On the one hand the continuous and profound changes that are taking place in the world economy, as well as the various evolutions in social and technological matters, and on the other hand the advances that in research questions of organizational behavior are taking place in recent times, lead to the need to rethink and generate new concepts in relation to the human dimension in organizations.
Although the human aspect has always been part of the administration of companies or entities, the concepts and paradigms in force until recently assigned it a profile that was not consistent with current needs.
The requirements and pressures to which organizations are subjected to the effects of a more efficient administration of resources for the generation of products and services of greater value, which allow a higher return for investors and a better quality of life for investors. workers, implies the implementation of new and sophisticated management methods, tools, instruments and systems, which are not feasible to implement under the previous Taylorian, Fordist and bureaucratic concepts.
High levels of competitiveness require new forms of commitment, of seeing the facts, of deciding and directing, of thinking and feeling, and a more effective way of managing human relations in organizations.
Many companies have tried to achieve changes in their processes by concentrating only on the technical aspects and leaving aside the cultural and psychological aspects, not reaping other results that were not important failures. Success does not lie in new software, or in new machines, or in new process designs, success can only be achieved through participatory teamwork and totally in line with strategic objectives.
A vision reduced to technical and functional aspects, or one that contemplates human issues under the old parameters is destined to make the organization fail in its attempts not only to succeed, but also to survive.
The competitiveness of an organization does not only depend on the quality of its strategists, but also on the skills, attitudes and motivation of the personnel who take the plans to the field of action.
No system will be successful without individuals who give their all to effectively implement it. It is therefore essential and fundamental to always contemplate how to obtain the support of managers and staff to positively manage cultural change.
Awareness of wasted human resources is an important source of future positive results for organizations, which must be transformed into increased economic benefits.
On the other hand, being aware of all those negative and hidden aspects of organizations and their human relationships will facilitate their removal, avoiding both the generation of losses and dangers for the very existence of the company.
Everyone does quality and everyone sells
Quality is not controlled, it is designed and produced, and all personnel must be involved in this production, be they managers, supervisors or workers, and whatever their activity or work area. Everyone is responsible for both self-checking their own work, as well as verifying their internal suppliers, committing not to receive, process and deliver supplies, products or information that do not meet specifications. In addition, they must be responsible not only for alerting of anomalies, but also for fully participating in the improvement of processes through their suggestions and activities in quality circles.
Quality is made by everyone, not only the worker at the plant, but also the person responsible for issuing the invoice and the telephone operator who attends to orders and complaints. Quality is not only considered in the characteristics of the products, but also in customer service, whether it is internal or external. Quality must lead to a greater generation of added value in each activity of the company.
In the same way, sales, although their main activists are the members of said area, is a matter that concerns everyone, whatever their rank or function. Collaborating with information, helping to give a good image of the company, providing better customer service and making a good publicity or recommendation of the company is something in which everyone should be fully committed.
Making the commitment of everyone feasible, both in quality and in sales, requires an organizational culture that makes it feasible. That culture must support and be based on both teamwork and empowerment. This teamwork must be understood and understood as the joint work of all members of the organization as a whole. Making this feasible implies both commitment and loyalty to certain principles and values of which they are actively part.
A traditional company has its salespeople worrying about achieving sales guided only by the fulfillment of objectives for the purposes of their personal benefits, not even achieving teamwork among the components of the sector.
This work system leads to the overselling of products, damaging both customers by not advising them correctly, as well as the company, and in the latter case in two ways, on the one hand due to poor customer advice, which generates anger or animosity from this to the company when acquiring products that do not fully meet their expectations or do so at a higher cost than desired and, on the other hand, by generating greater credit risks.
In this traditional company, the rest of the sectors ignore sales, manufacturing some products and performing administrative tasks others. But those who generate the income that make it feasible to continue the business are not supported.
