“Eighty-one percent of the respondents to the 2005 Skill Gap Survey of the American Manufacturing Workforce (Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute, 2005) said they couldn’t find qualified workers to fill their open positions. As far as manufacturers are concerned, the skills gap is upon us,” notes Stacey Jarrett Wagner, managing director, Center for Workforce Success, at the National Association of Manufacturers. - Training and Development magazine, February 2006
Statistics like this point to the issue that organizations need to be
looking at their workforce now and in the future for what appears to
be a growing issue. Hiring right and retaining are obviously one part
of the equation, but organizations need to invest in training and strategic
workforce strategies that help managers understand their role as “coach.”
One of our clients passed along this training scenario that paints a
strong mental picture: “To illustrate the importance of feedback and
coaching, ask for a volunteer from the group. Position the volunteer
in a standing position and place a large empty box at some distance
behind the person. Place about 20 pieces of wadded up paper within reach
of the volunteer.
Explain to the group that their job is to give clues to the volunteer
that will help him/her to throw the wads into the box without turning
around.
Give examples of clues such as ‘a little to the left.’ Keep the activity
going until the volunteer has successfully thrown at least 3 wads of
paper in the box.
Ask the group to describe why their feedback or coaching was so important.
Variation: At some point the trainer can move the box to illustrate
the importance of communication when change occurs.”
Some Perspective
As I am thinking about this trainer’s tip, I have to say that this is
great imagery for what happens every day on the job. Can you imagine
the person that comes on to the manufacturing line with absolutely no
skills? How about the individual who is pulled from the front line to
be a supervisor? And, what about the new executive working in an industry
that is changing so fast he/she barely has the business skills to cope?
This is the challenge of our fast-paced world, where employee skills
shortages meet with business technology expansion, competitive overload,
and monumental change.
Having a manager who can coach you through the massed pile of “paper
wads” and the unfamiliar territory in your day can make or break you
in your ability to be productive.
Heaven forbid that someone move the “box” that you have been working
towards.
The point is that managers are responsible for a lot these days – hiring
staff, meeting budget targets, and achieving departmental goals. This
is a strain some days, and it is easy to feel unproductive yourself.
It is equally important for employees to feel that they are meeting
their goals and performing acceptably. It would be easy to ignore the
individual task of coaching, but we simply can’t do that.
Ignoring the skills gap. . . ignoring the need to develop individual
performers will be detrimental to the overall performance of the organization
and the ability to stay competitive.
The big question is, are you coaching your people to get their “three
wads of paper in the box”? Can they get to five, six or even seven wads
of paper by this time next month? Think about it. And, with your environment
constantly changing, who will guide the team to the right place?
About 5.12 Solutions
5.12 Solutions (five-twelve) is the corporate training and professional development company that inspires people to make timely and meaningful change. With a uniquely fresh approach to adult learning, 5.12 Solutions helps people develop the soft skills they need to be successful through instructor-led training, team building workshops, online learning, and public seminars.
Visit www.512solutions.com or call 303.579.5829
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