Volume XXII, Number 45 (Issue 1101) | November 4, 2024
Connecting the Dots
Innovations in technology have led to the elimination of countless jobs. Mine may soon fall into that category when you consider the rise of AI. AI is already replacing the need for writers; soon it may take over the role of most management consultants too. Simply type in your problem plus any key constraints and ChatGPT or something similar will offer a diagnosis and recommended course of action in minutes. There is no need to hire a consultant when machine learning can provide an answer faster and cheaper. Is it possible I will soon go the way of the buggy whip manufacturers? Could be.
On the flipside, advances in technology are also giving birth to a host of new jobs directly connected to creating, implementing, maintaining, and serving those technologies. As such it is safe to say those new jobs will require different and more advanced skills. In such situations – where some jobs have been eliminated and others created through advances in technology – many entities and their people are benefitting from retraining (upskilling seems more appropriate).
Before going further, allow me to set the stage with a bit of added context. For decades, the number one complaint of the American worker has been a lack of communication. For the record that includes the sharing of information by those in the know as well as the willingness of those in positions of authority to listen to others with the intent to learn and understand.
While workers have long been frustrated by a lack of effective communication, in recent years employees have also begun voicing their desire for opportunities for personal and professional development. In fact, we now see the lack of opportunities for growth eclipsing lack of communication as the chief source of job dissatisfaction in some surveys. Separately or together, they serve as the number one trigger for voluntary turnover. Making matters worse, the loss of good people due to turnover costs an organization more than it would otherwise cost to invest in their people’s development. The opportunity to counter this with a mixture of upskills training and an increase in the amount of time spent coaching and interacting with their team members is part of the solution. If you are looking for credible evidence of that fact I would point you to an article by Ragan Decker, Ph.D. that appeared in the summer issue of SHRM’s HRQuarterly. There Decker states that fewer than one in three employees reported engaging in a meaningful conversation with their manager two or more times per year.
Might any of the following thoughts be getting in the way of those much-needed conversations?
- It is difficult to envision potential career paths for many of our team members.
- I do not want team members to think I am making a promise about their career path.
- I do not want them to expect me to commit to (or even imply) a date certain for such a move/promotion.
- The most logical existing seats are filled – usually by individuals who are of a similar age. Thus, who knows when an opening will materialize. And, even if an incumbent is approaching retirement age, I cannot press them for anything like a date certain.
Those are just a handful of the excuses used to avoid meaningful conversations. Yet even if excuses such as these have an ounce of validity, they cannot absolve us of our responsibility to invest in our team’s skill sets. One of our jobs as managers/leaders is to remove the obstacles that prevent our people from realizing more of their potential. Furthermore, who among us knows when new skills will be in demand or when new pathways will appear?
One final argument we still hear for not investing in one’s people is “what if I train them and they leave?” To which the classic rejoinder has been “what if you do not train them and they stay?” In today’s environment the reality is if you choose not to invest in your people, at some point soon the best and brightest are bound to leave anyway.
For those who have never studied or considered the full cost of turnover, its impact on your customers, partners, teammates, and the bottom line, we would be happy to share what we have learned. It is easy to connect those dots.
Soli Deo Gloria
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.” Isaiah 65:17
J. Keith Hughey
Mobile: (210)260-0955
E-mail: keith@jkeithhughey.com
Website: www.jkeithhughey.com
Transforming Potential into Unmatched Performance
Copyright 2024 by J. Keith Hughey. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted for reproduction and redistribution of this essay as provided under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Recent issues of Musings may be found at www.jkeithhughey.com. Your comments are always welcome.