Some need others, salespeople will bring to the company not only new orders, but also reports on competitors and the needs of customers and consumers, new proposals for product and service designs, and future sales forecasts. They will also report on the satisfaction and quality generated by the company's products and services. On the other hand, the accounting areas through new analytical approaches will allow sellers to recognize and concentrate efforts on the most profitable products, services, clients and areas.
In the same way, those in charge of accounting and financial information must provide continuous support to the production and sales areas for the recognition of unproductiveness and waste.
Getting to make this way of acting a reality implies mutual trust, knowing how to understand that the objective is not to find culprits or make reproaches but to correct and improve processes and systems.
In a company as in a living organism, everyone depends on everyone. The lack of balance in the system, or the malfunction of one part of the system endangers the existence of the system as a whole and with it the continuity of the sources of work for all. This is why the emphasis that was previously placed on teamwork in the organization as a whole. Despite the clarity of the message, there are many people who do not see the issue in such a way, putting at risk and severely compromising not only competitiveness, but also the very existence of the organization.
Recruitment
At the time of selecting new personnel for the company, several critical factors must be considered, being them: physical and intellectual aptitudes, specific knowledge and experiences, attitudes, and psycho-social profile for the purpose of the latter not only of a good complement with their other colleagues of work, but also to fit in with the vision and organizational values.
Unfortunately, in many cases, if not in most cases, the possibility that the applicant can demonstrate both their ability to apply knowledge of methods and tools to specific cases is neglected. Failure to do so prevents the company from hiring promising personnel, a future generator of value for it. But putting this into practice implies a change in mentality on the part of managers and supervisors, especially leaving aside the fear of hiring people who, due to their abilities, could put their existence in the company at risk.
The examination must be fair and balanced. Although experience is essential for certain tasks, concentrating on it involves two issues: the first consists of the inclination to withdraw personnel from other companies, and the second in preventing the hiring and subsequent evolution of personnel within the organization.
The latter is generally related to the hiring of personnel for certain technical and / or managerial positions outside the company, instead of generating commitment with the internal personnel themselves through training. Committing to staff is to achieve their commitment to the company, with the motivating effects that this has on personal growth.
Many times this outsourcing has to do with the lack of a permanent inventory of personnel in terms of skills, knowledge, capacities, experiences and tastes or inclinations. Keeping an inventory of such characteristics will not only allow filling positions with existing staff, but also serve as a means to motivate staff to improve and train themselves, knowing that if given an opportunity the organization will take it into account.
Not doing it is creating a culture of demotivation for which the staff is not interested in training because they know that the company they work for will not give them possibilities. This generates the existence of unmotivated personnel, lacking pride in the company, and who only wait for an external opportunity to leave it.
Two great evils
With this we refer, on the one hand, to a factor mentioned above, related to the hiring of manipulative or less capable personnel that cannot endanger the career and, on the other hand, not training the personnel because they can go to another company or they may exceed the knowledge of managers. Undoubtedly, with these types of thoughts and attitudes, more than illnesses we should be talking about diseases. Not hiring the best and also depriving them of training is preparing the conditions for disaster.
Unfortunately, this circumstance occurs in not a few cases, and in the cases in which it occurs, it is typical of companies with an organizational culture that see ordinary employees simply as simple cogs. They are hired, trained in the same job, paid a subsistence salary, and if a macroeconomic crisis occurs, they are dismissed.
In circumstances like these, the staff does not commit to the organization, which ends up generating a culture of low motivation and high unproductivity. The staff tries to improve their conditions at the expense of the company through theft, theft, use of supplies and services (photocopiers, telephone, fax, stationery, use of elements and offices / workshops for their own businesses).
This culture generated as a product of a total lack of awareness and knowledge in terms of organizational behavior and systemic thinking, ends up generating a negative long-term result for the companies that make it their own.
Training and Coaching - An Operational and Strategic Vision
Training should not be conceived as an expense but as an investment, it should therefore cease to be in relation to the periodic ups and downs of the economy and be managed like any other investment based on the level of profitability produced by the future flow of funds..
