For example, nearly every leader we have met says that cus-
tomer service is important to their businesses. Yet as consumers, we
are frustrated, and rightly so. Service simply isn’t very good, and the
ways most companies are led make it more likely that customers
will end up disappointed than well served. “People are our most
important asset” is reiterated in nearly every corporate speech, yet
we live in an era when the most motivated day at work for most
workers is the first day. The list of such duplicity in organizations is
a long one. Consider the differences between how we describe our
beliefs and how we choose to act when our career is on the line.
We need to ask the following questions:
- Why is it that nearly every employee understands the demoti-
vational effects of most traditional performance appraisal
systems, but few of these appraisal systems are changing
significantly? Most still perpetuate an illusion that perfor-
mance management processes can be both developmental
and evaluative. - Why is it that we talk of “empowerment,” but we cannot call
a company without hearing that the call will be “monitored
for quality”? Do we really believe that these people feel
empowered by the process? - Why is it that we invest in off-sites to help build teamwork
but perpetuate human resource practices that are built on the
assumption that better performance will result when people
inside a company compete with each other? - Why is it that we talk of the need for committed, passionate
employees but seem addicted to a system that attempts to
gain motivation by manipulating stock options, compensa-
tion, or other rewards? - Why is it that we say we value employee loyalty and then
consistently fire the bottom 10 to 20 percent of the company
annually, no matter how competent, hardworking, and loyal
they have been?
152 LEADINGORGANIZATIONALLEARNING