What's your Employee - People Strategy?

 

What’s your Employee - People Strategy?

You have most certainly heard of “business” strategy and “financial” strategy. But you may have to think a little harder to remember if you have heard of a “people” strategy. You are not alone in this space. Many organizations have people, but hardly develop a sustainable people strategy that enables the organization to grow with its people. The people strategy of most business revolves around a “use and dump” procedure. The procedure begins with a) create job description, b) get a suitable person to do the job, and c) if they don’t do the job dump them and try someone else. In the eyes of the company, the person is an item of production rather than a strategic investment. The a,b,c hire and fire procedure does not guarantee the organization a developing future. It leaves an organization stuck in its (old) ways and leaves employees as hapless victims of a vicious use and dump cycle of employers who do not have a people strategy.

Let’s double back and cover some theory here. An effective people strategy begins with a well-crafted, documented, communicated organization strategy articulating the corporate goals of the business. Let’s call it a strategic plan. If the strategic plan sits on the shelf, like it does in many organizations, there can be no hope of an operational people strategy ever coming to light.  The strategic plan serves to dynamic articulate the dynamic roles people play as the organization advances to its goals. This means as the goals advance the people must also advance through training, capacity building to take on new updated challenges. If the people are not ready for advancement the business cannot advance. Indeed, unless the people advance the organization will remain the same. Your people should be driving the strategy not just implementing it. The secret is to put the horse in front of the cart (strategy) and not the cart in front of the horse. A business strategy cannot implement itself, it requires empowered people to drive it.

So what does a good people strategy entail. First is the understanding of business strategy by employees – quite apart from job descriptions and contracts. Second, cascading of roles and responsibilities flowing from the strategy. Third, equipment, empowerment and training of people to execute the activities that advance corporate objectives rather than carry out routine tasks that mark production as opposed to progress. Fourth, implement a people performance alignment process that aligns employees’ contribution to the advancement of corporate goals, strategically prepares people to address environmental change, and keeps the workforce on the cutting edge of strategy execution at all times. The African employee needs more than a job description to spearhead corporate goals. let them know where the business is going and you will be surprised how much more value they can produce. A people strategy will help you turnaround your employee performance, but more importantly, it will help you achieve your corporate goals.

Allan Bukusi,  is the author of ; How to Prosper in Employment and writer of the series of articles under the theme; 2026: Year of the African Employee challenging employees to prioritize creating personal wealth early in their careers.