The Beckemeyer Site
The Beckemeyer Site
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Lisa
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Lisa Beckemeyer / D. Kilkeary / English 101 1:00pm / 17 April 1997
Intellectual CapitalIn this age of Information, knowledge and ability are key to a successful company's workforce. The United States has gone from an agrarian economy to industrial and now technology is the driving force. Every company has capital: furniture, equipment, buildings, land, and even cash. Employees have always shown up as liabilities on the balance sheet. Business models of old do not offer the growth needed for employers as well as employees to survive in today's market. Management skills and attitudes will need to be adjusted to accommodate this workforce. The desirable employees of today and tomorrow have the skills and the wisdom to use and develop information systems. Knowledgeable employees need to work in environments that nurture and support creativity and development. The problem remains on how to manage this workforce. The answers are not new. The employees themselves are the ones that will guide the management. The business that recognizes these facts will notice better profit margins with the benefit of lower employee turnover, truly a win win situation. A business' biggest asset is Intellectual Capital, a knowledgeable staff. Knowledgeable employees are employees who know the expectations and goals of the business and what part they play in obtaining that goal. Management will utilize the employees by seeking them out for ideas and input. The notion that workers were hired to do one job and not actively participate in the operations of a company are archaic and unproductive. Employers will seek out the candidates that are flexible, intelligent, and willing to initiate change. These desirable employees become a recognized part of the company's success and are given encouragement to share ideas and suggest change. "By sharing information -- detailed business information --with their workers, these leaders can tap into the wealth of knowledge their workforce has developed by being so close to the product and the customer" (Reich 2). Self- management is a concept allowing an employee to be responsible for their position in the company and encouraging active participation in company policy. A self-managed employee expresses interest in self growth and group cooperation. The truth is that the days of non thinking jobs are gone. Employees need to know the equipment they are using and a variety of "what if " situations as a bare minimum. Employers need to educate their staff of the company's mission and expectations in more detail than previously thought necessary. Even the production line jobs will benefit from a new view on management. If an employee understands the company's objective and the steps necessary to achieve the goal then that employee will understand his role in the big picture. This allows the employee to be a vital part of the business and feel as a contributor to its success. Going a step further and giving this employee self-management authority truly adds to that worker's self-esteem and productivity. Allowing an employee to correct a production problem or error or solve a conflict between co-workers only adds to that employee's value to the company. By thinking of these employees as true assets, a company will see the investments in their workforce appreciate in a relatively short period of time. High technology companies are finding this situation a little different. The company has the goals and the funding and the employees have the knowledge and ability necessary to achieve that goal. Managing this workforce is a difficult dilemma. "knowledge workers tend to have many years of education and don't need -- or want -- to be managed or watched"(Groves D1). These employees require self-management privileges and an environment to create and develop the ideas and reach the goals of the company. "If you fail to provide a creative stimulating environment, they'll leave pronto." (Chin Leong D6) As with any other employees, this work force requires information from management as to goals and expectations and their part in the company's success. Pundits are fond of reminding us that knowledge is today's most crucial commodity. Brainpower, not brawn, is behind the technological advances that make headlines. It would stand to reason then that arriving at how to manage knowledge workers - who by 2000 could account for as much as a third of the U.S. workforce - would be a key to whipping the competition." (Groves, D1) Managing this type of workforce is not an entirely new idea. Abraham Lincoln employed self-management techniques in his administration. Donald Phillips documents Lincoln's management philosophy in his book Lincoln on Leadership. President Lincoln surrounded himself with people who really knew their business and people he could learn from. He took an attitude of "there is more than one way to skin a cat" and gained great respect and support from his subordinates treating them as equals playing an essential role in the restructuring of his administration. (137) The leaders of a knowledgeable workforce will themselves need to gain some additional knowledge. "Implementing such change will require a style of leadership that goes far beyond anything we have experienced in the past." (Reich 1) The emphasis will be shifted towards customer service, productivity and quality. The managers must be familiar with the full potential of their workforce and utilize these strengths by making fewer dictatorial rulings and more collaborative decisions. "Managers must be approachable and agile, not stodgy or remote. They must be willing to embrace ideas that bubble up from a work force that is spirited and independent."