For many managers, end-of-the-year activities include completing employee reviews as part of a performance management system. Giving year-end feedback is something that some managers view as “checking one more thing off the list.” Some employees view the activity as a “necessary evil.” Often, this is a missed opportunity to start the new year with a bang—especially with high performers. In 2011, the high performers did most things very well; yet, managers often feel compelled to give “developmental” feedback. Managers feel they aren’t doing their job if they can’t find something that is less than awesome. As a result, high performers leave the review slightly miffed that the manager documented an obscure area of improvement just to ensure the review wasn’t too glowing.

I am going to suggest a very radical approach to performance reviews for high performers. Focus on all they did well and … end the review. Resist adding the developmental feedback—unless it is actually a critical success factor.

High performers are high performers because they self-analyze and independently seek to improve. Ask them what they would like to improve in 2012, identify how you can help them, and conclude the review without saying anything negative. Discuss personal growth and development in 2012, but frame it from a perspective of what they want to accomplish and not from the often misused perspective of “no one is perfect,” “we don’t want them too big for their britches,” “everyone has the ability to improve,” etc.

While some of those axioms are true for some people, I believe that high performers will appreciate managers identifying how they can help them move in the direction they want to go. Try ending the review with a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and keep up the great work in 2012.

Jennifer Rufatto is a consultant at FlashPoint. She focuses her consulting in the areas of workplace learning and leadership development.

Image: Keattikorn

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I recently came across a couple of articles published by the Society for Human Resource Management, both with the same theme—how performance reviews are ineffective and put organizations at risk (rather than offering legal protection, as most people think). The articles, both written by employment attorneys, highlight the following flaws: 

• Supervisors are not prepared to conduct the reviews
• Supervisors are not honest in their feedback
• The feedback isn’t objective or timely

The authors point out that in their long legal careers, they’ve found that performance reviews most often work against employers and often serve as the plaintiff’s key piece of evidence. One author was forthright—throw the review form in the recycle bin!

Advice such as this seems counterintuitive to most HR professionals and refutes what most of us have learned and advocate. When I read the articles, I had to pause and consider how to reconcile the two positions.

The key reasons the authors list for why performance reviews fail boil down to a common element—supervisors don’t have the skills they need to conduct them. I’m still convinced that a well-developed and well-executed performance review serves a useful role if the organization invests in the process and in preparing supervisors to carry it out. Some areas to focus on include: 

• Creating a well-thought-out form that not only promotes open and meaningful dialogue around the employee’s performance but also provides sections to spell out yearly goals and development plans.
• Outlining a process that includes quarterly update meetings, encourages regular feedback, and involves both employees and supervisors.
• Training supervisors so they understand the review process and tools and how to use them effectively.
• Regularly evaluating completed forms, asking questions, and coaching supervisors on how they can better carry out their reviews.

Sources:
Janove, Jathan. “Reviews—Good for Anything?” HR Magazine, June 2011.
Keyes, Judith Droz. “The Legal Case for Eliminating Performance Reviews.” SHRM Legal Report, April 2011.

George Hanlin is a consultant at FlashPoint.

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In part 1 of, The Secret to Gaining Competitive Advantage, we discussed ways organizations seek to create competitive advantage by optimizing employee performance and engagement. We determined that a fundamental contributor to employee performance/engagement is the work environment¹. I introduced a tool to help us identify the variables that influence the behavior of an employee and to help us diagnose any performance problem—The Human Performance System (HPS)². The HPS is comprised of the five components illustrated below.

In part 1 we examined potential input factors that can impact optimal performance and engagement. In this post I will share potential performer, output, consequences, and feedback factors.

To apply this to your organization, think about an employee who is underperforming. Ask yourself the questions below. Any “no” response indicates a potential problem that bears investigation.  

Performer Factors

• Has the required level of knowledge and skill for each position been identified?
• Is a systematic training program in place?
• Do employees have the willingness to perform (given the incentives available)?

 Consequence Components

• Are there sufficient positive consequences to perform (financial and non-financial)?
• Are incentives meaningful, administered fairly, and in proper relationship to the level of accomplishment?
• Are there any disincentives to perform (the employee is asked to complete the work of co-workers because he/she is more efficient)?

Feedback Components³

• Do managers provide feedback on a consistent, regular basis?
• Is manager feedback specific and performance-based?
• Do managers immediately praise employees for progress against goals?
• Do managers immediately re-direct employees when performance gaps are caused by a lack of competence?
• Do managers immediately reprimand employees when performance gaps are caused by a lack of personal commitment?

