Published on April 29, 2017
It is quite common to come across Managers, who would often comment, “Give me talented people and I can do wonders!” Or “The competencies of my subordinates need serious improvement.”
While venting out their frustrations, they are also perhaps admitting in a way, their inabilities to go beyond their normal efforts to convert the ‘ordinary to extraordinary’.
Recently I was conducting a three-day workshop for the top leaders of an organization. During the workshop, one of their SBU Heads presented his thoughts, where he categorized employees into four boxes, while evaluating them on the scale of Competencies and Certificates. The philosophy was as follows:-
I was little surprised when the SBU Head concluded that in order to thrive, their company needs to take care of their “Ox” category of employees. Never before, I had seen anywhere Top Management speaking about this category of employees. I have always heard about “HiPos”, “Star Performers” and companies fighting to ensure they are nurtured, retained and given more than they (probably) deserve.
Come to think of it, there is plethora of data, information on the strategy to lure, retain the Star Performers – who comprise of 10% – 15% of the total population and we tend to take the 60% – 70% of the population almost for granted from this perspective.
I am not suggesting that we don’t take care of them at all; we do, but is there a special emphasis on doing something about this category – perhaps No.
This category would comprise of ITIs, Diploma holders, Simple graduates, who have slogged their lives and worked tirelessly to ensure the organization is able to sustain itself. These people are never considered while promotions are decided as we also look at their qualifications.
“How can we promote an ITI? So what, ‘by virtue’ of his experience, he is handling the shift, but I can’t make him the Shift Incharge – let him continue as an Asstt. Shift Incharge.”
These discussions do not have a counter argument, because the certificate is missing (and more importantly, the person who is speaking is a qualified Engineer).
So it was a happy occasion for me to hear a senior person talk of this category of people.
Perhaps, we all should scan and make a list of our Oxus and create a road map for them as well – that may not be as lucrative as our Star Performers would get (extract) from us, but it should be good enough for them to at least give them a feeling that they are also getting something that they deserve.
In today’s age and stage, when quite a few “Billion Club” members are not highly qualified and some of them are college drop-outs too – it is imperative that we do take care of this essential and often ignored category of employees, without whom no organization can (arguably) survive.