Any organization develops people; it either forms them or deforms them.
Any organization develops people; it has no choice. It either helps them grow or it stunts them. What do we know about developing people? Quite a bit. We certainly know what not to do, and those don’ts are easier to spell out than the dos.
- First, one does not try to build upon people’s weakness. One can expect adults to develop manners and behavior and to learn skills and knowledge. But one has to use people’s personalities the way they are, not the way we would like them to do.
- A second don’t is to take a narrow and shortsighted view of the development of people. One has to learn specific skills for a specific job. But development is more than that: it has to be for a career and for a life. The specific job must fit into this longer-term goal.
- Another thing we know is not to establish crown princes. Look always at performance, not a promise. With the focus on performance and not potential, the executive can make high demands. One can always relax standards, but one can never raise them. Next, the executive must learn to place people’s strengths.
In developing people the lesson is to focus on strengths. Then make really stringent demands, and take the time and trouble (it’s hard work) to review performance. Sit down with people and say, “This is what you and I committed ourselves to a year ago. How have you done? What have you done well?”
ACTION POINT: Develop your people. Focus first their strengths. Then make high demands based on a person’s strengths. Finally, periodically review their performance.
Managing the Non-Profit Organization
* Source: The Daily Drucker by Peter F. Drucker