References 

1. Thomas F. Gilbert, Human Competence: Engineering Worthy Performance (San Francisco: Pfeiffer, 2007). View this book on Amazon.com
2. Geary A. Rummler, Serious Performance Consulting According to Rummler (San Francisco: Pfeiffer, 2007). View this book on Amazon.com
3. Ken Blanchard, Leading at a Higher Level: Blanchard on Leadership and Creating High Performing Organizations, rev. ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: FT Press, 2010). View this book on Amazon.com

Bill Mugavin is a consultant at FlashPoint. He focuses his consulting in the areas of organizational development, and leadership and management development.

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Many of the books I am reading emphasize optimizing employee performance and engagement in order to create a competitive advantage. Ideas presented include providing employees with career development plans, designing engagement programs, offering flexible scheduling, etc. All of these play a role in optimizing performance/engagement. Based on my consulting and operations management experience, I recommend managers and human resource professionals also examine a fundamental contributor to employee performance/engagement—the work environment. 

The work environment has a significant influence on employee productivity and goal achievement¹. Goal achievement impacts an employee’s sense of accomplishment; a positive sense of accomplishment increases job satisfaction and engagement².  

Therefore, it is important to identify aspects of the work environment that can impact an employee’s ability to perform and engage. I recommend an excellent tool—the Human Performance System (HPS)³. The HPS describes the variables that influence the behavior of an employee and can be used to diagnose any performance problem. The HPS is comprised of the five components illustrated below.

In this post I will share potential input factors that can impact optimal performance and engagement. In part 2, I will share potential performer, output, consequence, and feedback factors.  

To apply this information to your organization, think about an employee who is underperforming. Ask yourself the questions below. Any “no” response indicates a potential problem that may need investigation.   

Input Factors

• Are competency models and job descriptions available?
• Does the job allow for the use of a variety of skills and abilities, for the freedom to make decisions, and is it considered important inside the organization?
• Are job outputs and standards linked to process requirements?
• Are job steps/tasks in a logical sequence?
• Have clear performance expectations been communicated (SMART Goals)?
• Are the necessary resources available?
• Have the right people been recruited, selected, and placed?

References

1. Thomas F. Gilbert, Human Competence: Engineering Worthy Performance (San Francisco: Pfeiffer, 2007). View this book on Amazon.com
2. Ken Blanchard, Leading at a Higher Level: Blanchard on Leadership and Creating High Performing Organizations, rev. ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: FT Press, 2010). View this book on Amazon.com
3. Geary A. Rummler, Serious Performance Consulting According to Rummler (San Francisco: Pfeiffer, 2007). View this book on Amazon.com

Bill Mugavin is a consultant at FlashPoint. He focuses his consulting in the areas of organizational development, and leadership and management development.

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So far in our discussion of the ten fundamental principles for business success (see the February 14, 2011 post to review the ten principles), we have delved into the environment in which our businesses operate and the fundamental components of our business’ management systems.  Today we will discuss our organizations’ process systems. 

First, let’s define what we mean by process. A process has three components:

• A desired output
• An input that will be transformed into the desired output
• A system of work that accomplishes the transformation from input to output

Second, a good process will achieve a business result in a way that meets the following three criteria:

• Effective and efficient- A process is a way of organizing work so that the work can be effectively and efficiently performed.

• Effective management- A process is a way of organizing work so that it can be effectively managed. In other words, the work is organized so that management has the ability to plan and track performance and fix problems. The work must be organized so that managers have visibility into the process and some control over its performance.

• Competitive advantage- Processes should provide a competitive advantage. Ultimately, the difference between companies is in the hundreds of activities required to create, produce, sell, and deliver products and services. What separates one company from another is how each chooses to perform these activities (via processes). A company can perform these activities differently, perform them better, or perform them faster than competitors.

This should give us a good idea of the critical importance of strong process design and management in our organizations!   It tells us that:

• Organizations are only as good at delivering goods and services as their processes are
• Individuals ability to work, or improve work, is limited by the processes they work within
• A good performer cannot overcome poor, weak, or confused processes
• Automating processes (including information technology) is a waste of money if it is used to facilitate a poor process²

 Third, every organization is a giant processing system made up of many, many different processes.  Examples of processes include operations management processes, customer management processes, innovation processes, regulatory and social processes, support processes, and hundreds of sub-processes³.

