Measuring Organisational Effectiveness | Kevin Empey
Summary
TLDRIn this discussion at HR Congress, the speaker explores the evolving nature of organizational effectiveness and measurement. Emphasizing the shift from traditional hierarchical models to more collaborative, network-based structures, the talk highlights the importance of identifying relevant metrics in this new context. The conversation also delves into skill development, stressing the need for both technical and adaptive skills to thrive in a rapidly changing work environment. The focus is on understanding what and why we measure, and how to foster personal agility and resilience in employees.
Takeaways
- 📏 The script discusses the challenge of measuring organizational effectiveness amidst rapid changes in organizational structures and job contexts.
- 🔍 There's a tension between traditional hierarchical structures and the need to move towards more complex, networked organizational models.
- 🤖 The changing nature of work involves not only human employees but also contingent workers, robotics, and other innovative ways of getting work done.
- 📈 The script questions whether traditional metrics are still relevant in the new world of work and if they should be adapted for measuring effectiveness in more collaborative and experimental environments.
- 💡 It suggests that the metrics used to measure project management may not be suitable for measuring innovation and that there could be a mismatch.
- 🧐 The importance of understanding what is being measured and why is highlighted, as it relates to the target organizational design and culture.
- 👥 The concept of skills, rather than jobs, is emphasized, suggesting that skills development could be an indicator of organizational design and effectiveness.
- 🛠️ Skills management and development are presented as crucial for individuals to create a pathway for their own growth within an organization.
- 🌐 The discussion introduces the idea of a 'personal agility model' which includes competencies such as learning ability, change ability, resilience, and collaboration.
- 🔑 The enduring or 'softer' skills that help individuals adapt and thrive in a changing work environment are identified as important for future success.
- 📚 The script concludes by emphasizing the need to assess and select for these adaptive skills, as they are predictive of success in an ever-evolving work landscape.
Q & A
What is the main challenge discussed in the transcript regarding organizational effectiveness?
-The main challenge discussed is determining what to measure and why, especially in the context of rapidly changing organizational structures and the need for more complex models involving networks, collaborations, and alliances.
How is the shift from traditional hierarchical structures affecting the way organizations measure effectiveness?
-The shift is creating tension as organizations move towards more complex models, which may not be well-served by traditional metrics, leading to a need to redefine what effectiveness means and how it is measured.
What is the potential mismatch between traditional project management metrics and the requirements of an innovative, experimental organizational culture?
-Traditional metrics may not capture the essence of innovation and experimentation, as they often focus on project management effectiveness, lead times, and productivity, rather than fostering a culture of innovation.
Why is the concept of measuring within an 'inch of our lives' problematic in the context of organizational effectiveness?
-It is problematic because while technology allows for more precise measurement, the focus should be on the relevance and purpose of the measurements, ensuring they align with the organization's goals and the changing nature of work.
What is the significance of the transition from measuring job roles to measuring skills in the context of HR analytics?
-The significance lies in the recognition that skills, rather than job titles, are more indicative of an individual's ability to adapt and grow within an organization, especially in a rapidly changing work environment.
How does the concept of a 'personal agility model' relate to the development of enduring skills in a changing work environment?
-The personal agility model emphasizes competencies such as learning mindset, change ability, resilience, collaboration, and conflict handling, which are seen as key to adapting and thriving in a dynamic work environment.
What is the importance of assessing and selecting for adaptive skills in an organization?
-Assessing and selecting for adaptive skills is crucial as these skills are predictive of success in a future where vocational skills will inevitably change, and the ability to learn and adapt is paramount.
How can skills development be used as an indicator for organizational design?
-Skills development can indicate the adaptability and readiness of an organization to embrace change, innovate, and remain competitive, serving as a reflection of the organization's design and culture.
What are some of the enduring 'softer skills' that are important for individuals to develop in order to adapt to the changing world of work?
