Turning frustrations around, increasing employee proficiency and, eventually, enterprise-wide productivity is a challenge. These five distinct personality types of tech frustrated employees have been identified so that IT leaders can recognize them, understand them, and adjust their approaches accordingly. But until an enterprise asks for help, these types of people will always hurt productivity…
Do your employees resemble one or more of the five Personalities of Tech-Frustrated Employees? The Apologizer Submits and sends documents with a call-out apologizing for low-quality work, refusing to ask for help, not taking advantage of technology investment, and painting technology as the scapegoat. The Interrupter Disrupts concentration by asking others to accomplish routine technology tasks, interrupting other employees’ workflow, constantly triaging with members of the IT service desk, and spending more time figuring out small tech issues than on substantive work solutions. The Delegator Pawns off work on co-workers, asking them to complete the task instead. Wastes two employees’ time at once by refusing to learn new technology and frustrating those around them. The Quitter Gives up completion of critical tasks because of tech complaints, creating inefficiencies, dropping the ball, viewing technology as non-essential, and causing others to follow suit. The Exploder Views technology as the enemy, throwing tech temper tantrums through furious key-typing, laptop computer-slamming, violent phone-shaking, and forceful button-pressing. There will always be disparate personality types within all industries, but as technology becomes more and more essential to productivity, managers need to be aware of their employees’ frustrations, the ways they manifest themselves, and use a human-centric model to prevent them. Enterprise technology is advancing at an unprecedented rate. But as computing power and IT investments continue to increase, the impact on end-user productivity is diminishing. To solve this, CIOs and other IT leaders must shift from a “tech-centric” approach to a “humancentric” model that puts a greater focus on the end-user. This is best achieved through a framework that considers connecting with users on four key value drivers. Moore’s Law and the Explosion of Computer Processing Power. In 1965, Intel cofounder Gordon Moore made a prediction that ultimately became the golden rule in the tech world. Based on trend data and his own research, he theorized that the number of transistors that can be packed into a given unit of computing space will roughly double every two years. Although many experts dismissed it as pure tech optimism, his prediction held true. Solving the U.S. Productivity Paradox But as Moore’s pace of technology innovation grows at 50 percent annually, its impact on worker productivity lags at a disappointing 3 percent. This disconnect highlights the important role of humans in the overall tech/human relationship. The biggest issue with IT and productivity began in the 1970s, when the rate of productivity growth began to slow. Initially, economists and researchers found this residual drop difficult to explain. Eventually, the most startling correlation they found was that this productivity dip generally coincided with the increased use of IT among businesses worldwide (Byrnjolfsson, 1993). Only by understanding the causes of this so-called “productivity paradox” can enterprises learn how to identify and remove the obstacles to higher productivity growth. Tracking the Elusive Worker “You can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics.” —Robert Solow, father of the Solow “[Organizations] need to re examine how information workers spend their time and look for ways to shift a greater percentage of it to real value creation.” —IDC, 2012 Productivity Breakdowns and Barriers Since early humans began using the first technology—fire and hand tools— individuals and groups unable to use technology proficiently got left behind. Migration Mishaps Without access to continuous software coaching and tools, enterprises will be operating below full or even half efficiency, forfeiting significant amounts of productivity due to employees who lack the skills and/or training to competently use their software. The Hard and Soft Costs of Low Productivity The dollar costs of IT productivity breakdowns amount to $19,732 lost per information worker, per year on IT breakdowns, 21.3% loss in overall organizational productivity. Source: Webster, 2012 New Framework for Multiplying Productivity through Technology 1. Human-Centric Awareness and Usage Common challenges:
Action Steps:
Making information workers aware of and able to proficiently use the technology available to them can help enterprises realize up to 10-25% in productivity gains. 2. Human-Centric Problem Solving Common challenges:
Providing problem solving solutions to end-users that reduce the issues they have with the software technology they use on a daily basis can help enterprises realize up to 25-50% in productivity gains. 3. Human-Centric Skill Building Common challenges:
Action Steps:
Providing ongoing skill-building opportunities for end-users helps them become more efficient, productive employees and in turn can help enterprises realize up to 50-75% in productivity gains. 4. Human-Centric Technology Innovation Common challenges Institutionalize best practices with new recruits and business sector
Balancing proficiency with enterprise goals Exponential proficiency growth allows for IT innovation Moving a business forward with IT Enterprise Results Allowing enterprises and end-users to reach levels of skill that enables them to innovate through technology can help enterprises as a whole realize up to 75—100% in productivity gains. Conclusion To bridge the gap between individual proficiency and enterprise productivity, companies need a systematic and human-centred approach to achieving their business goals that identifies, improves and measures four key value drivers of productivity–from individual awareness and usage to enterprise-wide technology innovation. By utilizing this approach, enterprises can move up the value chain and maximize their return on technology investment. Taking this “human-centric” approach offers the best prospect of Moore’s Law for users, matching their increasing proficiency and productivity with the technological advances surrounding them. For more detail, see http://resources.idgenterprise.com/original/AST-0160139_Unlocking_Value_white-paper_Vitalyst.pdf
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2016 is the year of talent—how to find it, retain it, engage it and motivate it are at the top of organizations’ to-do lists. Here, workforce management experts share their predictions for the coming year.
