| We want our food, music, fashions, and vehicles to | | | | questionnaire to define each employee's talents. Then |
| reflect who we are; we also want our work to reflect | | | | spend time with each employee to get to know their |
| who we are. In an intellectual or thinking workplace, the | | | | interests and values. You now know your business |
| more jobs are customized to the talents and thinking | | | | needs and the specific talents and unique strengths |
| of each employee, the better they perform. | | | | and performance resources available in your |
| Customizing jobs directly affects employee | | | | employees. You are almost ready to start job |
| engagement, attitude and company performance. | | | | sculpting. |
| In the previous industrial age (before much of | | | | 3. Review the standard job description. A standard job |
| manufacturing moved offshore), standard job | | | | description is created to insure that completeness of |
| descriptions were the rule. This insured that all | | | | position responsibilities, to help the business operate |
| machinery and production would run as planned and | | | | effectively and to define the talents needed by the |
| that any employee could make the process work. | | | | employee to do the job well. This information |
| Today, we are in a service or intellectual age. Our | | | | encourages the millennial manager to hire the right |
| success happens in the quality of our employees' | | | | employee who is a good fit for the expectations of |
| interaction with our customers; this cannot be | | | | the role. This will also assist us in our job sculpting |
| mandated through standard job description because | | | | process. |
| each service event is different and unique. Standard | | | | 4. Sculpt the perfect job. First, review each employee's |
| service responses do not work; instead, employees | | | | talents, values and interests; now you know the |
| must be constantly thinking and inventing to inspire | | | | engaging and interest areas for each employee. Next, |
| customer loyalty. The more the job is built around the | | | | review your business issues, changes and |
| strengths of each employee, the more engaged and | | | | opportunities. What talents will be needed to handle |
| competent employees feel. The greater these feelings, | | | | these changes and opportunities and who will be best |
| the more connected employees are to their work and | | | | matched to work on them? Match employee talents |
| to customers. The result is a significant improvement in | | | | interests to the business needs to develop |
| performance. Customization is the key to employee | | | | modifications to each employee's job. Check to see if |
| commitment and performance. | | | | the task is already addressed in the job description. If |
| Job Description Responsibilities | | | | not, add it. In most cases, the additional task will be well |
| Think of a standard job description in today's age of | | | | received by the employees since it in their talent and |
| customization as a shirt or a coat that doesn't fit well...it | | | | interest areas (it appeals to them). This creates an |
| is uncomfortable. When we wear something that is | | | | entirely new job description, customized for both the |
| uncomfortable, we are constantly aware of its bad fit; | | | | employee and the environment. For example, if the |
| it distracts us. The same is true with jobs that don't fit - | | | | business changes required it, which employee would |
| they distract us from performance. Today, all | | | | be excited to investigate a competitor's website, |
| organizations need their employees' full attention on | | | | create a telemarketing program, design a customer |
| performance; anything that districts employees from | | | | survey or create new more powerful daily |
| performance affects company success. | | | | performance reporting? Which employee would find it |
| Customizing jobs, or more widely known as job | | | | engaging to assess and propose a change to business |
| sculpting, is the process that starts with a standard job | | | | hours, develop an on-line commerce site, attend a |
| description then modifies it to take advantage of the | | | | trade show, teach a course to other employees or |
| talents, interests and experience that are intrinsic to | | | | re-organize a section of retail or office space? |
| each employee. Job sculpting is a simple process | | | | The more the standard job descriptions are |
| summarized in the four points below: | | | | punctuated with energizing and customized |
| 1. Know your business. Before you can start to sculpt | | | | responsibilities that match employee talent areas, the |
| (customize) jobs for your employees, you must have | | | | more employees are pulled into performance. Their |
| a clear strategic understanding of your business | | | | jobs are continually updated, reinvented and sculpted. |
| because you will sculpt their jobs based on your | | | | This way, no employee feels stale or bored; |
| business needs. Though most organizations host a | | | | performance and engagement levels soar. |
| formal strategic planning process each year, a basic | | | | Successful management in today's economy is based |
| strategic update should be done monthly that | | | | on personal connections. The more time a manager |
| addresses the following two areas: | | | | spends getting to know his employees' strengths and |
| Job Listings Click here | | | | interests, the stronger their bond is; this manager is also |
| • What are the five most critical events/issues | | | | more capable of matching employees' talents to the |
| opportunities facing the business today? | | | | business issues/opportunities and to sculpting engaging |
| • What are the talents, skills and resources within | | | | jobs. As the environment changes, this constant dialog |
| the organization to address the items above? | | | | allows the manager to continue sculpting their jobs to |
| This will start your process of job sculpting since the | | | | keep them excited, engaged and connected to |
| goal is to match the right employee with the critical | | | | performance. Today, a "one size fits all" job approach |
| business issues, changes or opportunities. | | | | drives employees away. Customize and sculpt jobs |
| 2. Know your employees. Know the talents, interests | | | | and you will attract, retain and inspire the best |
| and values of each of your employees. Consider using | | | | performers. |
| "Strenghtsfinder 2.0" by Tom Rath and its on-line | | | | |