The overuse of "people" as competitive advantage
The overuse of "people" as competitive advantage
Look at a high performing organization today, The New England Patriots (except the last few games but go with me here). Are they successful simply because they have better players? In absolute terms, they may or may not have better players than many other teams. I think they are better because they have developed the right systems to deliver winning performance, and that’s the key. The right systems to deliver winning performance. The scouting talent subsystem (they are finding the right talent), the selection subsystem (they are picking the right people from those they scout), the on-boarding subsystem (that’s how Randy Moss was integrated into the team and became productive so fast). And, let’s not forget the performance management and accountability subsystem (the front-line coaching staff and the job they do) and the leadership subsystem (coach Belichek and others).
So, it’s not simply the people who take the field that make the Patriots, or any other high performing organization, function so well. It’s the integrated system (meta-system perhaps) that delivers the right talent for winning performance.
All organizations need to look at these various systems to make sure they support delivering winning performance and that’s more than hiring great talent. Without the right systems in place, high performance is not sustainable.
The overuse of people as competitive advantage - To learn more about this author, visit John Madigan's Website.
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Despite being an HR guy, I’m frankly tired of hearing that “people are your competitive advantage”. It appears to be very fashionable now to refer to your human capital as your last or best source of competitive advantage. I’m all in favor of talent since it’s at the center of our name and services. And, don’t get me wrong, hiring the right people is vitally important to the success of your enterprise (said the long time Staffing guy). However, your real competitive advantage lies in the systems you build, sustain and continually improve to consistently deliver winning performance. One of these systems is how you find, select, on board, develop and manage the performance of your talent---in my view your talent management system.
Look at a high performing organization today, The New England Patriots (except the last few games but go with me here). Are they successful simply because they have better players? In absolute terms, they may or may not have better players than many other teams. I think they are better because they have developed the right systems to deliver winning performance, and that’s the key. The right systems to deliver winning performance. The scouting talent subsystem (they are finding the right talent), the selection subsystem (they are picking the right people from those they scout), the on-boarding subsystem (that’s how Randy Moss was integrated into the team and became productive so fast). And, let’s not forget the performance management and accountability subsystem (the front-line coaching staff and the job they do) and the leadership subsystem (coach Belichek and others).
So, it’s not simply the people who take the field that make the Patriots, or any other high performing organization, function so well. It’s the integrated system (meta-system perhaps) that delivers the right talent for winning performance.
All organizations need to look at these various systems to make sure they support delivering winning performance and that’s more than hiring great talent. Without the right systems in place, high performance is not sustainable.
The overuse of people as competitive advantage - To learn more about this author, visit John Madigan's Website.
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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