gains. CEB have found that leaders span of control has risen on average from 6 to 12 direct reports. This means that both leaders and employees need to change not just 'what' they do but 'how' they do it. So it's 'how' we handle change, collaborate to add value and meaning to the work we do, and how we build the competencies that enable knowledge workers to prosper in 2013 and beyond is what I will cover in the next two blogs.

    - Trevor

  • Trevor Laurence
    @ "Loneliness"

    Nic I totally agree. Personal connection with workmates and leaders is a vital element in finding rewarding work and positive engagement in our workplaces. Interestingly, depending on our personal make-up and preferred workstyles, some of us prefer connecting within a team, others networking and collaborating across organisations and with external stakeholders. Choosing jobs and allocating work that connects people in a way that allows us to utilise our natural relationship style strengths can not only to be a counter to loneliness but also help lift productivity.

    - Trevor

  • Trevor Laurence
    @ The "Soft Skills"

    My view is that there is very clear evidence from numerous studies of how improvement in “soft skills” can lift business performance. The schools of practice and research around frameworks such as positive organisational psychology(POS), emotional and social intelligence (EI & SI), high performance organisations (HPO), and employee engagement are four examples of where any individual can easily find evidence demonstrating these soft skill links. At ETC we haveour own case study conducted in partnership with a large Australasian corporate organisation that links the “soft skills” of (virtual) team performance and external stakeholder collaboration with two key measures of business performance– customer satisfaction and profitability.

    However I also believe it’s hard to convince senior executivesof these links beyond presenting the best practice case studies and running pilot initiatives in their own companies. In my experience leaders tend to “see it when they believe it” rather than the more often quoted “believe it when they see it”. Witness any intelligent person’s position on climate change as another belief that is similar to believing in ‘soft skills’. My experience is that leaders will find the evidence (either way) to support their personal beliefs including the value of “how”we behave and work. So my personal approach as a prospective employee, customer, client, supplier, or business partner is where-ever possible to seek out leaders and organisations who believe and sign up with them! That’s one way we can personally influence those at the top and convince them that the “how” matters. 

    - Trevor

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