The headlines are many and they are sending the same message, “Oil patch trades offer rewarding career”, or “Auto-repair shop full of chances to learn” or “Many skilled-worker jobs going unfilled in U.S.”. The need for people to work in the trade’s area continues to grow. The demand has exceeded the supply.
Organizations that are part of the skilled trade industry which spans oil and gas, construction (vertical and horizontal), mining, manufacturing to name but a few have additional challenges facing them with the talent shortage. They only bid on jobs that they have enough resources to complete the contract. With the growth of the industries mentioned the demand for talent will only increase.
It is imperative that organizations now look to creating an environment that attracts and retains those workers that they need to be successful and profitable. We have always said, but not always believed in some cases, that our people in our organization are our most important asset. Jim Collins in his book “Good to Great” actually takes that a step further to say that having the “right people” in our organization is our most important asset.
What this is telling us is that if we have disengaged or actively disengaged employees in our organization that we are not going to be as successful and as profitable as we could be. We will spend more time on those resources than we should resulting in lost productivity – even our own productivity will falter, and they will impact others in the organization. You can see the ugly picture that is beginning to take shape!
Organizations today need to look in the mirror and determine where they are with their organizational culture. You need to decide who you want to be going forward so that you are best prepared to meet the talent shortage face to face. Is your culture one that is appealing to new workers – would they want to come and work with you rather than work for you? Once you have them on your team, do they want to stay there and what can you do to convince them that your organization is superior to your competition down the street. Today, money is not everything to employees. Creating the environment for employees to be engaged empowered and accountable is the answer.
How can I do this? You need to think seriously about creating a mentoring culture that spans your entire organization. Mentoring will become a way of life in your organization. With this new culture you will create a continuous learning organization focused on everyone helping each other grow personally and professionally. Money cannot replace that as a means to attract and retain quality resources. Once your culture is in place and it is a mentoring culture you have by default already implemented your mentoring program. Mentoring informally and formally happens because it has become a way of life in your organization. The journey will take time, but the trip is well worth it as you will see increased productivity, the growth of transformational leadership skills and increased profitability. The decision is yours! Are you satisfied with the status quo or do you wish to realize the benefits of implementing a mentoring culture and unleashing the “power of mentoring” in your organization!
References:
- Leader-Post, Saturday July 7th, 2012
- “Good to Great” – Jim Collins http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Good-Great-Why-Some-Companies-Jim-Collins/9780066620992-item.html?ikwid=good+to+great&ikwsec=Books
- Jim Collins – http://www.jimcollins.com/index.html