And here is our big challenge- all of these processes must work together in order to ensure optimal performance (and competitiveness). Therefore, it is vital that we understand how each process in our organization operates. AND… we must understand how each process affects every other process in our business.  This means we must look at the performance of our processes as a whole; we must take a systems view of the giant processing system that makes up our business. ¹

Unfortunately, many managers and performance improvement practitioners do not have a detailed knowledge of their companies’ processes. This makes it very difficult to manage or improve performance or to meaningfully impact organizational results^1. When we do not take a holistic view and develop a deep understanding of our processes, our performance improvement efforts can actually cause more harm than good. Pulling any lever in the process system will have an effect on other parts of the organization. It is not uncommon to see a process fix in one area cause a problem in another because we failed to look at the whole system!

Successful performance of the organization requires us to constantly balance, adjust, and work to integrate all aspects of the organizations processes ⁴. Answering, without hesitation and in great detail, the questions below will help get us started on the path to effective process management and improvement.  Next time we will discuss how to gain a strong understanding of our organization’s technology systems.  

Bill Mugavin is a consultant at FlashPoint. Bill focuses his consulting in the areas of strategic planning, organizational development, and leadership and management development.  

Process Questions¹²³⁴⁵

1. What are the key processes in your organization?
2. How does each key process support the organization’s structure?
3. How does each key process support the organization’s strategy?
4. How are key processes interrelated and aligned with each other to ensure optimal performance (efficient and effective)?
5. How do  key processes provide the organization with a competitive advantage?
6. What triggering events initiate each process (what causes the process to kick in)?
7. What are the results expected by the customer and other stakeholders for your key processes?
8. What are the main sub-processes (usually 5 +/-2) for each of the key processes?
9. What major variations or factors could cause a change to occur in the process (desired or undesired)?
10. What major internal and external departments or functions participate in the process (in other words, how must people work across functions to ensure the desired output is achieved?)
11. Who are the individual performers responsible for working each process and what are the main steps they carry out in each process?
12. How is each process supported by technology, equipment, forms, documents, or any other means?
13. How do you measure process performance and what are the key performance indicators for each process?
14. What quality management practices and measures are in place?
15. How are the processes currently performing?
16. How effectively are  key processes managed and who is responsible for managing each process?
17. What tools are used to measure process performance (Gantt charts, spreadsheets, reporting systems, Six Sigma tools, etc.)?
18. What process improvement methods and models are in place?

References

1. White Space Revisited (Rummler, Ramais, and Rummler, 2010, p.10)
2. Organizational Intelligence (Silber and Kearny, 2010, p.192)
3. Strategy Maps (Kaplan and Norton, 2004, pp.65-163)
4. Management- Revised Edition(Drucker, 2008, p. xviii)
5. Workflow Modeling(Sharp and McDermott, 2009, pp.137-138)

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I recently read an article in a mainstream magazine that took me on quite an emotional adventure. The piece offered tips to job seekers from a human resource professional’s perspective. I laughed (mostly at the Dilbert cartoons), I agreed, but mostly I got mad. The last thing we need in the HR profession, which is already sometimes misunderstood, is a popular publication creating content that reinforces negative HR stereotypes and, in some cases, gives wrong information. Here’s a synopsis of my journey through the article.

I laughed. . . .

A cartoon depicts a horn-haired boss asking his secretary to interview a job candidate. The secretary asks the candidate why he left his last job. After replying that he left because he punched his boss, the secretary promptly recommends the candidate for the job.

I agreed. . . .

The article provides good pointers for job seekers. For example, it advises them to research the organization before they go to interview. It’s frustrating when candidates ask me to tell them about our business. I’ve been tempted to give them 10 minutes alone with our website and then resume the interview. I also agree with the author that having your mother call to renegotiate your job offer is a bad idea.

I got mad. . . .

There is so much wrong with this quote from the article that I don’t know where to begin: “If you’re put on a performance improvement plan, you’re cooked. I might look you in the eye and say we’re going to do everything possible to make this work, but that’s just total BS.” As an organizational development (OD) consultant, this counters what I witness from HR professionals every day. Another quote nearly broke my OD heart: “All those boring training things? We think they’re boring too.” Really? Perhaps there’s something lacking with the trainer or the training content.

