The principles to follow were not copied from a Navy regulation manual. They were synthesized from SEAL literature, interviews with SEAL training officers and experience in combat working with Navy SEALS.
In addition, many of the techniques were tested with the training department of a major company. The department had the reputation of being a skilled but rather pedestrian unit. Continue reading
What’s a war story doing in an article about training? Surely not another cliched message about “if it worked in the Navy, it ought to work in a bank, or textile plant, or social agency.”
There are differences between the environment found in the military and that found in other organizations. Military (particularly combat) employees tolerate conditions clearly not imposable on civilians. Can you imagine requiring an engineering recruit to crawl through a 40-yard mud pit as a condition of employment? Even the thought is preposterous. Yet, there may be useful parallels worthy of exploration. Continue reading
Personnel planning and review assures annual attention to how an organization’s people are developing and helps executives systematically broaden their pool of potential leaders. When it is well-managed, (criterion-based, reliable, fair) and considers both personal and organizational needs, personnel review and planning can also strengthen the organization’s appeal to career-conscious, high-talent recruits and employees.
This is true, however, only when top management helps develop, support and participate in a rigorous review and planning process and then follows through on career pathing and development actions. Continue reading
Audits of employee issues can provide data as valuable as many financial reports because they flash early warning signals of turnover, lowered productivity and an in-ability to carry out strategies. These audits are especially valuable if executives acquire thorough data analysis and succinct, pragmatic plans as part of the audit process.
Human resources issue audits require front-end time and dollars. They delay answers to questions like, “What courses should we offer?” and “How much more productive can we be?” Continue reading
Technological Trends. These include advances in person-to-person communications; coding and retrieving information; simulation and calculation; electronic assembly and drafting and management information systems. When they occur or are forecast for an organization, they have several predictable effects:
• They focus on managing change and on managing technology.
• They spawn new varieties of knowledge work (scientific and computer specialists, consultants).
• They obsolete many existing technical skills.
• They remove responsibility from middle management. Continue reading
Executives play a powerful role in people development because virtually every decision has development implications. The strategic planning process, budgets, organization structure, promotion and career pathing practices, company policies, management systems, management style all of these business terms bring to mind the value of human resources, while setting the boundaries and tone for employee growth and development.
In most organizations these boundaries need to be carefully reexamined for their effects on productivity, satisfaction and development. Executives who do not respond to this challenge risk losing their best people and stifling the creativity and commitment that make organizations great. For very practical reasons, new human resources management and development practices are needed in most organizations: Continue reading