In times of extremely high efficiency, of strong competitiveness, all companies, and logically cooperatives, seek to optimize their results with sophisticated and highly technical processes such as, for example, contingency plans, anticipating situations of financial risk on different fronts of action like liquidity, the market and others. It is about leaving nothing to chance, nothing to improvisation, nothing that may surprise us, nothing that could endanger the stability of the cooperative company. But always thinking about the numbers, the figures, the famous cooperative ranking, the statistics from month to month, the economic results and the evolution of the financial ratios.
And yet… what about the people who make all those results possible? How much does the cooperative lose, every day, minute by minute, due to the “half-round” work of its staff? How much does the cooperative lose due to the loss of human talent that, formed by the cooperative, deserts and goes to work for other companies, even those of the competition?How much does the cooperative lose with moderately qualified personnel who contribute little to the processes? How much does the cooperative lose with uncommitted, poorly paid, misinformed staff who, in daily contact with members, provide them with insufficient information? How many daily transactions are lost at the window in contact with members by personnel who do not know the products and services or who do not have a commitment and identity with the cooperative? How much does the cooperative lose, day by day, due to deficiencies in internal communication systems and problems between departments or people? How much does the cooperative lose, every day, by heads and middle managers who do not know how to motivate, who do not distribute work well, who have preferences, who do not know how to stimulate teamwork?
As we do not know those figures, we do not worry. But if real and quantifiable data could be known about it, perhaps another would be the panorama. It is an unquestionable truth that the human resource, now called Human Talent, works at half pace. Motivation models went into crisis, there is an alarming deficit of leaders within the company.Today's bosses don't know how to generate enthusiasm and motivation for work. Punishment and reward as motivating factors have long been surpassed. How do we generate motivation for new generations of employees? It only works seeking to satisfy personal needs, not institutional ones. In other words, a good salary, having a good office, good colleagues and certain comforts and security, according to the Maslow scale of values, only satisfy their primary needs. These factors still do not generate, because they are not enough, the motivation that we need so much today. The first step towards motivation are those related to the work environment generated by the cooperative, such as the possibility of a career, permanent training, possibility of making decisions, (empowerment), recognition, promotions,In short, the person perceives that in the cooperative they find the space, the platform for their personal growth.
New concepts such as Competencies, which implies a change in the approach to selecting and placing personnel, are still incipient in cooperatives. In any case, the issue of Human Talent Risk requires greater attention and the incorporation of appropriate technologies. The Work Climate study, for example, already has scientific instruments through which it is possible to detect what is happening in the cooperative's internal networks. Its results are often a surprise to the managers and executives of the cooperative.
There, deep within the cooperative culture, among the base employees, situations are experienced that are not always well appreciated by the leadership levels. The level of satisfaction, the assignment of tasks, the attitude and the quality of the middle managers, almost always appear as a weak and very demotivating factor. Working conditions, quality of supplies and equipment, communication systems, attitude towards change, etc. are, among others, the factors that can be measured. Employees have expectations about their relationship with the cooperative, and they have perceptions about how the cooperative really values and appreciates them. And job satisfaction is today a complex task, in that each person has different expectations and different perceptions.
Finally, isn't that the reason for being a cooperative? It is understood that a cooperative, unlike a commercial company, is a space for personal growth. It is a way to humanize the economy, bringing to cold and inhumane transactions a humanistic, supportive component, that is, creating conditions for the personal growth of partners, managers and employees. This risk factor is powerful, determining. Your inattention will probably be reflected in the Economic Balance. Behind the numbers and numbers is a large conglomerate of hopeful people with fabulous potential, but also a powerful ability to generate negative results if they are underestimated or simply tried to use as a simple resource.Human Capital, Human Resources, or Human Talent, whatever name we can use, must definitely be managed effectively, sharing the enriching vision that promotes and characterizes Cooperativism in the world.
