Every week, I review blogs that cover talent development to find the very best talent development posts. This week, you’ll find pointers to pieces high performance work systems, incentives, growing on and through the job, leadership approval ratings, and one reason why mentoring programs fail.
From Bret Simmons: High-Performance Work Systems Affect Employee Attitudes And Group Performance
“High-performance work systems (HPWS) are a group of separate but interconnected human resource (HR) practices – e.g. selection, training, performance appraisal, and compensation – designed to enhance employee effectiveness. Employees should have better skills, more motivation, and more opportunities to excel when these high-performance HR practices are aligned and working in harmony.”
Wally’s Comment: Dr. Bret Simmons reviews a study of the direct and indirect impact of “high performance HR practices.”
From Ann Bares: Can Incentives Perform For You?
“Cash incentives have a mixed reputation and – let’s be honest – probably deservedly so. Under the right conditions and when done well, incentive plans can be a powerful positive component of the employment relationship.  When poorly conceived and placed, however, they not only bring nothing to the table, they have the potential to backfire in unexpected and unhappy ways.”
Wally’s Comment: If you want to use cash incentives as part of your mix of compensation practices, Ann Bares tells you how to do it right.
From Execupundit: Growing On and Through the Job
“Hard experience has taught me that there are many individuals in the workplace who, far from being driven by any pursuit of excellence, are satisfied to perform at an above average level.”
Wally’s Comment: Michael Wade looks at above-average performers who are just fine with that and not interested in getting even better, then he suggests what you have to do if excellence is your goal.
From Blanchard Leaderchat: Exploring the Value of Leadership Approval Ratings
“The most prestigious leadership position this country has to offer is that of the President of the United States. And while it may be the most prestigious, few would disagree that it is also the most heavily scrutinized. Fair or unfair, public opinion of the President’s job performance shifts regularly due to any number of factors. Yet at any given time, we can quickly see what the general public thinks about the President’s job performance by looking at their approval rating.”
Wally’s Comment: Adam Morris begins with a review of how approval ratings work for the President of the United States. He asks if similar ratings might be helpful in business and then points you to another post, “Determining Your Leadership Approval Rating.”
From HRM Today: One Reason Why Mentoring Programs Fail
“Developing any type of mentoring program is complicated. The likelihood of success is dependent on a number of factors: the design, participant selection, training and feedback. Today, I will focus on the selection of and matching of mentor program participants.”
Wally’s Comment: Lynn Dessert reviews how the matching of mentors and protégés affects the success of a mentoring program and then offers guidance on how to do the job better.
Carnivals, Lists, and Such
Fm HR Web Cafe: New briefs: Social media litigation & costs; regulatory matters; cool tools
