CNN iReport

Don’t Force the Evil Stepsisters into Cinderella’s Glass Slippers

“One of the greatest dangers of downsizing is pushing employees’ feet into uncomfortable shoes”, – stated Hamed Al Tamami, MD for Future Match HR Consultancy firm based in Dubai.

In today’s downturn humankind, it’s tempting for managers to reassign the work of terminated employees to those closest to them. However, Future Match HR Consultancy considers that a manager’s job after layoffs is to improve performance by increasing the energy, focus and morale of those that remain. This requires shifting people into positions that match their skills and strengths, rather than forcing them into roles where they are less likely to succeed.

“Do you remember the final pages of Cinderella, when the wicked stepsisters struggled to claim the glass slipper? Grunt and push as they might, they couldn’t fit a foot into the dainty shoe. Only Cinderella had the right shoe size—and the right temperament—to win the heart of the coveted prince”- matched up H. Tamami.

The cyclical nature of the economy mandates that companies think long-term, as well as short-term, when trying to pump up morale and productivity. Businesses should be identifying, grooming and incentivizing those survivors showing promise as future leaders or outstanding contributors. This requires genuinely understanding their needs, motives and talents. Not every gifted engineer, for example, has people management skills. Burdening your most talented developers with unwanted supervisory responsibilities can turn star performers into “dead wood”, drag down team spirit and impede corporate momentum.

Future Match HRC helps organizations to align their people with their business strategies using most effectual HR products and services such as Predictive Index®, Selling Skills Assessment Tool and Customer Focused Selling.

Therefore, Managers seeking to identify and cultivate employee talents—and match the right people with the right jobs—should make sure they are putting employees in charge of their own success. Employees who are empowered to manage their growth and achievement tend to be more self-satisfied, cooperative and proactive in solving problems. They are also more likely to remain loyal—maximizing efficiency and saving employers hundreds of thousands of dollars in continuous rehiring and retraining costs.

Research has identified best practices for empowering employees by giving them a clear sense of their professional strengths—enabling them to identify the right positions for themselves, and to continuously improve on-the-job performance. Following are several proven guidelines:

·               Understand and appreciate assets. Many employees don’t have a clear sense of the multitude of assets and leadership qualities they have acquired.

·               Complete fit/gap analyses. While most individuals are aware they have certain competencies they were hired for, they often lack a clear sense of how their behavioral styles may be short-circuiting their growth or impacting personal relationships. 

·               Delve into critical relationship patterns. Employee’s recognition and understanding on how his behaviors mesh with the styles of the “key connections” that are better able to address improved strategies for compatibility, productivity in newly assigned positions.

·               Take action. In-depth evaluations enable employees and their managers to know what it takes to succeed in a particular position, and to develop action plans for personal and organizational success.