Information such as this is unhelpful and perpetuates negative images of the “HR person upstairs.” It reminds me that we have a long way to go as HR professionals in establishing our role as valued members of the leadership team. We know that we can provide great value to employees and can impact our company’s bottom line. We need to get that message across. I can’t wait to see an article published in a mainstream magazine that portrays us as progressive thought leaders. It’s time to get some good PR for HR!

I’m eager to hear what you think. Do you agree with my frustration and/or do you have ideas for changing the negative perception of HR professionals?

Jennifer Rufatto is a consultant at FlashPoint. She focuses her consulting in the areas of workplace learning, leadership development, and strategic planning.

Image: Derek Kimball

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 We are discussing ten fundamental principles for business success (see February 14, 2011 post to review the ten principles). If we put these principles into practice in a consistent, disciplined manner, we will realize steady and significant progress toward our business goals. Principle number one is to understand your business. In the March 2^nd post we discussed the importance of understanding the environment in which our business operates. Today we will focus on understanding the fundamental components of our business’ management system.

Let’s start out with three simple concepts about management to ensure we are on the same page:

Management is:

• The process of working with and through individuals and groups and other resources (such as equipment, capital, and technology) to accomplish organizational goals¹.

The fundamental insight underlying all management science is:

• That a business enterprise is a system of the highest order…and one thing characterizes all genuine systems: all the parts are interdependent.
• What matters in any system is the performance of the whole.
• Successful performance of the whole system requires managers to constantly balance, adjust, and work to integrate all aspects of the organization².

 The critical actions of management are:

• Alignment of the organization’s goals, strategies, and priorities with the reality of the external environment (see March 2^nd post).
• Setting expectations for all aspects of the business.
• Ensuring effective and efficient operation of internal processes and systems.
• Closing any gaps between performance expectations and actual performance.
• Supporting performers as they execute the assigned work³.

 Therefore, if we are to:

• Align our organization’s goals, strategies, and priorities.
• Balance, adjust, and integrate our business systems.
• Ensure the effective and efficient operation of our internal processes.
• Accomplish organizational goals…

We need to be able to answer, without hesitation and in great detail, the 16 questions below.  Remember, a very important concept that will guide our exploration of all ten principles is “questions are the answer”.  Answering these 16 questions will help deepen our knowledge and understanding of our organization’s management system.  

 After you read through the questions below, use a 5 point scale to rate your understanding of your business environment (1 signifies no knowledge, 5 signifies very knowledgeable). Then, start working on finding the answers you need! Next time we will discuss how to gain a strong understanding of our organization’s process systems.  

Bill Mugavin is a consultant at FlashPoint. Bill focuses his consulting in the areas of strategic planning, organizational development, and leadership and management development.  

Flashpoint is committed to helping building strong organizations and helping client’s connect their business strategies to their people strategies. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Bill (317 735—3875) or Jeremy King (317-221-2617). We would love to learn more about you and your business.

References

1. Blanchard and Hersey, 2001, p.9, Management of Organizational Behavior- 8^th edition.
2. Drucker, 2008, p. xviii, Management- Revised Edition.
3. Rummler, Ramais, Wilkins, 2011, p.54, Rediscovering Value.

Questions to help you understand your business’ management system

1. What is your organization’s mission?
2. What is your organization’s vision?
3. What are your organization’s values?
4. What is your organization’s strategy and value proposition (low cost leader, product leader, complete customer solutions, etc.)?
5. What are your organizations strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT)?
6. What is your organization’s customer value proposition?
7. What is the profile(s) of your customer(s)?
8. What are the attributes of your products and services?
9. What is your corporate brand image?
10. What is your organization’s culture?
11. What is the availability of qualified leaders at all levels to mobilize your organization toward its strategy?
12. Are individual, team and departmental goals and incentives linked to attainment of strategic objectives?
13. Is knowledge with strategic potential shared throughout your organization?
14.  What are your organization’s performance goals (strategic objectives, measures, and targets)?
15. What initiatives and operating plans are in place for achieving your organization’s key performance goals?
16. What is your organization’s structure?

• Do people who do similar or closely related work typically report to the same manager or management group? 
• Do managers have a reasonable span of control?
• Is decision making authority placed at the lowest possible level?
• What are the locations and regions your organization operates in?
• What are the hours of operation for each location?
• What cross functional relationships and interdependencies exist across departments or business units?
• Are business and support unit goals and operations are aligned with your corporate vision/strategy?

