Techn@gerial

Morale is the de facto measure of corporate contentment it would seem, often featuring in weekly meetings as an agenda item and cited in “Company of The Year” awards as a key indicator.  But what is morale and is there anything you can do to keep it high and buoyant?

I have an  unusually “glass half empty” theory about morale and that is that it is an indicator in a process which is actually pretty much the same for all people.  That is a gradual decline from the heady first few days in a new job to the gut wrenching day someone decides to move on to a new role.

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In several previous posts I have alluded to the importance of assessing the capability of your workforce.  Having worked in several software and service product companies, the emphasis is somewhat different depending on market and the need for speed, but generally, knowing as much as you can about the skills your people have is extremely important.

Consider my previous article “Mind the gap!”, where the capability is irregular.  This shape, i.e the quantities of differently skilled people you have at your disposal in different areas, may be completely intentional.  However, it is likley to bear a significant burden of constriction, in places,  due to attrition and, perhaps less so, oversupply due to failed initiatives or declining products/markets.

When it comes to getting strategic about your future direction, understanding how this shape needs to look is a key pointer to setting budgets and engaging your management teams in gearing up for the strategic plans you have. 

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In my previous article about Software Project Entropy I discussed various employee types often found in software companies.  Due to the inherent technical and often very complex environment, it is not uncommon to find employees that become highly specialized.  In my article I indicated that The Specialist is a role holder that revels in his craft, enjoys the limitation and highly pointed focus he has and thus the power that he holds.  Often these people will hold on to their knowledge, as after all “knowledge is power”.

When an employee is not so bothered with retaining her current position and status, is more self stretching and expansive, she can rapidly turn into The Prisoner.  This is an individual who is not allowed to diversify, is kept in a role for his specialist skills and is considered too expensive or risky to replace.  She may posses unique knowledge and know-how, she may be core to the business and ignored or overburdened with responsibility.  She will be unhappy, searching for new projects and generally frustrated.  All of these things will be because she cannot be released from her current responsibilities.

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