-Enduring softer skills include a learning mindset, positive attitude towards change, resilience, collaboration, and the ability to handle conflict, which are essential for personal and professional growth in a dynamic work environment.
How can organizations ensure that their measurement systems are aligned with the new paradigms of work?
-Organizations can ensure alignment by critically evaluating their current metrics, understanding the needs of a more networked and collaborative structure, and developing new metrics that reflect the values and goals of the modern workplace.
What is the role of HR analytics in facilitating the transition to a more adaptive and skill-focused organizational structure?
-HR analytics plays a key role in identifying, measuring, and promoting the development of adaptive skills within individuals, helping organizations to assess and select for these skills, and ultimately shaping a more agile and future-ready workforce.
Outlines
📏 Measuring Organizational Effectiveness Amidst Change
This paragraph discusses the challenges of measuring organizational effectiveness in a rapidly changing business environment. The speaker reflects on the tension between traditional hierarchical structures and the need to adapt to more complex, networked organizational models. The importance of understanding what and why we measure is emphasized, along with the potential mismatch between metrics used in traditional settings and those that might be more appropriate for innovative, collaborative environments. The conversation hints at the need for new paradigms in measurement that align with evolving organizational designs.
🛠️ Skills Development for a Resilient and Agile Workforce
The second paragraph delves into the concept of skills development beyond traditional vocational and technical abilities. It introduces the idea of a 'personal agility model' that encompasses enduring soft skills such as learning mindset, change ability, resilience, collaboration, and conflict management. The discussion highlights the importance of these adaptive skills in preparing individuals to thrive in the face of constant change. The focus is on helping individuals assess and develop these skills, which are seen as predictive of success in the future workplace, where the specific vocational skills required are expected to evolve.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Measurement
💡Organizational Effectiveness
💡Analytics
💡Hierarchical Structures
💡Collaborative Networks
💡Innovation
💡Skill Management
💡Adaptive Skills
💡Personal Agility
💡Vocational Skills
💡HR Analytics
Highlights
The importance of understanding what and why we are measuring in the context of rapidly changing organizational structures and the need for effective measurement systems.
The tension between traditional hierarchical structures and the pressure to move towards more complex organizational models involving networks, collaborations, and partnerships.
The challenge of determining if traditional metrics are still relevant for measuring the effectiveness of modern, collaborative, and experimental organizational models.
The potential mismatch between metrics used in project management and those needed for innovation and creativity in organizations.
The need to reassess what we are measuring and why, especially when it comes to organizational design and effectiveness in the new world of work.
The concept of personal agility as a key competency for individuals to adapt, change, and thrive in the ever-changing work environment.
The distinction between vocational and technical skills versus the more enduring 'softer skills' that help individuals adapt to change.
The importance of developing a learning mindset and resilience as part of the personal agility model for future success in the workplace.
The role of collaboration and networking as essential skills for individuals to navigate conflict and build strong professional relationships.
The idea that adaptive skills may be more predictive of success than specific vocational skills, which are subject to change over time.
The need for organizations to assess and select individuals based on their adaptive skills, which can help ensure long-term success and adaptability.
The importance of skill development as an indicator for organizational design and the potential for individual measurement to inform broader organizational strategies.
The discussion around skill management and development as a critical aspect of HR analytics and its impact on organizational effectiveness.
The exploration of how to measure the effectiveness of skills development and the role of training models in facilitating this process.
The emphasis on the importance of creating a pathway for individual growth and skills development within an organizational structure.
The potential for a shift in focus from job-specific skills to a broader skillset that can be applied across various roles and industries.
The idea that the top layer of skills will always change, but having a strong foundation of adaptive skills can help individuals remain relevant and successful.
