Every month a book is featured by HRSB Concepts Inc. relating to human resources, organizational development and strategy. Books are selected for their rich content and practical applications in the workplace. A brief summary of the book along with key practices of particular interest to developed and/or developing countries will be highlighted.
August Feature
Hot Spots: Why Some Teams, Workplaces, and Organizations Buzz with Energy - And Others Don't (Hardcover)
by Lynda Gratton (Author)
Lynda Gratton has been one of my most favorite authors on the subject of performance management and employee engagement. Her book Strategic Human Resource Management: Corporate Rhetoric and Human Reality written in 1999 led the way to this sequel which talks about how to find traction for change and improvement.
As in her previous book, it is filled with insights and practical observations taken from years of research and experience working with organizations. She demonstrates how sharing small wins can create hotspots that engage people for change and break barriers for improvement. The author highlights how important it is for managers to spend as much time and effort in supporting their employees’ development outcomes as they do in overseeing their employees’ performance and business outcomes. She also talks about making change happen. She explains how making commitments for change must be made 1. public (i.e. to create obligations and bare potential problems); 2. active (i.e. to experiment with possibilities); 3. voluntary (i.e. to ignite with a belief that it is the right thing to do), 4. explicit (i.e. to continuously ensure an open understanding of what will be achieved and how) and 5. motivated. (to clearly show alignment with broader strategies).
The book also provides resources for creating hotspots and advocates one of my all time favourites: the Force Field Analysis. Whether you are a leader or a team member there is plenty of advice in this book ripe for application.