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This is post number two in the series, For Success, Focus on the Fundamentals. Over the coming months, we will discuss ten fundamental principles for business success (see February 14^, 2011 post to review the ten principles). If we put these principles into practice in a consistent, disciplined manner, we will realize steady and significant progress toward our business goals. Principle number one understand our business. Today we will focus specifically on understanding the environment in which our business operates.

Before we dive into understanding our business environment, we need to cover a very important concept that will guide our exploration of all ten principles- “questions are the answer”. In every post, I will provide you with a list of questions to help you deepen your knowledge in the area we are discussing. It will be your job to find the answers. Finding the answers will take time, effort, and will-power. But remember, business leaders who search out the answers will generally be very successful. Those who do not will be marginally successful or fail.

Silber and Kearny write in their book, Organizational Intelligence (2010, p.44), “History is full of organizations that failed to understand their operating environment or simply failed to adapt to change in their environment. On the other hand, there have been many spectacular successes where organizations have spotted trends in their operating environment and capitalized on these.”

In today’s business world, the operating environment is global! Consider how to answer the questions below for each of the geographic regions your organization operates within. For example, question 1a asks how the threat of military invasion may impact your business operation. Certainly this is not a problem for your Chicago office; it is a very real consideration if you also have an office in Libya.  Question 3h asks about the core values of the predominant culture of a country. This question also applies to different regions within the United States. For instance, how employees are recruited, trained, and motivated may be different in India versus the United Kingdom, or in Manhattan, New York versus Port Saint Joe, Florida.

Remember- you must answer the questions in terms of how they impact your business!! This is not a current events quiz. While it is good to have a general knowledge of business and world affairs, you only get a bang for the buck when you apply your knowledge to helping your organization thrive within the environment(s) it operates within.

After you read through the questions below, use a 5 point scale to rate your understanding of your business environment (1 signifies no knowledge, 5 signifies very knowledgeable). Then, start working on finding the answers you need! Next time we will discuss how to gain a strong understanding of our organization’s management practices.

Bill Mugavin is a consultant at FlashPoint. Bill focuses his consulting in the areas of strategic planning, organizational development, and leadership and management development.  

Flashpoint is committed to helping building strong organizations and helping client’s connect their business strategies to their people strategies. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Bill (317 735—3875) or Jeremy King (317-221-2617). We would love to learn more about you and your business.

Questions to help you understand the environment in which our business operates

1      What political conditions are affecting your organization?

• Risk of military invasion
• Government policies in the home country
• Intergovernmental relations and alliances
• Intra-country relations among different ethnic and religious and tribal groups
• Stability of governments and geographic regions
• Legislation that governs business and trade (GATT, WTO, Big 8 Summit, NAFTA, etc.)
• How the government enforces existing laws
• What nongovernmental groups lobby for laws that impact business
• The attitude of the government toward consumer lawsuits

 2.    What economic conditions are affecting your organization?

• Global and national economic conditions (inflation, recession)
• Type of economic system in the countries of operation
• Government intervention in the free market
• Comparative advantages of the host country
• Exchange rates, interest rates, inflation rates and the stability of the host country currency
• Efficiency of the financial markets
• Infrastructure quality
• Skill level of workforce, Labor costs, Unemployment rates,  Labor-management relations, Job market trends and Turnover trends, Recruitment trends and techniques
• Business cycle stage (prosperity, recession, recovery)
• Economic growth rate
• Capital availability
• Levels and distribution of wealth globally and nationally
• Rates of savings and debt among consumers
• Consumer spending patterns and discretionary income (individual, corporate, national, and global)

 3.     What social conditions are affecting your organization?

• Projected growth, now and projected, worldwide
• Age distribution (bookers, gen-x, gen-y, etc)
• Family structure (single parents, married, extended, grandparents living in house)
• Gender distribution
• Geographic distribution
• Education levels
• Ethnic and racial make-up
• Core values of the predominant culture of a country
• Core values of the subcultures in a country. How do they clash, and where is there common ground?