Transcripts
we're being asked to measure within an
inch of our lives about you know things
and we have maybe the ability in terms
of technology to be able to measure more
effectively but the question is what
we're measuring and most importantly why
[Music]
I came in it's a pleasure to have here
at HR Congress Kevin I was just coming
over the last weeks when meeting with
peers were the question especially how
to measure organizational effectiveness
in the context of that organization's
redefine themselves faster and faster
especially in their job context yeah
it's again one of those because on on
one side with all this analytics and
information where we're being asked to
measure within an inch of our lives
about you know things and we have maybe
the ability in terms of technology to be
able to measure more effectively and but
the question is what we're measuring and
most importantly why why we're measuring
stuff I I guess from the organization
design context but certainly amongst
traditional organizations we're finding
this tension aren't we this transition
from traditional hierarchical
bureaucratic kind of structures that
have served as well into we're getting
this pressure to move towards a more
complex organizational model more
networks collaborations and alliances
and partnerships and where the employee
as well is not necessarily permanent
employees there's contingent workers
there's robotics going on there's a
whole way variety of ways of getting
work done if you like so we're so and
we're bringing into this new world we're
probably bringing some I don't know
paradigms or passions of what what our
measurement systems you know the metrics
that we think are the right ones to
measure effectiveness from the old world
are they necessarily the dashboard and
the metrics to measure organization
effectiveness in the new world so so for
instance if we say that it's really
important for it to have a collaborative
network kind of organization one of the
metrics were using to measure that
outcome the outcome is from that point
of view if we're saying that we need
more experimental it's not just about
project management effectiveness and you
know project management lead times and
all that sort of traditional measures of
productivity but now we also have this
experimental
idea innovation princes so are we trying
to bring the metrics from project
management kind of world into innovation
world and actually maybe they there's a
mismatch between these two kind of
worlds if you like so so one of my kind
of questions when we talk about
organization design organization
effectiveness and measuring that is well
what are we measuring and and and and
why you know and I'm really are we about
trying to measure a target culture as
much as a target organizational design
you know okay understood we had some
discussion with Philip Mario about skill
management skill development so my
question would be as a head of HR
analytics is maybe individual
measurement which is not personally used
but but used as an indicator for
organizational design like skilled
management like skill development of
individuals within an organizational
structure could that be an indicator to
help I think that's it's really
interesting how the whole area of skills
rather than jobs is not you know and and
how do we measure our effectiveness and
how do we help individuals create a
pathway to their own growth and skills
development as well one of the area's
we've been looking at is is around the
the pert this sort of skill set for the
changing world of work in other words
that while there are vocational skills
and technical skills digital product
development agile methods or whatever
it's well this is sort of that's the
kind of surface layer of skills
development which we can probably
measure quite well and and there's
plenty of up there's plenty of training
models whether it's full certification
or a more brief on-the-job training you
know there's plenty of ways we can
measure the transition there's sort of
transactional level if you like of
skills what we were trying to think
about was well what are the more
enduring softer skills that help people
adapt and change and thrive if you like
in this sort of changing world work we
have this model around a personal
agility model which which is a
competencies really around
learning learning mindset or learning
ability for instance change ability do I
have a positive attitude towards change
or a more defensive attitude towards
change for instance resilience
collaboration and networked to I value
can have been networked and and and
handling conflict for instance so
there's a sort of a bundle there of
skills of the future if you like that
that that we've we've researched into
thinking well if we have those adaptive
skill sets if we have those adaptive
skills then we're going to be able to be
resilient and equipped enough to be able
to take on the more vocational skills as
they are inevitably change over time do
you know what I mean so so I think
skills development is going a little bit
level deeper to kind of go okay we know
you need to develop these skills you
know and it will be in different set of
skills next year and whatever as your
career develops but what we're really
interested in helping you understand as
an individual is have you got some of
these adaptive learning learning to
learn skills if you like are you able to
these adaptive skills how do we help you
assess where you are with those skills
and how do we select for those skills
maybe and promote people with those
skills knowing that they will be the
predictive sort of success skill sets
and you know for the future because the
top layer will always change Kevin thank
you well great are you very much good to
me thank you
[Music]
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