Capability = Cognitive capacity + Skills & Knowledge +
Value the Work – Negative Temperament
Let's look at one component that too many managers overlook: “valuing the work”.
It means that employees have to be
willing to get up every day and tackle the work with relish. If they do, they
will bring commitment and passion to their job. This energy is infectious
throughout the workplace: when employees love what they do, and are working at
the correct level for their capability, the organization thrives.
If you don’t think that valuing the work is an important
requirement in the talent building process, take a look at this example, in which a radiology technician became disengaged with her work
and falsified test results. This lead, tragically, to the deaths of several
women whose breast scans were ignored.
Often in my coaching practice, I hear from senior
managers who are puzzled by the behaviour of their direct reports. “He used to
be so passionate about his job,” they tell me. “But now his work is sub-par. He
shows up late, misses deadlines, and under-delivers. I don’t know what’s
changed.”
As a manager, it’s your job to speak to the employee and
find out what the issue is. Yes, it might be an uncomfortable conversation. But
it’s your job to manage! And if you find that your employee is in over his head,
or bored by the work, that’s a situation you need to resolve.
Talent building is not just about hiring the right employee
for the job, and then leaving them to fend for themselves. It’s an reiterative
process in which employees are selected, on-boarded and coached to success. And managers are accountable for this.
