Think about marriage for a second. In simplistic terms, marriage involves two individuals who agree to journey through life together. In “Principles of Human Resource Development” (2002), Gilley, Eggland and Maycunich remind leaders of another type of marriage to consider: the marriage between an employee and an organization. The authors share that the “marriage between the organization and the employee is essential in career development.”
When thinking about a construction business, consider the workforce. Some refer to the workforce as the talent, team members or the employees themselves. Often, leaders cultivate a vision for the future and bring that vision to life. Yet, how often do leaders consider their workforce in the context of that vision? How often do leaders ensure their workforce thrives in a particular vision? How often do leaders consider the marriage between an organization and employee when making decisions?
Leaders in construction businesses should reflect on these questions.
- What initiatives are already in place to ensure that the workforce thrives in the coming year?
- What initiatives do you leverage to increase the likelihood that your team thrives in 2020?
- What type of relationship do you foster between your team members and your organization?
Workforce engagement is not merely content for a fluffy conversation. Gallup conducted studies on the topic to demonstrate the critical nature of workforce engagement and development within an organization. In “It’s the Manager” (2019), Clifton and Harter share that engagement leads to the dramatic results: 70% fewer safety incidents, 17% higher productivity and 21% higher profitability.
Cultivating greater engagement and development is one way for a leader in the construction industry to ensure that their workforce thrives in 2020. Human resources development (HRD), as iterated by Gilley, Eggland and Maycunich, is an umbrella term for concepts such as individual development, career development, performance management and organizational development. Each aspect is vast and nuanced, but the underlying principle of successful HRD is strategic planning.
Luckily, there are strategic ways that leaders at all levels (and, not just within the human resources department) in an organization can practically influence workforce engagement and development.
- Have you already created a vision for 2020?
A simple way to integrate HRD into an organization is by incorporating HRD initiatives into the vision already set forth by the organization. Deep dive into the organization’s 2020 goals and find ways to include engagement and development initiatives into the strategic planning previously completed by the organization. - Do you need to craft a long-term vision for the organization?
For leaders currently crafting a long-term vision for an organization, consider integrating HRD initiatives into that vision from the onset. Think of the positive impact of having a succession plan, a talent development plan and an advanced-skills program may bring the workforce. - Are you a leader with no budget allocated for engagement and development initiatives?
For leaders without positional power or lacking a robust budget, consider how implementing a formal or informal appreciation program might change team dynamics. Appreciation can be as simple as a verbal acknowledgement, written note or public positive feedback. - Do you want ideas to offer one of the bosses?
For leaders who want to offer suggestions to senior staff, get creative! What about a lunch-and-learn series, a peer-to-peer mentorship program, cross-training opportunities or even community service projects for the team to rally around?
Consider the assertion from Mulligan and Taylor in “Talent Keepers” (2019): “The organizations that found the greatest success were those that thought of employee engagement and retention not as a matter for the human resources (HR) department but as a deliberative business strategy.” Construction executives benefit from knowing that a thriving workforce benefits not just the employees, but the customers, industry and organization itself. As leaders embrace the long-term value a thriving workforce brings an organization, strategic planning is an intuitive best practice.
It’s important for construction leaders to spend time assessing their current organization.
- What visible and invisible systems are in place currently? How do those systems encourage workforce thriving?
- What is the present culture? How does that culture encourage workforce thriving?
- What developmental programs are in place? How do those programs encourage workforce thriving?
- What compensation models are used within the organization? How do those models encourage workforce thriving?
“Thriving” is not limited to non-work elements of life; it is critical for the work environment. Research shows the importance of an individual’s well-being across all areas of their life. In “Flourish” (2011), Seligman offers the PERMA acronym (positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning and achievement) to describe the sentiment of well-being. Consider how the well-being of an employee impacts the larger organization.
Gilley, Eggland and Maycunich state that the employee is the basic building block for an organization and that, as an employee develops, so too does the organization; as an employee thrives, so too does the organization. In “Becoming a Strategic Leader” (2014), Hughes, Beatty and Dinwoodie speak to the importance of potential. They say that “the best strategic leaders weave [the team] together to leverage the power of the people throughout the organization toward the ultimate performance potential.” Leveraging a strategic plan that accounts for the workforce is a starting point for a leader invested the potential and thriving of their team.
