Fitesa

Adam Lynes

Talent Development Engineer

How many of us have walked out to our car, tried to start it, and heard nothing but a rapid clicking sound? Or how many of us have seen a car abandoned on the side of the road with a blown tire with no obvious explanation for why it was left there?

Often, these situations result from poor maintenance or no maintenance at all, which leads to avoidable downtime and added cost. The same principle applies to any critical asset, whether it is a vehicle, a piece of manufacturing equipment, a computer system, or an applicant tracking system.

Good organizations fix things when they break and then keep moving, but better organizations act when someone recommends a repair or when the warning signs become impossible to ignore, reducing disruption before it affects the business. They replace tires when the tread is nearly gone. They replace a battery when it begins to sputter and struggle. They address problems with an ATS when it starts taking five or ten minutes to load a new page or feature.

The best organizations do not wait for obvious warning signs. They have a predictive and preventive maintenance plan that helps avoid failure or downtime and supports reliable operations. They replace tires before the tread becomes dangerously low. They change the oil on schedule. They replace the battery before it fails. Their goal is to address potential problems before those problems lead to failure or unplanned downtime.

They take the same approach with their business systems, protecting performance and avoiding avoidable slowdowns. They install the proper updates, plan capital expenditures, and invest in projects that update, improve, or upgrade their technology before performance becomes a problem.

An Engineer’s Approach to Developing People

At this point, you may be wondering what magazine I am reading. Is this from Mopar? Is it an Engineering Journal?

Rest assured, you are in the correct magazine.

If you know my background and career path, however, you would understand why I approach this topic like an engineer. It’s because I am one.

“Organizations that achieve the fastest results and the most sustainable long-term success make development personal.”

I am an engineer who moved into Human Resources as part of a strategic effort to prepare our company for the future and help our U.S. sites respond effectively to the problems and scenarios that could affect their performance.

Just as the best organizations have maintenance plans to prevent equipment failures and downtime, they also take a strategic approach to developing their people to strengthen performance. Good organizations have training programs. They provide employees with classes, information, materials, and resources that people can use to learn. Better organizations have succession plans. They provide funding, opportunities, and resources for employees who want to improve themselves. They may also offer specialized courses or high-potential development programs for select employees.

The best organizations intentionally develop their people. They do not simply offer training programs and hope employees benefit from them. They identify key critical roles and work to establish a strong pipeline of two or three individuals who could potentially step into each role in the future. They then create personalized development plans for those individuals to strengthen the organization’s ability to fill important roles.

This development is intentional and ongoing. Development plans are created around each person’s needs, strengths, goals, and potential. They are reviewed annually, discussed quarterly, and adjusted as the individual progresses to keep the organization prepared.

Most importantly, the best organizations bring development down to the individual level to improve performance where it matters most. They make it personal, and they actively help each person succeed. This does not mean organizations should eliminate large training programs, group classes, or company-wide development initiatives. Those programs can provide tremendous value. However, I have seen companies rely too heavily on large-scale training initiatives and achieve only marginal success because there was little individual follow-up afterward, limiting the business payoff.

The Power of Personal Development in Business

The organizations that achieve the fastest results and the most sustainable long-term success make development personal. Even when an initiative includes a large class or a broad group of employees, these organizations follow up with individuals to drive business results. They ensure that people understand what they have learned, know how to apply it, and continue progressing along their development journey.

My time in Human Resources has only reinforced a belief that I have carried throughout my career: success ultimately comes down to the individual, and that is where business results begin.

Nearly every successful company tries to customize its products and services for its customers. Many of the products we use every day can be personalized because organizations understand the power of addressing an individual’s specific needs, preferences, and goals.

Developing people is no different. If we want to grow someone’s capabilities, strengthen their skills, and prepare them for future opportunities, we must understand their unique strengths, needs, motivations, and aspirations. There is a familiar phrase that says, “It’s nothing personal. It’s business.”

I would offer a slight modification. If it’s not intentionally personal, it’s not good for business. The best businesses make development personal. They intentionally reach the individual, support that person’s growth, and help them achieve their highest potential.