StrategicDon’t restructure: reconfigure
- Work & Organisational Design
- Published on 25 Jun 2012
- Terry Meyer
As a consultant I often get asked to review an organisation's structure. The structure is seldom the reason that an organisation or department is not performing and it follows that, on its own, restructuring is rarely a solution to the problem. Furthermore, in many organisations, continuing rounds of restructuring to improve efficiencies results in change "fatigue" and there is a limit to the benefits that can be realised over time.
The future of work and so what?
- Work & Organisational Design
- Published on 25 Jun 2012
- Terry Meyer
Every so often the world experiences a new "disruptive technology". A disruptive technology is one which results in a change in the very fabric of society and the economy. Examples include electricity, the telephone, the internal combustion engine and the internet, to name a few. Connectivity, and in particular social media, is one of those disruptive technologies that continues to unfold.
Against the odds: Performance management that works
- Output & Performance Management
- Published on 25 Jun 2012
- Lydia Cillie-Schmidt
In some organisations the feeling of doom happens once a year, in most organisations twice a year and in a few others more regularly than that. You just have to walk into a government office where the performance management process is still compliance-driven and paper-based to see the despondence on the face of the person pushing the trolley with all the paper. In general, performance management is viewed as a necessary evil and most people dread the process.
Leading in times of uncertainty
- Work & Organisational Design
- Published on 25 Jun 2012
- Terry Meyer
This article explores the conclusions from two recently released pieces of research on the subject of leadership as well as a thought-leadership video clip. The first article is the 2012 IBM CEO Survey published by the IBM Institute for Business Value( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ), entitled ‘Leading through Connections’. The survey follows interviews with 1700 CEOs from around the world.
The evolution of performance management: From stick to coaching
- Output & Performance Management
- Published on 25 Jun 2012
- Lydia Cillie-Schmidt
Claire’s heart was beating fast as she approached her manager’s office. Today was time for the dreaded performance appraisal. Last year her manager caught her off-guard and discussed things that he thought she performed poorly in throughout the year. She wondered why he could not have told her earlier. Her self-esteem was in tatters after the meeting and to add insult to injury, she did not receive a performance bonus and only a marginal increase! She was wondering what type of surprise lay in store for her today and seriously considered calling in sick.
What to do about service departments: a case study
- Work & Organisational Design
- Published on 25 Jun 2012
- Terry Meyer
*Financial Holdings is a medium-sized financial services company in a relatively small African country. It was a very successful local and largely family-owned business and comprised a successful local bank, as well as various other financial services businesses. Following a landmark strategy workshop, the holding company began to look for offshore opportunities in other African countries.
Performance Dialogue: A Vodacom Case Study
- Output & Performance Management
- Published on 25 Jun 2012
- Lydia Cillie-Schmidt
Vodacom Group Limited (Vodacom) is an African mobile communications company providing voice, messaging, data and converged services. From its roots in South Africa, Vodacom has grown its operations to include networks in Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique and Lesotho. Vodacom is majority owned by Vodafone, the world’s leading mobile telecommunications group and is listed on the JSE.
The neuroscience of performance management
- Output & Performance Management
- Published on 25 Jun 2012
- Lydia Cillie-Schmidt
The negative response that many people have to performance feedback may be explained by neuroscience. Thanks to MRI scanning and other brain technologies we are no longer in the dark regarding what happens in our brains during learning, engagement, motivation and social interaction. The brain’s role in human nature and behaviour is now studied and explained by the joining of psychology (the study of the human mind and behaviour) and neuroscience (physiological study of the brain).
International learning and development trends identified at the International ASTD Conference
- Competence & Skills Management
- Published on 25 Jun 2012
- Lydia Cillie-Schmidt
As South African Learning and Development Practitioners, we sometimes feel that other countries are streets ahead of us. After I attended the 2012 American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) conference in Denver Colorado, I can confirm that this is not the case. World-wide everyone seems to be grappling with the same issues.
