From Innovation to Implementation – Success Depends on Preparedness of Those Executing
by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.
How often does a product or service go straight from research and development to service implementation or product production? A skilled, experienced worker may be able to overcome the ambiguity of this hand-off, but it seems there is, today, a shortage of skilled, experienced workers; baby boomers finally decided they can, or have to, retire, or some companies experience high turnover rates of replacements, or most employers say they lack of skilled candidates…or even someone skilled enough to train them.
There are many reasons that this loosely organized hand-off still exists:
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A Management Theory Flashback – The Peter Principle
by Stacey Lett, Director of Operations – Eastern U.S. – Proactive Technologies, Inc.
In 1979, a book written by Raymond Hull entitled “The Peter Principle” was a topic of conversation around the water cooler (the precursor to today’s bottled water and a euphemism for a meeting place in the office for casual conversation and gossip…for those young enough to have missed the expression). It lasted throughout the 1980’s and early 90’s. College courses in organizational development and management theory mentioned it in passing, but for most of us its meaning and significance might have been misunderstood.
Although there is a basis of overlap, this is not to be confused with “The Dilbert Principle,” a 1990’s satirical theory by cartoonist Scott Adams based on a comic strip called “Dilbert.” The Dilbert principle roughly theorizes that companies tend to deliberately promote their least competent employees to management to limit the damage they can do. A more cynical view of contemporary management practices, The Dilbert Principle was a way for demoralized employees to express their perception of seemingly incapable supervisors and middle management with a theory that could be mistaken for one that could easily be produced in higher education after thoughtful research. The word “Principle” acts to give it legitimacy and, in a way, mock sincere studies and theories.
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Workforce Development Partnerships With Substance: My Experience
By Randy Toscano, Jr., MSHRM, CEO of Legacy Partners 2
Partnerships between employers and local educational institutions/training providers are a tricky thing. Not every employer knows clearly what they need nor can they articulate the need, and not every educational institution can understand the need, or has products or services available or relevant enough to make a difference. If either of these realities are present, or worse both of them, it can make worker development partnerships difficult to disappointing.
Employers are closest to the work that they need performed by the worker, which is usually very different from the employer down the road. Yet employers rarely bother to document what makes up that work to articulate it in an understandable way to an educational institution or training provider. If you doubt that, take any of your job classifications and try to explain it in enough detail to train from it.
click here to expandEconomic Development Opportunities – An Important Incentive in Attracting Companies to Your Region
by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.
When organizations try to create new jobs in their area – working with companies that are considering moving to, expanding to or expanding within their areas – skilled labor availability for many regional economic development strategies may include an offering that consists of one part skills assessment, one part general skill classes and a sprinkling of worker tax credits or grants. That seems to be what most incentive packages include, but is that because: A) that is what the other offers look like; b) it has been like that for decades; C) it is assumed that is all that is available; or D) all of the above?
For over thirty years headlines sounded the alarm that those institutions that were training the workforce of tomorrow were not succeeding in their effort as discussed in, “An Anniversary That You Won’t Want to Celebrate: 30 Years Later and The Skill Gap Grows – Is it Finally Time to Rethink The Nation’s Approach?“). Many skilled workers that are available to work do not have the skills that employers need today. Not completely satisfied with their answer to the inevitable question regarding the region’s skilled labor availability and how workers with specific skill needs will be found or developed, some economic development organizations are exploring other options and opportunities.
click here to expandRead the full July, 2018 Proactive Technologies Report newsletter, including linked industry articles and online presentation schedules.
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