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Once my friend asked his boss that he want to improve his performance. What should he do to come in the highest rating bracket? He was asking for hints on which he can develop a further strategy. Generally, it is considered that the highest rating people contribute the most to the organization. But the number of such people are hardly 8-12% and we insist that these number should remain like this only each year. Why? Are we not looking for more contributions from such people in the organization’s growth?
Three Level of Performers
My friend got an indirect answer from his boss, which was like, ‘You must be motivated by the compensation that highest bracket rating bracket is getting’. Mainly hint was that start improving on your own by seeing your peer’s compensations. But how? This part was completely missing. After a few years later, when I become the boss, I was realizing that why people are not guiding all subordinates to improve their performance. They generally left them to learn in their own way. The main focus remains only on that 8-12 %. All the special assignments are being assigned to them.
This gives a balancing advantage to seniors for justifying their position and also the position of each subordinate. They need to maintain some specific numbers in each performance bracket. Those brackets can be like High Performer, Average Performer, and Below Average Performer. Throughout the year, high performers get so many opportunities to learn, perform and justify their positions. The same is true for the other two groups by not contributing through the special assignments. For them, their routine work is more them sufficient.
Do you think that not a single person, especially below average performer, can perform on those assignments? Don’t forget that these people had also gone through the same recruitment process as high performers.
“One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.” – Abraham Maslow
Focus Only on Future of the Business
For so many companies growth patterns are stuck up in the long run as individuals are competing with each other to move up the corporate ladder. This factor remains in the mind of each person instead of focusing on the future of the business. Another day I was watching the Jeff Bezos interview. One line which really rewinds again and again in my mind is like “For my business, I live in the future most of the time and my business executives also follow this.” With this thought process, you can imagine the growth & presence of Amazon across the world. And the entry of Jeff Bezos in a new venture like Blue Origin, which is completely a future-oriented business. Blue origin is engaged in space tourism.
Some of you may argue in the case of the corporate domain that a higher pay scale will solve the problem. I bet it can’t. Imagine that the pay scale is increased for each and every employee of the organization by some fixed percentage. What will be the impact? There will be momentary motivation, but immediately after one or two months’ time situation will remain the original.
Think about low-rated people, what thoughts would have been running in their minds while entering the organization. Only a few are able to focus on improving their performance the next year. Most of them think like ‘two punch one lunch’ on any working day and follow the instruction. They continuously reduce their efficiency at work. These people are the least guided people. Nobody care to guide them to improve their performance. To manage the rating system, organizations need such people in the same brackets.
Way Ahead in Corporate
So what is the way out? We must create an atmosphere to support each other instead of competing. The only focus should be the focus on business growth. Rather than waiting for a complete year to give feedback, we can have a system for quarterly feedback. Feedback should be given on good points, and focus area points or improvement points to each individual. If a person’s attitude is good, then you can feel the dramatic jump in the quantum of work as well as his or her efficiency. Is this system helping the only individuals to improve his or her personal growth? No, it’s a win-win situation for both, the person as well as the organization.
If an employee is underachieving, instead of telling them they are basically terrible on paper, try to actually get to the root cause of the issue and put a strategy in place that will support them and give them the tools and skills to improve. I have seen several average performers and below-average performers, who are desperate for improving their performance but many a time become victims of the organization systems.
Go Beyond the Sympathy in Olympic
The same thing is happening in India for the Olympics. We all know that each medal, be it bronze, silver, or gold, central or state governments are announcing decent prize money to the winners. Also, lot many other facilities for that winner’s village or town or city. Even a decent job. Overall any Olympic medal is bringing crores of rupees to the winner.
Should not be this an inspiration for many people to give more focus on games? But this is not the way it seems. Like in the corporate example as financial lucrativeness is not the solution to grow the organization. We want people to get motivated by the compensation package of the top contributors but not guiding them on how. The same how is missing in the games here, leading to our thin presence as a country in the Olympics. In so many games we are far behind the international standard. I am a big fan of my country, but I still feel to share my thoughts on this part.
We should not become emotional at the time of only Olympic but we must focus & develop the system like the countries which are consistently winning a large number of Olympic medals. We are more than 130 crores of people & is it the case that we are not having talented players, athletes. If systems are in place to bring top talent and also to develop the best skill and capabilities in games, we can also win a large number of medals.
The Concern of Money in Games
And if you think money is the issue here, I don’t agree. We have plenty of money to focus on national and international games. But it all needs a strong commitment at all levels. The process must start from the school and colleges. There must be a strong sense of connection with the game to each student. They must feel secure for their future by opting for sport as a full-time activity.
It is not the time of showing sympathy but courage to take strong action to bring our nation forward in the international game arena.