A company that reduces its investments in training in pursuit of a greater distribution of profits in the short term is "eating its future." Training must be fundamentally conceived within a strategic framework since the knowledge that its employees and managers currently acquire will not only be of fundamental importance to use current and future management and production techniques and tools, but also to be able to conceive future designs of products, services and processes.
Within this new framework of knowledge as investment we must learn to effectively and efficiently manage "intellectual capital". Therefore, the current and future needs in terms of knowledge and experiences must be continuously monitored, thus managing the resources to cover them both in the short and long term.
Thus, for example, if our strategic analysis tells us that we have certain weaknesses in certain aspects related to knowledge and, on the other hand, an important opportunity is seen in certain activities, we must cover these gaps both with internal training and with the hiring of personnel that have these knowledge and experiences (we have here a clear interrelation between the SWOT analysis and the monitoring of capacities in terms of knowledge and experiences). A company cannot wait for a certain knowledge to be required to act accordingly, especially considering how long it takes to acquire such knowledge and experiences.
This would be a way of acting reactively, when it is advisable and more appropriate to do so proactively, with which the company will achieve a competitive advantage in relation to its competitors.
Among the knowledge to be developed are not only the increase of the concepts of each specialty, but also those that understood in other areas help staff to better understand everything.
Training in topics such as creativity and innovation, teamwork, management tools, continuous improvement, total quality, productivity, productive maintenance, problem solving, decision making, change management, communication is also fundamental. and emotional intelligence.
Now, not only training is important, but also continuous training in the best use of tools, instruments, software, methods, processes, machines and equipment among many others, aimed at accelerating the movement through the " learning curve ".
A special form of education and training is given by job rotation, which contributes to increasing the polyvalence rate of personnel.
Training and training must not only be focused within a strategic framework, but also be conceived within a continuous training destined, redundancy goes to the continuous improvement of the individuals who support and serve as a basis for the competitiveness of processes and organization systems.
The training should not only be focused on the present and future needs of the company, but should also be part of the personal development plan and trajectory of the individuals in their life cycle within the organization.
This not only aims for the company to have the intellectual and knowledge capacities necessary for its development, but also to meet the expectations and needs for self-realization and growth of the staff in the organization.
A serious error of organizations is the lack, on the one hand, of planning in terms of training, which can be observed in the absence of continuity in the development of personal and group knowledge, but also in providing certain training to people who least they need such, not giving these to the staff who really need them.
The other aspect is linked to the lack of opportunities in which the employee can put the acquired knowledge into practice.
The new supervisors
A typical mistake of traditional organizations is to reward an employee with good knowledge and performance in a certain sector with the award of a supervisory position.
Although the company must try to motivate its staff by giving them the possibility of growth, first they must both know if they have the qualities for the position, and properly train them to be able to fill it.
The supervisors of the new competitive era must be part of a much more flattened organization than those in force up to now, which is why they must have the ability to manage much broader sections of control.
The supervisor within this new vision of business must stop being a controller, to become a facilitator of internal groups, a stimulator of individual and group creativity, a motivator of quality and productivity, an inspirer for innovation, must remove the obstacles that prevent growth and continuous improvement, and encourage individuals to work as a team and follow the values and visions of the organization.
The new supervisor must leave the old tendencies to concentrate and save (or hide) information in order to have power, to generate organizational power through the free flow of information in all directions (vertical, horizontal and cross) in such a way as to make it feasible. which is called "collective intelligence".
The supervisor must continuously generate information and feedback for his employees in such a way that they continuously correct the operation of the processes and their own attitudes. When informing your subordinates you should not look for culprits, but lead and aim for the correction of processes and attitudes.
It is the supervisor's obligation to manage the delivery of the material elements necessary for a better performance of the workers.
The supervisor of the present and of the future must stop directing behind the backs of subordinates, must be most of the time in the workplace, but not to control but to analyze, listen, communicate and motivate.
