Last time out, I began my Synchronicity series by discussing the first two key elements of building your dream team - sharing a common goal and establishing defined roles within your team. This time around, I will take in the other two key factors to ensure you have a full understanding of what it takes to forge a fantastic team.
China currently suffers from a chronic shortage of talented, qualified managers. With such talent becoming increasingly difficult to recruit, it is vital that you do everything you can to develop the talented individuals you already have, so that they can fill managerial roles in the future. With this in mind, I thought I would introduce some techniques that could help you to develop your existing staff, and help you develop yourself, so that you can manage your organisation's HR needs with greater effectiveness.
If I were to use the words ‘training contract', I am sure you would instantly assume that I were talking about an agreement that you might sign with a training provider. That would be a pretty safe assumption, right? However, you would be wrong. When I use the words ‘training contract', I am actually referring to a bond between you and your employees that could work to transform the way you train your team.
A single droplet of sweat trickled down my neck as the glowing amber sun beat down on us. I glanced out of the corner of my eye and saw our competitors lined up alongside us. It was the moment we had been preparing for over the last 5 years. Our goal was crystal clear - I had visualised this very occasion countless times. I thought about exactly what my role was as I shifted my hands around on the oar handle. The air was thick with nervous anticipation as we readied ourselves for six minutes of gruelling physical exertion, each of us distinctly aware of our goal. Then, almost without warning, the quiet Saturday afternoon air was interrupted with the explosive ‘crack' of the starting gun.
"Jessica" and "Bob" are two managers at a major multinational company in China. A few months ago, their organisation went through a significant restructuring process which placed everyone's job in jeopardy. During this difficult period, Jessica and Bob faced the unenviable task of trying to persuade their top employees to stay with the company, even though they could not offer job security. After much discussion and a series of meetings between the two managers and their respective teams, over 80% of Jessica's staff chose to stay, while fewer than 40% of Bob's staff remained with the firm. Both managers faced the same unfavourable circumstances, but Jessica was able to persuade her team much more effectively. Why was this the case? Jessica mastered the art of persuasion, whereas Bob did not!
In the last issue of Network HR, Allan Nee of Baode Law in Tianjin wrote a detailed and insightful article about the ways in which your organisation needs to adapt to China's new Labour Laws. Allan offered a myriad of fantastic advice. However, there was one factor he mentioned that really captured my attention - transparency.Read More
Benefits
The Power of Acknowledgement
he seeds of this article were sewn as I put together the last edition of Network HR. First, as I edited the Training & Development section, I read the following prophetic words from Jennifer Peterson, "If you want your customers to feel cared for, you must care for the employees that serve them." This started me musing about the way organisations across China treat employees.Read More
Training
Synchronicity for Success
A single droplet of sweat trickled down my neck as the glowing amber sun beat down on us. I glanced out of the corner of my eye and saw our competitors lined up alongside us. It was the moment we had been preparing for over the last 5 years. Our goal was crystal clear and I had visualised this very occasion countless times.Read More
Recuitment
War, what is it good for?
I believe I can bring the War for Talent to a peaceful end. I came to this realisation two
months ago after I was invited to present at the ‘Corporate Travel and Technology
World' conference in Shanghai. The topic, "Selecting Potential Leaders and Turning a Company from Good to Great", was
provided some months earlier, giving me time to source opinions from
around China. Read More