Welcome to this week’s Discuss HR, the HR blog written for and by members of Human Resources UK.
First and foremost, just another quick plug for our networking events. We know have 7 events taking place in May, all free to attend and importantly sales-free environments! You can find more information at this link http://bit.ly/HKjYZl
So to business, the name Trenton Oldfield may be familiar with you. Some of you will know who he is, but all of you will know of his actions. He was the rather ill-advised protester who decided to play a game of chicken with 16 oncoming oars in the recent Varsity Boat Race. Today regular writer Jill Hart-Sanderson draws a fantastic analogy from this situation. (Ed Scrivener)
The Boating Business
Whether or not you have an interest in rowing, it’s likely that you saw footage of this year’s Oxford v Cambridge boat race. This iconic event was dramatically stopping by a protest swimmer. Following a restart and, after a clash which resulted in the Oxford team loosing part of an oar, Cambridge crossed the line first and were proclaimed the winners.
I watched the amazing chain of events unfold live, and couldn’t help but draw parallels between what I was seeing and what I’ve experienced in the workplace. Firstly, the two ‘businesses’ Oxford and Cambridge;
- both world class teams
- each person refined and carefully selected to achieve the best result
- years of experience and knowledge distilled into a high performing team
- a clearly defined goal
- each member working together as one unit sharply focussed on crossing the finish line first
- each sportsman engaged with the task in hand
- an unmovable trust in each other’s commitment and ability
After expending around five minutes of pure energy the teams were forced to stop. The pain on the rowers’ faces was clear to see. Despite years of planning, training and 100% commitment something totally unexpected had happened. While the officials decided what should happen next, the sportsmen were cooling down both physically and emotionally. Adrenalin levels plummeted and there was a state of confusion. Admirably the teams restarted after twenty minutes and both finished the race. The other unplanned incident – the broken oar left Oxford under-equipped to win the race. Despite herculean efforts, the Oxford team just couldn’t finish ahead of Cambridge. One of them even collapsed with exhaustion, demonstrating the raw effort that all of the sportsmen had displayed.
This left me wondering – if the teams had been told that they would start of race, row like mad for five minutes, have a twenty minute break, and start again would they have agreed to take part? Did the teams have a contingency plan and had they considered what to do it their plans changed? I’ve found that when change happens it’s not the change itself, but how it is experienced by those involved that makes it either a positive or negative experience.
One of the key factors in dealing with change is trust. The CIPD published a report recently on the importance of trust in the workplace*. It concludes that “‘high trust’ workplaces find it much easier to embrace organisational change– they can adapt faster and will achieve better levels of employee engagement at all levels”. Whatever your views on The Boat Race or the protester Trenton Oldfield, I don’t think anyone can doubt the commitment, trust and engagement of the boat racers. It’s what makes the difference between a good team and a world class team.
How’s your ‘crew’ – is there total trust in each other and what was done to build it? Do they go the extra mile? Can they cope with change and do they have all the tools needed to finish first?
What are you doing in HR to ensure your team is on the winning podium?
About the author
Jill is passionate about using creativity to unlock people's potential, finding practical solutions that make a real difference to organisations. Her extensive management experience in both the public and private sectors combined with HR consultancy has given her a real insight into how great HR can transform individuals and businesses.
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Discuss HR is the blog for Human Resources UK, the leading LinkedIn group for those involved with HR in the UK. Next week’s Discuss HR will be published on Thursday 3rd May and will be written by experienced HR professional Sheena McLullich.
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