It’s a reasonable question to ask – where are we on the performance curve?
You can read some indicators, symptoms and causes of your progress to genuine competitive advantage below. There is nothing more complex than a human, except a group of us, and this model is a brief distillation of my 40 years experimenting on people at work.
Let’s examine the performance curve from the viewpoint of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
Physiological Needs
Human Emotions
Primarily fear, the ‘will I survive’ question.
How to find food, water, shelter.
Management Incentives
Do as I say or die.
Work environment
Slavery
Zero hours contracts
Security Needs
Human Emotions
Can I provide the basics of life for myself and my family?
Am I safe from violence, theft and life changing disasters?
Management Incentives
Just do as you’re told and we will look after you
Contract of Employment
The lure of promotion and a rising security
Work Environment
Payment by results schemes
Life Assurance, pension, sick pay as part of salary.
Obviously, people only work for money.
People are valued by their pay rate.
Social Needs
Human Emotions
I spend 37 hours a week at work and nobody knows, or cares, about me.
Frightened to speak up for fear of losing security.
Why won’t anyone treat me like a human being!
I have so much more I could give to my work!
Management Incentives
Annual Appraisals, performance reviews.
If you perform well we will train you.
Of course, work is boring, as a bonus we give an extra day’s holiday.
Work hard and you will retire comfortably.
Work Environment
Clearly, we can’t let people do as they want they have work to do!
Works’ Council to involve people in their organisation.
A Social Club for people to socialise after work.
We are an enlightened employer, you should be grateful!
Esteem Needs
Human Emotions
It’s great my boss treats me as an individual, it makes me want to help.
I love that my ideas get a hearing and some are taken up and used.
I wish they would recognise my extra contributions and not just give me a bonus.
I just wish I could contribute more and feel proud of my job.
Management Incentives
It’s such a great feeling when my boss asks for my opinion.
I feel so involved in the changes, we all want to make them work.
The chance to be part of that Improvement team is because you can help.
Cross-functional training to raise your contribution to the organisation.
The promise that rising profits means pay will rise.
Work Environment
Regular celebrations of people’s contributions above and beyond what is expected.
We talk about making things better in the breaks!
The focus is on getting the job done and pleasing the Customer.
We expect you to help us out when we need an extra push to meet a deadline.
You are important and we need you.
We all work here, we just have different jobs.
Our people are our most important asset which is why we talk to you daily!
Our mission is to achieve a 10% Return on Invested Capital.
Self-Actualisation Needs
Human Emotions
I use all my abilities in my work, I feel my unique contribution is valued.
I love working here!
I am always telling friends what a great place this is and what we do!
I think about work issues at home and can’t wait to start and try my ideas.
The day is packed with so many different opportunities to contribute.
I feel lucky, valued and fortunate.
I am the real expert on this in my organisation and probably the world!
Management Incentives
If you’ve got an idea tell someone!
Experiment on your idea, use the links to set up a team to investigate.
Don’t worry if the experiment fails, we’ve learned something, start again.
We trust you with the data, use it to improve our processes.
Support staff have 10% ‘me-time’. Tap into it to run experiments. They will expect help in return!
Meet Customer needs at a profit, a little better each time.
Work Environment
- How can I help?
- Better next time.
- The work is first.
- Delegated responsibility to the lowest levels.
- Business information is widely available to allow calculations on improvements.
- There are a few core process steps that need sign off to change.
- Everyone will pitch in when something needs doing.
- You are expected to be the best you can possibly be, and give all you possibly can.
Other viewpoints are available, as they like to say on the BBC, and next week you can read more.
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