THE CRITICAL PATH: Recruiting, Retaining and Developing, OH MY! – Power Idea by Jerry Houston

We have been talking a lot this quarter about this Critical Path Process of finding and keeping the right talent in your organization. I was talking with a long time client and friend over this Memorial Day Weekend and she recanted a story about a difficult position that a couple of supervisory level employees put the organization in over a situation that involved some harassment in the workplace on one of their operating units.

While this is a difficult situation for any organization, it was especially difficult for this organization due to the nature of its business. And then, something amazing happened.

The culture of this great organization was such that some employees who cared enough about the organization, stepped forward and brought to management’s attention the issues that were at hand…this is called COURAGE! (I wish you all could hear my imitation of the Cowardly Lion right now).

And then the story gets better… how did management react?… COURAGE! Management took action, investigated the claims, dealt swiftly and decisively with the situation, and resolved it, sending a very strong message that the culture of the organization does not embrace the improper activity that was taking place and that there are consequences when team members violate the rules and the training that they have all received.

In the end, it isn’t what happens, but how your organization reacts to what happens that clearly defines the culture of the workplace and what is acceptable and what is not. It is this type of activity that sends a message of integrity and caring about the welfare of the organization and its people. It’s this kind of COURAGE that sends a message to the whole team that this is truly a great place to work and helps to keep this organization on their critical path and ensures a bright future for everyone involved.

Have a Great Week,
Jerry