Page 16 - MetalForming March 2013

Human Capital By Debbie McGrath
Failing Teams and Company Dysfunction: How HR Can Bridge the Gap
Posted to HR.com by Linda Sharkey, global managing director and partner, Achieveblue
When individual employees work well together and
form strong teams, they can be driving forces for a
company’s success. Conversely, when a team does not work well together, it can hold a company back and gen- erate a contagiously negative attitude. It’s your job—and privilege—working in human resources to create dynamic, strong teams that help move your company forward.
Telltale Signs of Poor Teamwork
You want employees who are organized as a team to function like a team. Any evidence that individuals see them- selves as separate from the group effort is a bad sign.
Problems arise when employees start pointing fingers, complaining about others, acting as though their work is more important than others’ tasks in the organization, or stop being accountable for jobs they agreed to complete. These divisive actions work counter to teamwork and col- laboration.
You also can see signs of trouble in employees’ general atti- tudes toward work. Sometimes, people are apathetic—they only do what they’re told, without offering to help others grow. They may feel threatened by the successes of others, or you may struggle to fill open positions because leaders don’t believe in the development of others. If you see these actions around the office, you may need a full overhaul of your tal- ent system, as well as a deep look at the culture that’s devel- oped in your organization.
How to Recruit New Talent
I ensure that every leader I work with keeps a list of indi- viduals who could be great for their various teams. Identify the people in your organization with a lot of potential. Even if you don’t have new roles for them now, cultivating rela- tionships with emerging talent early will make it easier to attract them when the time is right.
Get to know and understand people’s aspirations and
Content for Human Capital comes courtesy of Debbie McGrath, founder and chief instigator of HR.com, Aurora, Ontario, Canada. McGrath has a degree in computer science and business administration from the University of Guelph. Founded in August 1999, HR.com aims to help build great companies by con- necting them with the knowledge and resources they need to effectively manage the people side of business.
www.HR.com
tel: 877/472-6648
strengths, and explore their ideas for improvement or change. A personal relationship with them, relative to their work and career goals, will make it easier to create appealing roles for them and for your organization. Most people don’t spend time getting to know emerging talent, but it’s impor- tant to form a relationship with high-potential employees. Invite them to a group dinner, or hold a roundtable discus- sion with these promising individuals. You will learn as much from them as they’ll learn from you. Explore what excites them and solicit ideas for innovation you may not have previously considered. While this takes energy and may feel like extra work, the payoff is great when you’re try- ing to recruit and retain great talent.
How to Add New Team Members
When looking to recruit new team members, ensure you have a firm understanding of the culture of the team or group. Adding someone completely countercultural to the group can cause tension.
However, if you want to change the current culture and need different behaviors and thinking, another approach may be required. You may be looking for certain character- istics, rather than someone who just fits the team well. If this is the case, make sure to provide support for the new behav- iors you’re introducing. If you don’t, your organization will reject the new cultural elements like antibodies fighting a virus.
In any hiring situation, think ahead to what might be needed several years out. I see many leaders hire for a job as it is today, without thinking through what role an individual could play in the organization in the future, or without thinking through how the job may stretch to meet changing customer needs. If talent does not see opportunities for career advancement or learning new skills, they’ll move on to other companies. Additionally, you will have talent that fits well for today’s challenges, but people who may not be able to flex to meet new challenges.
How to Build a Strong Team
Many companies conduct team-building exercises that amount to little more than fun and games. While this may lead individuals to interact on a new level, the bonds that form are not always lasting. Adults need to see a real bene- fit and purpose behind working as a team. This can be accomplished using team-building strategies that align with the organization’s business strategy and purpose.
My best practices revolve around using reliable assess- ments of the current team’s performance, as well as the
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MetalForming/March 2013
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