Did you know agility is the new efficiency? Chances are, your company follows a traditional work model based on hierarchical roles. Although the model worked for decades, it’s too slow and cumbersome for today’s business needs. Companies need more agility because in our digital world, speed is how to win new business and satisfy customers.
Focus on skills, not roles
Today’s high-performing companies achieve speed with agility provided by project teams. Leading managers look past roles to see each employee as “different cards in your deck.” Successful project teams are formed to tackle a particular challenge by bringing people with the right skills together – playing with a full deck if you will. When projects are finished, the teams disband and people move on to the next project. In this way, different groups of people come together and share a common goal to accomplish the project.
These dynamic places to work outpace and out-achieve competitors with traditional roles and goals.
Build a new-style Company Resume
Consider the difference between traditional and new-style resumes. When you’re looking to hire the right person to fill an opening, it’s tough to discern the individual’s skills and abilities when you read the old-style resume that lists chronological work experience. It leaves you wondering if the individual really “has what it takes” to meet the needs of the job.
Newer style resumes put the individual’s skills right up front and leave the work experience as something to discuss in the interview process. That makes it easy for a project team leader to put the “right cards in the deck” together to form a successful project team.
Steps toward a project team-based workplace
- View each worker (employees and contractors) for the skills and talent they offer
- Catalog the skills and talent available across your organization
- Rate your workers on a simple scale for the skills and talents in your catalog, like Novice, Strong, Expert, Trainer
- Project leaders – figure out the cards you need for the game you’re playing. Know what talent you need at what skill level to get the work done
Engagement on Steroids
Project-based organizations are proving to outpace traditional hierarchical organizations because they deliver real employee engagement –
- Employees recognized for their unique special talents
- Employees motivated to enhance their skills to increase eligibility for more and different projects
- Employees grow in responsibilities and experience work variety
- Employees connect with others they don’t normally interact with
- Employees learn more with each project challenge
“We try to help people reinvent themselves through participation on project teams that attack high-priority company goals. Participants tell us the growth and learning is career progression even if they’re not making promotional advancement.” -Director of Quality, Transportation & Logistics company
