Many organisations talk about people being their greatest asset. Yet often there is a huge gap between what leaders and managers say and how they behave. I am sure we all have encountered situations where words and actions are out of sync.
It’s an area that has always fascinated me. Most organisations (and the NHS is no exception) spend more on their staff salaries than any other item. It is not uncommon for up to 70% of the total spend to be on salary or salary related costs.
But do you ever stand back and think consciously about whether you are getting the return on the significant investment you make in staff? Some organisations do but in my experience the vast majority of them don’t.
I am sure we have all encountered situations when it came to cost cutting when we saw training and development as the easy option (and yes I have been as guilty of this as the next person). Yet think about it. If we are going to get the best from people we want to make sure their skills and expertise are up to date.
We would not rely on equipment that was used in patient care to run way below its potential performance. So we do regular maintenance and get the necessary updates to keep productivity up, reduce risk and make it as safe as we can for patients.
If we were to adopt this same mindset and attitude to developing and growing people what difference would it make?
- People would feel more valued and as a result be much more engaged
- When people are engaged they go the extra mile day in and day out rather than just when it is a real emergency
- When you invest in people it builds not just their skills but their loyalty to the organisation
- Better skilled people raise standards and strive to get better
- Patients and users of services ultimately benefit
The reality is that making the shift from seeing people as an expense to seeing them as a real asset and contributor to organisational success is not that difficult.
So what steps can you take as an organisation to leverage the full potential of your investment in people.
Goals and Achievements help organisations deliver great performance through people. To learn more click here