It’s no secret that every one of us is uniquely different. And HR professionals, more so than anyone else in the workplace, know this. If you’re anything like me, just when you think you’ve seen everything that people could come up with … someone surprises you with something completely unexpected!
Despite our personal uniqueness, for centuries, people in the workplace have been treated as if they’re all the same. Interestingly, over the past few years, that is all changing. Companies are now starting to realise the importance of recognising people for who and what they are individually and not simply lumping them all together as if they all feel, think and act in the same way.
Think about it … I’m sure you respond very positively to anyone you sense “gets” the real you and understand you as an individual. You’re probably far more open to their requests and requirements than you are to someone who treats you as if you’re the same as everyone else.
That’s the power of personalisation!
There are companies who have understood that, by personalising talented people’s careers, they can retain those talented people for a lot longer. I’m not saying that because I read it somewhere. I’m saying that based on personal experiences I have had with certain companies for whom I am conducting Leadership Development Programmes.
These companies have given their staff personalised careers, and that talent has been with the company between 10 and 20 years – and they’re not planning on going anywhere else. They’re young (30 to 50 years old), bright, high achievers, who openly tell me they’re very happy with their careers and their company and are not looking to move anywhere else.
When you personalise people’s careers, you retain them. Why? Because people are no longer loyal to a company – they saw what companies did to their parents and grandparents, retrenching them when they were at their most vulnerable. They’re loyal to their own careers. So, give them a career to which they will be loyal and … you retain them!
Again, that’s the power of personalisation!
The same personalised approach can and should be adopted for learning. Not everyone needs to learn exactly the same things and in the same way. Some people may be naturally stronger in a particular area and don’t need the learning that others may need, but then those same people may have a deficit in some other area of their lives.
Personalising learning is a lot easier than it sounds. For example, before I start training people on a Leadership Programme, I meet one-on-one with each of the delegates and get to know exactly who they are, how they see themselves and what they want to achieve in their careers. Then, with that knowledge, I personalise their learning as I know what each of them requires to turn them into effective leaders.
And, at the end of the programme, my heart swells with pride as they each speak of the growth they have experienced, often referring to how it has in fact changed the way they manage their teams, how they relate to their partners and how they parent their children.
That’s the power of personalisation!
Another way you can personalise your own learning right now is by spending a day at the HR Summit on 13 September at Sandton Convention Centre. Why? Because you get to choose which sessions you want to attend. It’s not a one-size-fits-all event where you are forced to listen to people speaking on topics that are of no interest or relevance to you and the pain you have to deal with in your work.
You get to pick and choose which sessions you want to attend or participate in. And these options range from attending sessions in the six conferences running during the day and in the evening, participating in small, practical workshops, engaging in one-on-one conversations with experts or watching demos of the latest HR products and services.
In fact, some HR Directors have told me they’re bringing their whole HR teams with them. Each team member will then attend different sessions and then, back at the office, they will share their experiences with each other.
You can register for free if you use the invitation code: HRFGuest
Dare I say it again? That’s the power of personalisation!
Alan Hosking is the Publisher of HR Future magazine, www.hrfuture.net and @HRFuturemag. He is an internationally recognised authority on leadership competencies for the future and teaches experienced and younger business leaders how to lead with empathy, compassion, integrity, purpose and agility. He has been an Age Management Coach for two decades and is the author of parenting best seller What nobody Tells a New Father.
