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A New Focus on Performance
Thursday, February 05, 2009
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by
Tony Bingham
There's no doubt that this recession causes all of us in organizations to rethink our strategy for business growth. Today, an emphasis on improved performance and growth means that the development of employee capabilities—a people strategy—takes center stage. If you haven't already, you need to help your organization concentrate its efforts on building and managing your talent pipeline to help your organization perform and thrive in these turbulent economic times.
One of the first tasks that President Obama has undertaken as part of the economic recovery plan is to find solutions to avoid a longer and deeper recession. Along with targeted spending in strategic areas and the creation of new jobs, he is examining the efficiency of the United States' government. To help the government work better for the public, President Obama appointed the United States' first Chief Performance Officer, Nancy Killefer.
This appointment demonstrates that the public sector, like organizations in private industry, is increasing its focus on performance improvement. In this knowledge economy, the most successful companies align people, processes, and systems to effectively manage and measure their performance. The difference between mediocre companies and high-performing companies relates to the how well their people strategy connects to their business strategy.
The knowledge economy has given learning a vital new role in the leadership of organizations. The ability to anticipate talent requirements and meet them in a timely fashion is likely to be the key performance advantage for decades to come. By taking action to manage talent strategically and holistically, we will move closer to fully leveraging every organization's key asset—its people.
To help you weather today's economic crisis, ASTD has developed several resources based on the practices of learning professionals in companies that are focused on talent. The companies are adept at leveraging human capital to its full advantage. I invite you to visit the ASTD website to access an action plan, free content, and links to additional resources. Please watch for new research and a whitepaper on learning in a down economy.
This is the first of a regular 2009 column that will appear monthly in T+D on surviving and thriving in these economic times. I look forward to hearing from you about the challenges you are facing and the solutions you have implemented in your organizations.
A New Focus on Performance
Tony Bingham
2009-02-05