THE VITALITY FACTOR IN PROGRESSIVE CORPORATIONS: GROOMING CULTURE & ENVIRONMENT

In this posting, I am touching on socially responsible corporations, meaning those imbued with the desire to develop good employees in its fold. The noble objective aims at raising levels of employees’ contributing proficiency, enabling them to head towards a promising career path in the company of choice they have been serving. 

The word “develop” is too generic, in a broad definition scope. I prefer “groom”, which is in intense form.  A dictionary defines “groom” as an activity leading to skilled behaviour, which involves much preparation.  In fact, the process of grooming envelopes the entire works for gearing up good employees to prolific productivity, viz. coaching, mentoring,  training, guiding, counselling, demonstrating, etc. – the positive follow-through activities conducted by superiors as the sequel after performance appraisal on subordinates.

In an encompassing perspective, my inference to “grooming” focuses on the following directions:

1.      1.  Pave exposure for the outstanding performers to assume higher roles in the near future. Two key drivers to deploy (by their superiors) are coaching and mentoring. Such exposure may either be in the same, similar, or a new field within the corporation, whichever opens up probable opportunity for future position upgrade. Succession planning would fall in this category of grooming intent.

2.      2.  Elevate average performers’ efficiency on their current tasks.  They have potentials to better themselves to above average level if accorded bolstering, such as receiving demonstration from their superiors how their performance could be enhanced.

3.      3.  Improve the skills and knowledge of performers at the level just slightly below average. Besides training and constant monitoring, tailored counselling is necessary. The intent is to goad them improve their work contribution to at least satisfactory or average level.  Like it or not, no corporation can avoid having a significant number of average contributors in its manpower who meet minimum expectations.  Like it or not, they are still needed to carry out the normal business-as-usual commitments, constituting the bulk of the daily work expectations.

What about the poor performers? My personal opinion: This group, probably not many individuals, would not make much headway for uplift, no matter what form of assistance is placed at their doors. Either due to attitude, cultural mismatch or IQ gap, they may merely move by only a few strides via counselling, or not move at all. Efforts to help them normally turn futile. In the first place, how did such individuals get into the fold? I guess proper due diligence was never deployed in the employee recruitment and selection process.

The appropriate treatment for poor performers is to work out a “graceful” exit scheme for them if transfer to other jobs more befitting their characteristics is not viable. Keeping them where they are now leads to redundancy – a management issue that calls for a prudent decision from the human resource perspective. 

Let me clarify that it is not necessary all in the above average and outstanding category at their existing roles should automatically qualify to be groomed for higher positions.  Some do very well in their present jobs but may not cut out for more challenging assignments.  For example, an individual adept at providing backroom sales support, like market research, sales analysis etc., may not fit in to take on as future head of sales which requires more interactive plus eloquent skills. The best plan to support him is to look into alternatives, like head of market intelligence unit, depending on viability. Otherwise, he should be recognised by way of remuneration incentives in line with his attainments measured against current annual targets. 

Grooming begins with selection of the right candidate for an earmarked higher position planned for availability in the near or future timeframe. Specifically put, it is succession planning. Socially responsible corporations grant opportunities for high performing employees to progress forward along with the corporate growth. Successors, if any, are preferably from within than sourced from outside. However, if there are no internal candidates possessing the right prerequisites suiting a role, the corporation will then look externally.

A wholesome work environment comes about when good employees in a corporation feel elated. And elation emanates from job satisfaction when they know their management has their interest at heart in terms of career advancement. 

True, some specialised roles, especially newly created ones, are not easily slotted in by internal candidates. Presume a corporation has decided to create a new department to specially handle media relations. Presume the department head must be a seasoned media publicity practitioner – like a senior journalist, or senior public relations coordinator, or producer of television programmes etc. – who can pull liaison cables with media players.  Imperatively, the candidate must already have endowed in himself, via academic qualification and vast work experience, the knowledge how media mechanism works. Without such a technocrat readily available within, the corporation will have no choice but to source outside from the media industry.

Another example: A corporation covets changes at key positions so as to turn its business around. The fact that business has not grown noticeably over a long period signals leadership malaise. A major revamp is imperative for it to survive. Obviously, existing officers cannot be relied upon to drive a major revamp in view of the prevailing laid-back work culture. Inevitably, a new team (outside) of astute protagonists credited with relevant achievements in the same industry will be recruited.

