Living in the Informational Age, people have invested too much energy in building the relationship with technology and relied on it. Technology has become part of our life, and basically, all kinds of organization exert the role of technology to gather information and to break through. For example, in my company, the Information Department has designed an organizational website for the staff to review the news of the organization and to post their professional report. We also have our own chat tools requested to use within the organization. Although most of the companies have incorporated high-tech means, technology itself is not the most crucial factor to offer “competitive advantage” (Kandampully, Bilgihan, & Tingting, 2016, p. 159). How to use it effectively in the right way is the main task for the organizations. In another word, “technology is created and changed by human actions, it is also used by people to accomplish various actions” (Kandampully, Bilgihan, & Tingting, 2016, p. 159). Therefore, the organization should address more on how to motivate the staff to use technology creatively.
Inspired by the People-technology hybrid organizational model (Kandampully, Bilgihan, & Tingting, 2016), I have outlined a 4-step plan for employee development in my organization.
1. Design new communication tool for group chat
Although we have chat tools installed on everyone’s computer, we just use it to transfer files or documents most of the time. We used to text each other or send voice messages via other communication means such as Wechat. While actually, it is inappropriate for us to talk about issues of work through other communication means, and the chat record cannot be presented as evidence when encountering issues such as the conflict between different divisions. Therefore, creating an effective communication tool within the organization which could enable staff to use group chat whenever they want is the top-priority thing to do. The staff could genuinely exchange their opinions or thoughts through the group chat with each other, and they can create many chat groups to facilitate the communication with different people. For example, an employee can join a chat group of his/her division, or he/she could join another chat group which is consist of other people from different divisions who are in charge of the similar tasks as him/her.
2. Create a platform for offering and filtering feedbacks of innovative ideas
After creating the useful communication means for exchanging opinions, a platform which could allow staff to upload the electronic materials of their innovative products should be established. Also, the platform should allow other people to offer useful and valuable feedbacks rated by other readers. The innovators could refine their innovative products based on the feedbacks which are considered useful. I believe this would be the right way for genuine creation because the products are made based on the need of the workers rather than the need of the managers.
3. Offering external support
Sometimes, the chatting software or platform cannot be designed and accomplished by the staff in the organization. The higher management should offer great help such as technicists from a software company to make it happen. Although the technicists might not be familiar with the needs of the staff, they could have meetings and discussions until the satisfactory plan comes out.
The external support could also involve hiring a professional assessment company to design a series of suitable questionnaires for the company. The questionnaires can help the staff to rate their level of professional work, to develop their personalities perceived by other colleagues, and to acquire all kinds of perspective including customers.
4. Seeking online courses to help managers understand and exert the power of leardership
Managers are definitely adult learners. Offering the suitable training courses to help them get access to the knowledge of leadership is the perfect way to motivate them to learn internally (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 1972). When managers possess the knowledge of leadership, they could understand how to better motivate the staff towards the common goal. Further, they could solve the problems and make decisions effectively with the ability of critical thinking. The most important thing is that once the managers have become transformative leaders or servant leaders, they could devote more to the community and society (Northouse, 2016).
References
Kandampully, J., Bilgihan, A., & Zhang, T. C. (2016). Developing a people-technology hybrids model to unleash innovation and creativity: The new hospitality frontier. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 29, 154-164.
Knowles, M. S., Holton, E., & Swanson, R. (1972). Andragogy. NETCHE.
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage publications.
https://create.twu.ca/ldrs500/unit-6/unit-6-learning-activities/