It’s commonly perceived notion that people are one of the pillars of an organization. They can make an organization prosper even under most adverse conditions. This particularly holds good for some industries e.g. the service sector where people can be the key assets of the organization. As long as people are in sync with the organization, there is not an iota of doubt about the growth of the organization. However, it’s only through the strong sense of responsibility and accountability to the organization that this sync can be established whatever the challenges may be. And, this condition may not always be fulfilled. In that situation, an organization may find it challenging to (re)orient the people in unison with itself. Following paragraphs describe the various situations when (and how) the organizations need to intervene.
i) Affiliation need: Certain degree of affiliation need may help in increasing individual’s productivity. However, sometimes, it may be so strong that an individual may find it difficult to safeguard the organization’s interest at the cost of his personal relations with some other individual(s). So, the organization must ensure that there is a balance between the two. In case this balance disturbs, the organization must step in to safeguard its interests.
ii) Competitive Strength: The organization must analyze strengths and weaknesses of its people on a continuous basis and endeavor to overcome their weaknesses. Lack of competitive strength vis-à-vis the peers may tempt some individuals to find some easier path even if it is at odds with the organization’s interest and objectives. Organizations must find ways to pre-empt this situation. Some of the ways may be through training and development of the people and by creating an enabling environment.
iii) Subjectivity vs Objectivity: Sometimes, subjectivity may outdo the objectivity to the extent that an individual may become self-centric so much so that he is oblivious of his obligations towards the organization. Such a tendency must be discouraged through conducive work environment and organization culture. If it doesn’t work, the organization’s rules and regulations must be strong and effective enough to overcome the same.
iv) Super Ego: Human ego can be productive as long as it motivates an individual to excel and accomplish. However, super ego of an individual may make him reluctant to accept or even heed to others’ ideas which may be in the interest of the organization but at variance with his wishful thinking. The organization must be careful not to allow the culture of super ego to sprout in its environs.
v) Ethics and Integrity: Ethics and integrity must be the key ingredient of an organization’s culture and policy. Lack of rectitude may force an individual to serve his own vested interests at the cost of the organization’s interests. The organization must have zero tolerance to unethical practices.
vi) Personal Power vs Institutional Power: The greed for personal power (as against institutional power) may guide an individual to direct all his energy and efforts to invoke the personal loyalty instead of the organizational loyalty. On the other hand, institutional power is exercised to pursue organization’s goals and objectives. The organization must rein in the exercise of personal power in the guise of institutional power.
vii) Inertia: Human inertia is a strong obstacle in the path of an individual’s productivity and efficiency. It may lead to resistance to change which may be necessary to enhance productivity and efficiency, and achieve organizational goals and objectives. Resistance to change may cause stagnation and apathy which may again strengthen inertial forces. Thus, a vicious circle is created. Once it is created, it becomes challenging to break the same. Therefore, organizations must not allow the inertia to thrive and become the part of the practice by providing opportunities to the people to remain agile and dynamic.
viii) Recognition: While recognition for work well done acts as a motivation to perform better, false eulogy has tendency to make a person recalcitrant, conceited, show active or passive aggression, and may discourage others to perform well. Hence, organizations must ensure that recognitions are objective, driven purely by the merit, and not to be used just to fulfill affiliation needs of the individuals.
The organizations must be vigilant to pre-empt the occurrence of the situations which are inimical to their interest, mission, goals and objectives. People development with a focus on inculcating strong sense of responsibility and accountability to the organization should be made part of the organizational development process. Therefore, it should be implemented in a planned and systematic manner instead of following an ad hoc approach. Further, organizations must have strong and effective interventional mechanism in place which can be applied (if required) to dovetail individual need with the organization’s interest.
About Author: Satyendra Kumar Singh, B.Tech. (Chemical Technology) + M.B.A., is proprietor of Satsha Management Services-an award winning design engineering and management consulting company (www.satshamanagement.com). He possesses approximately 25 years’ experience in engineering consultancy in process and energy industries. Satyendra has authored several papers on energy, business and management, which have been published in some renowned journals/magazines such as ‘Chemical Engineering’, ‘Process Worldwide’, ‘Modern Manufacturing India’. He may be reached at satyendra.singh@satshamanagement.com, Ph. +919811293605.
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