Finally, the supervisor and managers must keep the greatest respect for people, being guided in their actions by the vision, mission, values and objectives of the organization, and managing human relations in such a way as to achieve that as in any superlative system " the whole is greater than the sum of its parts ”.
Among the main conditions for occupying a supervisory position in which the individual serves as a guide and achieves authentic leadership is the possession of “ emotional intelligence ”. Intellectual capacity is of great importance for work in research and development, design, analysis and problem solving, but when leading and leading personnel to higher levels of competitiveness, emotional intelligence is essential.
Developing corporate culture
Just as each individual has a unique personality, each company has a unique identity called corporate culture, it is the shared experiences, stories, beliefs and norms that characterize an organization.
Various forces shape corporate cultures and distinguish them from one another. Any of these factors can be apparent in a number of ways, from the broader level of company “philosophy” to specific day-to-day activities such as memo writing.
The concrete policies, values, missions and directives of every day shape the culture of the organization. They do not do it in a day, or in a week, but through the years because of the continuity and persistence in corporate behavior and policies. The continuous change of directions and visions is also the generator of a culture, but it is not the one that leaders can and should want for their organizations, it will be a culture of contradictions and discontinuism.
Many intend to establish new methods and systems behind the corporate culture, when the first thing that must be done is to audit said culture and then carry out a process of changes that allow the objectives of the new methods and systems to be implemented to be implemented.
For many managers, it is more important to form Black and Green Belts to apply the Six Sigma System, when in fact what they should be most concerned about is verifying whether the corporate culture is adequate for said system, and if not, proceed to make the necessary changes..
This is one of the main errors that leads both managers, technicians and consultants with little or no experience or knowledge in organizational culture to generate projects that only contemplate topics such as training, investments in technology and implementation plans, verifying with step of time only failures.
Thus, we frequently speak of reengineering, TQM and continuous improvement systems that have not produced the expected results, not taking due account of what the organizational culture is and what changes have been made or should be made and have not been carried out.
Restrictive and inflexible cultures must be deactivated and dismantled, giving rise to a new cultural framework that allows the search for new paradigms that are adapted to the new needs of the company and the environment.
The generation of a shared vision, the promulgation of values of which everyone participates and is aware, and the implementation of strategies appropriate to the corporate values, visions and mission, will generate the strength and support for the desired culture. This is where the relationship between strategy and culture management becomes so important.
Motivation in action
Why motivation in action? Because motivation should stop being just a theoretical contemplation to move on to concrete acts that allow managers to get their employees to put the guidelines issued into practice, in addition to putting their best into the best achievement of the proposed ends.
On the one hand, the type of activities and the socio-cultural and psychological profile of the workers must be taken into account, since their needs and the factors or tools to be used as means of motivation depend on it.
Undoubtedly, the preservation of their job will be in the first place for every worker, since it depends on having the minimum income for their own survival and that of their family. When we talk about survival here, we are not only targeting food, housing, clothing and medicines, but also the needs for recreation, culture and rest.
Second, we have an obligation to work as a form of self-expression and work ethic. Within this work ethic is to give the best of oneself to earn a living serving the community by generating products and services with the highest added value possible.
A third element of motivation is the possibility of personal fulfillment, which occurs to the extent that the individual can fully participate in the productive face by putting their creativity and innovation into it, and thereby also gain the appreciation of their co-workers..
A fourth component that generates motivation is the possibility of economic growth, as well as participating in the economic benefits generated. The challenge is for everyone in a true teamwork to fight to make the cake grow so that everyone can use more of it. Thus, not only those who invent or suggest a new process should be rewarded, but also those who help it to be put into practice successfully and effectively.
No less important as a motivation is the natural competitive inclination of the individual, which, when conveniently and positively exploited, can serve for the individual or team to constantly improve their brands, in addition to always trying to be above the competition's brand.
The fact that an individual puts the best of himself every day to make the processes that generate products and services more effective and efficient, will allow him and his colleagues a greater well-being at work, which is manifested in a workplace healthier, safer, with better pay, a good work environment, better interpersonal relationships, and greater job security.
