Overcoming the people and organisational challenges of business

David Hodgson Service Line Lead

David Hodgson | Senior Associate and People and Organisation Service Line Lead, Brisbane | 12 October 2017

Every business, operational or technical challenge has people and organisational components. Comprehensive and sustainable improvements then must also actively address these dimensions.

Below outlines steps you can take to overcome your people and organisational challenges to make sustainable improvements to your business.

Set your organisation up for success by getting your People and Organisational strategy right

  • Gain a deep understanding of the business, its context, values, aspirations and uniqueness
  • Develop the most appropriate organisational framework given the business context and purpose
  • Develop a high-level plan to bring organisational and cultural aspirations to reality
  • Identify critical issues and opportunities, and how to mitigate or exploit these

Get the structure right

  • Build an organisation structure from first principles aligned with the work of the business
  • Clarify roles and responsibilities, break down silos and demarcation, build integration
  • Eliminate non-value adding structural layers and duplication at all levels
  • Get the right people, in the right roles, doing the right work

Create an environment for people to realise their potential

  • Define leadership roles and work, ensuring it is tailored into the activities of these roles
  • Understand the work and capability requirements of leaders and how critical these are for people
  • Develop leaders and teams - processes, behaviours and skills
  • Work together – permanent teams, project teams, alliances and partnerships

Establishing efficient, in control and sustainable business and people management processes

  • Align business and people systems to values, strategy and desired culture
  • Establish systems to better engage people and optimise performance and productivity
  • Includes workforce planning, role design, induction, performance management, career development, succession management, graduate and trainee employment, training management, fair treatment and communication

Align people skills with the needs of the organisation

  • Develop and implement a training and development strategy and management systems
  • Design and implement a professional and competency standards framework
  • Develop a skills and capability audit and response action plan
  • Design and deliver a training needs analysis program

In-country value and localisation

  • Research and analyse in-country value (ICV) and localisation practices, barriers and opportunities
  • Develop ICV strategies and implement plans, from individual businesses to whole industry sectors
  • Develop appropriate and relevant key performance indicators including monitoring and reporting systems