 

Other than the above plausible scenarios, I am inclined to opine most upgraded roles could be filled in by internal manpower provided conscious cues are taken by the management to institute grooming programmes. 

No denying that candidates acquired from outside do have its pros. I do agree new talents bring along new and different ideas, exposures and cultures catering for new work approaches which may facilitate expediency.

On the other side of the coin, however, resorting to external candidates indiscriminately as the preferred management philosophy to fill up significant positions has its cons too. Outsiders inhered with different work exposures and experiences normally take some time to get adjusted to the technical procedures of the company they have just joined. Time drag causes tardiness to an extent that stalls quests for quick actions and results. There is also the possible risk of cultural mismatch. So, corporations always preferring external candidates without discernment need to be tolerant in this respect. 

A well-structured grooming programme serves as a vitality factor to boost morale of promising employees. Here are some positive impacts:

·        * Instill the sanguine hope of a brighter career path to those who are eager to excel. 

·         *Superiors who execute grooming initiatives attract loyalty and strong support from selected subordinates.

·         *Low turnover of good employees will lead to resounding consistency, efficiency and effectiveness. 

·         *Superiors can ultimately delegate some tasks to their groomed subordinates, thus allowing the former more time to delve on planning, direction setting and important decision making.

·         *Properly groomed subordinates can function to some degree of independence. They could execute discretions to solve issues without the direct involvement of superiors although the latter may hold a purview of all accountabilities under their custody.

·         *Whenever a superior goes on long or sabbatical leave, a groomed subordinate is ready to stand in as “acting”, ensuring important issues at the higher level are attended to promptly. A structured backup arrangement will avert unwarranted backlog.

A formidable grooming programme entails the following steps:

# Nominate potential internal candidates for the programme. Only high performers, based on performance appraisals, are identified. Line superiors are tasked to identify their candidates, if any.

# Evaluation is then conducted on the candidates. The exercise covers review of their past specific achievements, sample case studies of key assignments, personal profile, strengths and weaknesses etc.  In personality profiling, zero into their aptitude and attitude capacity. This is an important but tedious exercise.

Not necessarily one who can implement projects very well will be equipped with the aptitude to initiate projects effectively. An initiator is of leadership quality that enables him to be in command whereas an implementer follows and acts according to instructions given by the initiator. And aptitude does not automatically equate to attitude. A person having the right acumen (aptitude) may not be prepared to face the intense demands of a higher role (attitude).

# Select the successful candidate/s from the nomination list. The best among the elite are given the priority to go for grooming. The remaining candidates will be marked “keep in view” (KIV) for the next relevant opportunities. 

   

# Line superior tailors the specific programme structure for his selected candidate. It should include discussions on real issues, case studies, simulations and small group dynamics participation. Line superior ensures the programme is run according to schedules without deviation. 

Conclusion: A Strong leader does not micro-manage by merely keeping tabs on the toes of subordinates in everything they do. On hindsight and foresight, his nobler responsibility is to hone talents. It calls for removal of barriers that hinder good performers from making further progress. Grooming in this respect becomes pertinent.

Removal of barriers means facilitating an environment that encourages subordinates’ creativity, discretion and some autonomy to flourish – of course, under the purview of line superiors. Talented people work best by being allowed to manifest their strengths, sans inhibitions, after being encouraged to discover their real ingredients.

I like to make a confession - I went through various stages of grooming in my past active employment history. I had a few seasoned bosses in my different roles, showing me how to be proactive and analytical. I also worked with matrix heads who gave me inputs on my technical decisions. The grooming platforms I was put on made me well-rounded in my management philosophy. And I must confess that my prowess to write management articles, like this one, is derived from the structured grooming opportunities I received. Now you see why I am passionate to share the subject on “grooming”?

IMPORTANT ENDING NOTE:  A successful grooming programme is invariably dependent on a sound employee appraisal system. If the appraisal system is flawless – meaning without inconsistencies, prejudices, favouritism and unfairness – the grooming programme will then be prolific. But if the appraisal system is not well structured, so also will be the grooming programme, as the wrong candidates may erroneously be selected as candidates.