(Groves D2) The management staff will become coaches and advisors, and agents of change. No longer will this management make decisions without consulting the front line workers. This work place will support and encourage input from all employees on all aspects of operations. This workforce will understand the business they are working in because management strongly encourages continuing educational and company training programs. This management will also realize that there is no end to the restructure, change will be expected and constant. To support this workforce's creativity, the work place will need to be redesigned to take on a more open and less structured appearance. Work areas will have less offices and more communal work areas. These companies will find that they need to give up the "corporate" exterior and give way to a more comfortable and nurturing work environment. This includes a flatter organizational structure, eliminating middle management and increasing the need for knowledgeable workers. Another hard pill for the owners to swallow is giving up some control and giving out information previously reserved for top management. Not everyone is on the same page when it comes to managing a company's employees. There are many management consulting firms that would like to keep consulting. These consultants thrive on the company need for direction, diverting attention from the firms own workforce to the consultants themselves. The human element of business usually does not come into play with management consultants who stress methodology and structure. John Micklethwait and Adrial Wooldridge give a less than optimistic opinion on the current management trends. "One of the more fashionable words in management theory is "trust"- it is this, we are told, that will keep "knowledge workers" loyal and inspire them to come up with ideas. Yet all the gurus also preach the virtue of "flexibility," which is usually shorthand for sacking people. Which is it to be? Loyalty? Or flexibility?" (210) This concept of Intellectual Capital is hard for traditionalists to grasp. Unlike professional sports, where every player has a price on their head, it is impossible to place a value on an employee's head. These cost are sometimes realized when losing a knowledgeable individual. A trained individual, who has chosen to leave, is costly to the company and very difficult to replace. This fact makes the firm investigate and invest in employee retention strategies such as child care, paid time off, health services, and support for personal development. Attracting an intelligent individual is not always easy. Not only does a company need to find an individual who possesses the skills and knowledge required for the position, the candidate must also fit in with the existing staff and have the ability to effectively work with the existing group and not against them. Several large companies have put into practice the idea of employees first. Ben & Jerry's ice cream company have made their employees a priority. "what distinguishes the work environment is the fact that employees are treated and rewarded fairly. Every employee's opinion is sought out and valued."(Laabe 2) Ben & Jerry's opens its management policies to review by its employees. This allows the employees to become a part of the management process and accept suggestions and change. The management staff have become encouraging and a resource to their employees. In this atmosphere, Ben & Jerry's supports self-management and personal growth. The staff at Ben & Jerry's feel that the company has their best interest at heart. This company has learned that the old saying holds true "You can't please all of the people all of the time." Every change has not worked or made everyone happy, but the company continues its policy for information sharing. EarthLink Network, Inc. is a local Internet company. David Beckemeyer is the Vice President of Information Technology and manages a staff of 81 knowledgeable employees. In an interview with Beckemeyer, he stated "This is a fast moving business. My staff needs to have the knowledge to make million dollar decisions at any moment and I need to trust that they can make the correct decision. This business does not always allow us the luxury of weeks of discussion and review." EarthLink has taken the extra step in producing an environment conducive to creativity and comfort, including areas set aside for employees to gather for idea exchange or mental breaks. Beckemeyer feels he has moved his staff from a work harder and faster environment into a collaborative group that understands and faces the challenge of this fast moving business. "Never underestimate the power of group thinking." Springfield Remanufacturing employees receive quarterly financial reports and have been trained to read and understand them. The front line employees understand the concept of depreciation, ammortization, and accrual systems and can intelligently question company policy and practice. By stressing the importance of education about the business these employees work in, Springfield Remanufacturing has been able to share ideas company wide and have improved customer service and increased profits. With their profit sharing program, everyone wins. These stories are not exclusive, many other organizations have taken its employees into consideration with dramatic results: Microsoft, Inland Steel, Forestry Department, Southwest Airlines, to name a few. As students starting to consider the type of work they would like to do, it may be more important to consider the type of employee they want to be and the skills they will need to become that employee. In Beyond Workplace 2000 Joseph Boyett lists these skills: Basic - Reading, Writing, Mathematics/Arithmetic, Listening, and Speaking. Thinking Skills - Creative, Decision, Problem solving, Seeing things in Minds eye, Knowing how to learn, reasoning. Personal Qualities - Responsibility, Self-esteem, Sociability, Self-management, Integrity, honesty. (227) Knowing how to learn is an important skill for all, but being willing to learn is an equally important skill. Students study the mechanics of a chosen profession without much thought for the environment in which they will be expected to perform. Would their choices by the same? Maybe not. Many colleges and Universities are now including Self-Management training into their Human Resources curriculum. As companies are striving to accommodate knowledgeable workers, the workers themselves have a responsibility to be prepared become an active part of a company. These workers should research potential employers and see if they are providing a desirable work environment. When both the employee and employer are prepared to support each others goals, it helps ensure a good work experience for both. WORKS CITED
Beckemeyer, David, V.P. Engineering EarthLink Network, Inc. Personal
interview 20 Mar. 1997
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