4.    What technology conditions are affecting your organization?

• The value of science in the culture
• Fields of science in which “hot breakthroughs” are being made
• The percentage of government and private money available for research and development
• Changes in products and services that incorporate technology
• The lifespan of any technology
• The regulation of technology
• The protection of technological innovation
• Technologies impact on product offering
• Impact on cost structure
• Impact on value chain structure
• Rate of technological diffusion

 5.    What environmental conditions are affecting your organization?

• Greenhouse gas emissions
• Solid waste produced
• Liquid waste discharged
• Energy consumption
• Recyclability
• Clean water consumption
• Overall environmental footprint

 6.    What legal conditions are affecting your organization??

• Antitrust laws
• Pricing regulations
• Taxation- tax rates and incentives
• Wage legislation- minimum wage and overtime
• Workweek
• Mandatory benefits
• Industrial safety regulations
• Product labeling requirements

 7.    What industry conditions are affecting your organization?

• Competition
• Supplier bargaining power
• Buyer bargaining power
• Threats of new competition
• Threat of substitutes

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This week alone, I have read a number of articles urging me to adopt the latest trends or methods in such areas as leadership ethics, production/performance systems, social media, cloud technology, and employee engagement. I believe staying current with business trends is important (as you will see later). However, in my twenty-four years of management and consulting experience, it is not the latest business trend or management method that helps business leaders achieve their goals.  Eighty-percent of success comes from a strong, consistent practice of business fundamentals.

 Billionaire Warren Buffet believes, if we want our businesses to succeed, we need to, “Focus on the fundamentals. Practice them with the ruthless discipline of a master.” Basketball great Michael Jordon agrees. “Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.” Focusing on the fundamentals is hard work. It takes a great deal of time, effort, concentration and will-power. But, business leaders who diligently execute the basics are very successful. Those who do not are marginally successful or fail.

 Over the next eleven months we will discuss ten fundamental business principles. If you put these principles into practice in a consistent, disciplined manner, you will realize steady and significant progress toward you business goals. The ten principles are:

1. Understand your business
2. Operate from a systems perspective
3. Recognize the priorities of key internal and external stakeholders
4. Employ a systematic and consistent performance improvement model
5. Proactively evaluate business opportunities
6. Target opportunities with the greatest potential for impacting organizational goal achievement
7. Implement pragmatic, results oriented programs and initiatives
8. Execute with excellence
9. Keep up with business  trends (in and outside of your industry)
10. Demonstrate courageous leadership

 We will explore each principle in detail. We will start with five essential factors we must understand about our business:

1. The environment our business operates within
2. The philosophy and strength of our management team
3. The primary and supporting processes of our business
4. The people who make up our business
5. The technology that enables both process and people

My post on February 27^th will discuss understanding our business environment. Until then, think about the ten principles. Are you practicing any of them? At what level and with what amount of skill are you practicing them?

Flashpoint consultants have deep experience and expertise in organizational, leadership, and management development. If you have any questions between now and February 27^th, please feel free to contact me (317 735—3875) or Jeremy King (317-221-2617). We would love to learn more about you and your business.

Bill Mugavin is a consultant at FlashPoint. Bill focuses his consulting in the areas of organizational development, workflow and process improvement, training design and delivery, management and leadership development, and coaching.

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I sat in my kitchen watching the television intently as Lebron (James) stated that he was “taking his talents to South Beach” and joining the Miami Heat, arguably the most talented basketball team currently assembled in the NBA. Sports radio could not leave the topic alone and the debate was not if they would win a title, but how many they would win and could they break the record for most wins in a season.

Reminiscent of the 2004 Dream Team II basketball team that shocked the world by winning only a bronze medal in Athens, the Heat started the season with a dismal 7-9 record. What was going on? You had three of the best players in the league on one team and you couldn’t buy a win. Then it happened. . .eleven wins in a row and now the Heat sit near the top of the NBA food chain.

What do I mean by “it” happened? They started playing as a team. They started to work within the game strategy (offensive and defensive systems), and stopped trying to individually create opportunities. They checked egos. They leveraged talents instead of trying to trump everything with talent. They started listening.

When I take FlashPoint’s message on the road I often state that great systems are better than great people. I say it in part to get people’s attention, but FlashPoint definitely believes that without a great system you will underutilize superstars and eventually lose them.  A great system will also maximize the potential of your average worker by clearly explaining expectations and accountabilities.

What systems am I talking about? Here are just a few:

Talent acquisition system

Onboarding system

Performance management system

Total rewards system

Training and Development

Client engagement system

Succession planning

Even if you don’t have Lebron on your team, if you have great systems in place you can acquire the right talent for your business, maximize their potential, and ultimately make your business more successful.

Jeremy King, SPHR is the Business Development Manager at FlashPoint.

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