Symptom: People think that all the new, interesting jobs are given to contractors and the organization isn't willing to invest in them.
Motivation is enhanced when people are well-employed and growing in their careers. Conversely, it is damaged when outsiders get to do the fun work while internal staff do the more mundane, low-leverage tasks.
Ideally, internal staff should do all the high-leverage, strategic tasks. Contractors should be used to off-load the commodity and end-of-life work, and outside consultants to train people and then get out of their way.
Each group within the organization should proactively extend its capabilities by forming healthy alliances with vendors in its field. If they're used properly, contractors can help grow the business and satisfy clients, while still providing staff with learning and career growth opportunities.
Of course, this means that everyone should learn to manage vendors and build alliances with their external counterparts.
If the staff are doing too many low-level tasks such as technical work while outside contractors do strategic activities such as opportunity-discovery, then a examination of the sourcing strategy is recommended.
Root cause:Culture (entrepreneurship) copyright 2024 N. Dean Meyer and Associates Inc. All rights reserved.
