On the subject of breakthrough ideas, Stanford professor and organizational theorist James March had this to say (via Bob Sutton):
Most claims of originality are testimony to ignorance and most claims of magic are testimony to hubris.
This is good advice for us as we work to resurrect our compensation budgets, structures, plans and ideas from the morass of the recession and position them for 2011.
There are a lot of pitches out there... books, articles, webcast and even (yes!) blog posts on NEW approaches for engaging, motivating and improving the performance of employees.
This presents us with a paradox of sorts. On the one hand, we must keep our minds open to new ideas and perspectives. We must summon the courage to challenge the status quo and "the way we've always done things", where old patterns and habits have locked us into policies and practices that no longer deliver value. No denying that the last few years have brought some harsh lessons, and we'd be wise not to ignore or overlook them.
On the other hand, we must stay grounded in the reality that many of the challenges we face are simply the newest incarnation or twist on the same problems we've always come up against. They are the universal issues inherent in managing organizations full of human beings. We must also recognize that our employees are weary and stressed out, and we must acknowledge this fact in planning for new initiatives and changes.
At the end of the day, much of successful reward practice amounts to doing the basics well. Setting clear and thoughtful objectives and strategy. Grounding plan design in sound research and assessment ... and in business reality. Paying attention to process and participation. Communication. Education.
And so my thought is this: Perhaps most of our 2011 planning energy and focus is best used shoring up the basics of our programs and plans (see the points above), reserving a small amount for working to incorporate that one new idea or insight - however small - that speaks to you with the most promise.
What's your take?
Image: Creative Commons Photo "rainbow-aerial" by Cessna 206
Comments