REFLECTION
5.2 Lessons from the Intervention Process
was useful and important to the various stakeholders. As a result we learnt better about each other's activities throughout the intervention process because participants felt that they were being heard.
Value Created As a manager what I take from this lesson is that I need to create opportunities for social discourse in the workplace or throughout the implementation of this proposed recruitment model.
Lesson
Significance
The importance of allowing group members participants to drive the process.
People feel valued; they feel like partners in the process and this helps to improve organisational culture. They share in the process ownership and are therefore self-organising. This then means that they need very little or no control/supervision during the process. Effectiveness increases.
Value Created As a manager I have to delegate, consult and empower participants within the process pursued by the organisation. Allowing participants to drive the process is also a very effective way oftransferring skills.
Lesson The importance of co-operation.
SignificanceKnowledge/ information is vast and one cannot hope to learn everything personally. Letting others share their
knowledge helps one learn more and also get a different view of what may have already been known to oneself.
One cannot hope to be an expert in all areas.
Value Created As a manager this means that I have to bring others into the process of learning and help create a synergy that allows all involved to consolidate and organise information into useful knowledge.
Lesson Organisational competencies are continually eroding.
SignificanceSo, organisations have to continually find new ways of satisfying the social needs of the market where they operate. This is very important as such changes impact directly on our target market and make it necessary for us to adapt our approach accordingly.
Value Created As a manager this means that I have to establish ways of tracking social needs and make appropriate modifications.
Lesson The significance of a business idea.
Significance The business idea helps identify what the organisation (unit) is about and so help in shaping organisational resources and actions in pursuit of better outputs. In this instance the business idea was that of the sub-system as the recruitment unit is part of a larger organisation.
communicate
Value Created As a manager I have to the business idea
understand throughout
and the
Lesson
organisational unit.
The importance of thinking systematically.
Significance This means being able to realise that each variable being manipulated will have an effect on a host of other variables within the organisation and the larger system.
The one element of this process that helped bring about any useful change has been the systems approach. In viewing the various elements of the situation I have been able to deal with the problem wholly. Systems thinking does not reduce issues to their smallest elements thereby removing other elements that may influence and/ or affect the problem rather it allows for the analysis of a problem within the context of its existence.
Value Created As a manager I have to keep my eyes on the bigger picture as well. There has to be an understanding that elements are interconnected within an organisation. The manipulation of other elements may influence and affect other elements and this may create unanticipated problems.
Lesson Using a cycHcal approach in process that involves parties with often-conflicting interests.
Significance Using various methods/processes in a cyclical way allows for the revisiting of issues thereby allowing for the clarification of processes and the refining of objectives.
This also allows all stakeholders to participate fully and continuously in the intervention process. A linear process is both limited and limiting in that if prevents the backward movement to issues that may have been inadequately handled.
Value Created A cyclical process may be time-consuming sometimes but it allows stakeholders to return to stages in the process that need further adjusting and can then refine issues and objectives. This is also a great way of restating the course of events should a need arise.
Lesson The importance of understanding the business environment.
SignificanceSuch an understanding is crucial in being able to plan, organise and adapt accordingly. Such and understanding includes being in tune with the prevailing politics of the industry, the norms and values and the prevailing culture. This type of understanding helps focus the access to various individuals/groups that are in turn owners of the process and can bring positive influence to the intervention process.
Value Created The manager should gather intelligence about the business environment at both micro and macro levels.
Lesson Feedback
SignificanceFeedback is not the response you get but what you do with the transformation process to try and control output to match the desired output levels. In this intervention process the challenge was in balancing the competing needs of stakeholders. So feedback was important in focusing the process in a way that served the various stakeholders without jeopardising the rest of the interested parties/other stakeholders.
Value Created The manager slwuld understand what the desired output is and then feedback into the transformation processasopposed the input.
Lesson Understand and establish the necessary levels of systems operations that help make your larger system viable.
SignificanceThis is important because my unit has to remain viable if it is to survive within the larger organisation in which it operates. The different levels of the systems operations are a useful tool in not only focusing the processes of the unit but also monitoring and controlling the operations in order to maintain necessary links with relevant elements within the larger organisation.
Value Created As a manager
if
I do that I keep the staff motivated and focused with no fear of sudden collapse of the unit's business.Lesson Decisions made iD organisations are iDftuenced by the present
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prevailiDg requisite variety.SignificanceThis is important in that it highlights the need for a consultative process that uses other expertise within the organisation. In large organisations there are a host of people with varying expertise in various fields. It is thus important to not only recognise that but to incorporate that expertise in bringing about change that will benefit everyone by allowing existing expertise to influence the process.
Value Created This helps highlight the need to use others through delegation/ allocation/ designation to access different mews, knowledge and expertise available within the organisation at its different levels.
Lesson Functions at different systems levels can be made up of different individuals.
Significance A function does not necessarily mean one person performing it but could be a basket of skills drawn from a number of individuals within the organisation. This is a very good way of bringing in the various skills varieties and competencies present within the organisation.
Value Created This helps highlight the importance of being able to identify and draw from different individuals to maximise synergy that will help get things done better. That way there is a buy in from a greater number of people as their expertise is acknowledged and used in creating a better/improved situation.
Lesson To be viable it is necessary to work on development and growth.
Significance Success of an organisation hinges on developing and growing the organisation because competencies erode over time. So there has to be built in a continual process of interaction, training seminars and modification of activities and processes of the new recruitment model.
Value Created This helps keep participants on the other side of complacency and draws the attention to the fact that development and growth within an organisation are mutually inclusive.
Lesson Constant and regular communication between different systems levels is vital.
Significance This boils down to synergy. Different functions are baskets of skills drawn from numerous individuals;
therefore if we are to draw from others within the organisation's basket of skills we have to be able to access these individuals and skills. Once the initial contact has been established it has to be maintained so that the same skill base used in the beginning can be used to maintain and improve on the intervention.
Value Created One of the manager's responsibilities is to make sure that communication channels are set up and are used.
Lesson An onion is a sum total of its skins so one should be careful when peeling.
Significance In dealing with organisations and trying to isolate different levels during scrutiny; its important to remember that elements of the system behave within the system and not in isolation; they are affected by others levels.
Value Created There needs to be a realisation that each system level counts and is vital in the ultimate result of the organisation.
Lesson SI, S2, S3, S4 and S5 are about functions not individuals.
Significance This is very important to remember in organisations that often cite shortages of staff/human resources. The same individuals can be brought it at different systems levels to carry out a designated function. In fact, their presence at more than one level brings in varying and enriching perspectives as they are aware of challenges faced at different levels of the model.
Value Created For me as a manager it means being diligent in hiring staff with skills/expertise that will help fulfill the different skills necessary to fulfill the various systems levels.