Define Broad and Simple Rules: One Path to Executing the "Workforce of One" Approach to People Management
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- Synopsis
- When it comes to crafting HR practices that are highly relevant and tailored to individuals, organizations can choose one of four different approaches to what talent management experts Susan Cantrell and David Smith call the "workforce of one." But no matter which approach you choose, the goal is the same: work that is sculpted to fit lives instead of lives that are sculpted to fit work. The reward? Lower employee turnover, greater productivity, and improved profit margins. In this chapter, the authors explore defining broad and simple rules to guide employees toward a desired outcome. This approach allows individuals or their managers to customize people practices by giving them structured freedom-essentially "widening the guardrails" along the route to achieving company goals. This is by no means a laissez-faire approach: workers' freedom is constrained by clear, organizationally determined and approved boundaries and limits. These could be based on the organization's mission and strategy, its values, its resources and budgetary restrictions, or its benchmarks for success. Using rich examples from companies like American Airlines, The Container Store, Best Buy, and Google, the authors show how broad and simple rules work in practice. The chapter concludes with recommendations for customizing your people management practices using this approach-which empowers your workforce and allows your organization to nimbly respond to changing customer needs. This chapter was originally published as Chapter 4 of "Workforce of One: Revolutionizing Talent Management Through Customization."
- Copyright:
- 2010
Book Details
- Book Quality:
- Publisher Quality
- Publisher:
- Harvard Business Publishing
- Date of Addition:
- 08/02/16
- Copyrighted By:
- HBS Press
- Adult content:
- No
- Language:
- English
- Has Image Descriptions:
- No
- Categories:
- Nonfiction, Business and Finance
- Submitted By:
- Bookshare Staff
- Usage Restrictions:
- This is a copyrighted book.