Page 88 - (DK) The Business Book

86

LEADERS ALLOW

GREAT PEOPLE TO

DO THE WORK THEY

WERE BORN TO DO

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TALENT

taff in many organizations 2012 Global Work force Study only
IN CONTEXT reports feeling undervalued, 35 percent of employees reported
S overstretched, and forced to engagement with their jobs,
FOCUS
work in areas beyond its competence. revealing a disconnect with what
Work-force effectiveness
Because of this they feel ineffective employers want and what employees
KEY DATES —they want to work better, but feel are willing to give. Studies have
1959 US psychologist that the organization is constraining found engaged employees—those
Frederick Herzberg defines them. The best companies allow devoted to their jobs and committed
factors in job satisfaction in his staff to build careers around what to the company’s values—are
study The Motivation to Work. they excel at—in leadership expert significantly more productive,
Warren Bennis’s words “to do the provide better customer service,
1960 In his book The Human work they were born to do.” and outperform those who are less
Side of Enterprise, US Contemporary organizations, engaged. But many companies treat
academic Douglas McGregor faced with dynamic, fast-moving staff as little more than pieces on
proposes Theory Y, urging markets, favor employees who are an organizational chessboard that
companies to adopt a flexible and multiskilled. Yet in a can be moved around at will.
participatory management
style that motivates workers to
strive to achieve their potential.
1989 US management guru Effective people create effective organizations.
Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s
When Giants Learn to Dance
suggests that employees are
most productive when
empowered to make their Great leaders allow great people
own decisions. to excel at what they do well.

They value the factory floor as much as the shareholders.