The last great motivator for any individual is to fight so that the company for which they work is synonymous with excellence and competitiveness, being able to feel proud of it. Making the company's brand or name known and respected is a great incentive.
These motivators that have been exposed must be combined in their proper measure according to how the psycho-social and cultural profile of the individuals was expressed before, in addition to the characteristics and evolution of the environment where the company operates.
The greater the participation of employees in the various aspects that make up their motivation and development, the greater self-generated motivation. For this reason, in the new corporate culture, the full participation of all the members of the organization not only allows better teamwork, but is also essential for the success of their effort.
Of errors, unproductiveness and other vices
Inventiveness sometimes has no limits, leading to the creation of jobs without a clear reason for being and for the sole reason of accommodating friends, relatives or avoiding firing an employee. It is enough to ask oneself about the added value that for an internal or external customer a certain invention of position or function has to clearly realize its urgent need for elimination.
Other issues, although this is more complex and very special, are transactions at the manager level. As an example we could put an Internal Audit Manager who does not report a certain incorrect action by a Personnel Manager in exchange for a salary increase. There are clear and effective ways to end this, and that is by eliminating the dependence of the Internal Audit on other sectors of the organization that are not the owners or Shareholders' Meeting.
Rewarding achievements for team results should not imply not punishing individual attitudes that are contrary to the common good, not doing so will generate and stimulate a disintegrating culture contrary to the benefit of the group of individuals that make up the organization.
A serious mistake is that very common attitude of managers and supervisors wanting to make new employees pay "the floor fee", just as an absurd way of saying "I'm in charge here", or "if you don't like it, you go." This is very expensive for the company, instead of producing and generating income for the organization, they are made to do dastardly tasks for a certain period just for the pleasure and unhealthy instinct of certain managers and supervisors. These types of attitudes were never correct, but they are less so today in an ultra-competitive market in which there is no place for wasting resources, be they financial, material or human (all of course end up generating monetary waste).
The 5 "S" every day more essential
The need to generate self-respect in the staff through hygiene, cleanliness and order both personally and in the workplace is not only synonymous with discipline but also with work ethics.
The image of the company, the high levels of services, and a sample of high competitiveness require an image that represents the deepest convictions of both managers and staff.
The way to make these needs and requirements feasible is through the implementation of the 5 "S", a Japanese methodology designed to put order, cleanliness, health and discipline in the workplace.
Company personnel must not only become aware of this methodology, but must also be trained for its implementation. Everything that does to improve the environment or work environment not only improves the motivation and self-esteem of the staff, but also increases safety, improves the quality of working life and with all this generates the fundamental conditions for a consistent increase in productivity and quality of work.
The essence and philosophy of the 5 "S" should never be lost sight of, because when it is reduced only to a series of guidelines or aspects without content and spirit, it tends not only not to generate what is sought with it, but also it also declines over time.
conclusion
Different aspects that tend to diminish or make it impossible for organizations to achieve their operational and strategic objectives have been developed in the previous sections.
Of course, it would be useless to show only the problems if the ways to give it an effective solution were not pointed out, for which an understanding of organizational behavior is key. It is precisely this special and ductile knowledge that differentiates a bad or unsuccessful implementation of different management methods, from those that have the characteristics of outstanding.
Attempting to change work methods and systems without altering the cultural framework that supports it and serves as the basis for the development of such changes is clearly destined to fail. New and revolutionary ways of working under the ways of thinking and acting typical of the previous systems are not feasible. It is therefore essential that leaders proceed to remove all those paradigms or ways of thinking that are not appropriate to the new needs and environment of the company.
The success of companies depends in the first place on the ways of thinking and analyzing on the part of their members and, it is in this aspect that we must concentrate our efforts in the first place. Well, it is by trying to impose new work methodologies or management systems without taking into account the very particular characteristics of the human condition that these attempts tend to come face to face with reality.