Attracting, retaining and engaging employees is job number 1 for employers in 2016 as the IT talent crunch intensifies. The improving economy, aggressive recruiting practices and an emphasis on workplace culture have drastically shifted the relationship between employer and employee. Experts from The Workforce Institute at Kronos Incorporated and the Staples Advantage 2015 Workplace Index weigh in on their top 10 workplace predictions for the coming year.
When we work with boards of directors to help them prepare to interview CEO candidates, we develop an interview guide that will organize the conversation, which typically runs for 90 minutes. While interviews are only one step in a CEO hiring process, along with in-depth referencing and executive assessments, it is not an over-statement to say that they are the lynch-pin in the process. Boards and search committees will always put credence in analyzing track records and relevant experience, reviewing written reports, and talking to referees. But it is in the interview where chemistry is established and essential intangibles like passion, energy, and fit are determined. As a result, at the CEO level, as well as at every step in your career, being a strong interviewer is a major advantage. In conducting CEO candidate interviews, many questions posed by a search committee are, of course, customized to the company’s particular situation. But many of the questions are based on the essential areas in which a CEO needs to demonstrate capability: strategy and vision; growth, financial, and operational management; leadership and team building; and Culture. Here is the interview guide that we recently created for a board as part of a public company CEO search. If you are an active or aspiring CEO candidate, it will serve you well to be prepared to answer these types of questions. Even if you’re not yet at the CEO level, reflecting on these questions will give you an edge when you prepare for your next big job interview. INTRODUCTION The typical CEO interview begins with the chair welcoming the candidate, thanking them for coming and inviting the members of the search committee to introduce themselves. He or she will then tell begin with what I believe is the best opening question: “You have had a chance to begin to get to know our company. Why do you think this could be the right opportunity for you at this point in your career and why do you think you might be the right leader for us?” The best candidates will answer this with a crisp 4 to 6 minute narrative about their career, their relevant experience, their professional interests and aspirations, and a top-line assessment of the opportunity. Often times this is the most important question of an interview, because as we all know, first impressions are lasting impressions. It is in this questions, along with the hellos, handshakes, and introductions, where those all-important first impressions are made. INTERVIEW GUIDE From that point, each area of CEO capability are probed, with selections from the following questions (all of these questions would require several hours of discussion): Growth, Financial, and Operational Management Describe an instance where you have driven a company or business to accelerate growth, expand EBITDA and profitability, increase efficiency and enhance shareholder return. What was the vision and what needed to change? How did you get the organization to respond? What was the outcome? Describe your experience managing significant budgets and P&Ls. How did you prioritize your investments? What process did you use to gain support? What have been your experiences with tough decisions regarding budget cuts, restructuring or reallocating resources? With an example or two, tell us about how you have grown or changed a business or an organization through strategic partnership, joint venture or acquisition. What was the long-term effect on your business? Have you ever created and/or launched a new product or business that resulted in a new revenue stream? Strategy and Vision What do you think are the most-important strategic priorities for our company over the next three years? What would you do as CEO to achieve success against these priorities? How have you developed strategy when your business faced new market entrants and competitive threats? What were the short- and long-term goals that you put in place? How did you involve others in designing and implementing change? What was the result? Describe your experience managing an organization as it creates new business models, products, content or initiatives that are essential to the company’s growth. How did you develop a vision and a strategy to support it? How did you communicate and gain buy-in from key constituents as the organization evolved? What were the results? Leadership and Team Building How would you describe your management style? How would your staff and peers describe you? What would they say are your major strengths and/or weaknesses as a leader or manager? Where do you think you might improve? Explain some of the different environments that you have worked in. Where have you been at your very best? Describe the environments in which your leadership style is most effective. Where have you been frustrated and less successful? With an example or two, tell us something about your communications style in the workplace with your direct reports, your superiors and your staff more broadly? Also with the external community – clients, and investors? Tell us about a time when you took over a team that had been under the leadership of another person for a long period of time. What did you do to build support, rapport, trust and followership quickly? Technology Like many companies we are experiencing changes in our operating environment due to continued digital transformation, the shifting patterns of content consumption and aggressive competitors. What have you done to implement technology improvements, e.g., platform integrations, new enterprise management systems? Can you share a time when you have had to expand a core product set through innovation, and particularly in a mobile environment? How would you bring greater innovation to our company? What innovations have you led at other businesses that are most germane? What business that has adopted new technology and evolved their business model do you admire most? Why? Culture What is most important and valuable to you? What serves as a guiding principal in your life? Think back and share a story about a personal life experience that defines who you are today. What was the value/lesson? How have you changed cultures to facilitate innovation? Other Questions (if not previously addressed) What is your assessment of where our company stands today? From your vantage point, what is the company doing right and what needs to change? What do you believe would be your biggest obstacles to succeed as the next CEO? What development needs and gaps in skill/experience will you need to pay attention to, and how will you address them? Can you give us an example of where a gap in skill/experience led you to be less effective than desired? What have you done to ensure you do not fall into the same trap again? Describe one or two specific accomplishments that you are especially proud of over your career and why. How would you approach your first 100 days in the job? How would you learn the business, build trust, generate buy-in, and develop a plan? And finally, the all-important concluding question: “What questions do you have for us?” Be prepared to answer these types of questions and you will maximize your chances of acing the interview and getting a step closer to your next big job. Reproduced without change and with full acknowledgement to James Citrin of Spencer Stuart, Linkedin, 29 January 2016 |
AuthorAlletia van der Zandt is the founder of Psychometric Dynamics, and her work involves corporate change and assessments, for individuals and groups. ArchivesCategories |