While today's economic environment certainly brings a host of challenges to those of us in the rewards field, it bring opportunities as well. As I posted over at Compensation Force, reflecting on the mood at the recent WorldatWork conference:
Because crisis is truly a game changer on so many levels, it also provides us with the chance to hit the reset button on ineffective, suboptimal and failed reward practices. It gives us the chance to make new deals and to push forward reward principles and ideas that will better position our organizations (and the people who depend on them) for success and prosperity in the future.
As we step up to embrace this opportunity and put forth innovative new programs and elements, we would be wise to heed the advice of Seth Godin, who urges us to recognize the inevitable gap between an old approach and a new way of doing things.
From Seth's post:
There's always a gap between the short-term results of a well-polished system and the first results of a switch to a more efficient one.
If you stick with that thing you've worked so hard to perfect, the next few hours or weeks or months will surely outperform the results you'll get from the new thing. That's because there are switching costs, glitches and a learning curve.
When you rearrange the shop floor, switch to email, convert your interactions to a new platform or make a building more energy efficient, this always happens. That means if you have a short-term perspective, you're never going to switch.
Switching your ad campaign to digital? You'll take a hit. Better stick to what you know.
Switching from a central city cube farm to a distributed at-home workforce? That will cost you big time next quarter. Probably not worth it.
While we - and everyone else involved - will be anxious for a new/improved program to deliver results, we must remember that getting there extends well beyond program design. In fact, one of the most important (and often most demanding) responsibilities involved with new program development is shepherding that program across this gap to success.
Ann Bares is the Editor of Compensation Café, Author of Compensation Force and Managing Partner of Altura Consulting Group LLC, where she provides compensation consulting services to a wide range of client organizations. She earned her M.B.A. at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School, enjoys reading in her spare time and is currently trying to decide whether to follow her daughter to China this summer. Follow her on Twitter at @annbares.
Image: Creative Commons Photo "Mind the Gap" by zimpenfish
True and well although why change a process that already works well? If there's a clear need to do do away with a well functioning process, it's definitely good to keep in mind that it will take time to get the improved results. On the other hand, continuous process improvement as a 'game' often results in short-term disorientation and frustration in exchange for little or no longer-term gain.
Posted by: working girl | 06/26/2009 at 03:37 AM