Six Figures Blog

Incorporating the CV into Staff Management may just help both you and your staff get what you want

“If you cannot say why you made your company a better place, you’re out.”

I am half way through reading Tom Peters’ brilliant book, ‘The Tom Peters Seminar  – Crazy Times Call for Crazy Organisations’ and really don’t want it to end because it’s just that damn good. Though first published in 1994, the content is just as relevant today as it was then.  I think it could well become my bible when it comes to the working world. What Tom imparts upon the reader is a combination of logic mixed with lateral thinking. Rather than the same old processes and procedures that are written and rolled out by organisations, ‘Crazy Times Call for Crazy Organisations’ is fresh and coherent. Most of all, the book offers value for both the ‘worker’ and the employer.

The chapter ‘Streaking Independence’ examines the idea “To Resume”.  Rather than the traditional performance review, that is generally dreaded by line managers and staff alike, “To Resume” offers an approach that is more likely to inspire staff and line managers into assessing their performance. Why? Because it forces us to be accountable for what we have done and what we want to achieve.  Taking the lead from an Arthur Andersen Consultant who took stock of her professional assets succinctly, Peters suggest we all be able to do the same.

There are six questions Peters suggest we frequently ask ourselves:

1. What the hell do I do?
2. What have I actually done?
3. Who among my customers will testify to it?
4. What evidence is there that my skills are state of the art?
5. Who new do I know, far beyond the company’s walls, who will help me deal with an ever chillier world?
6. Will my year-end resume look different from last years?

These questions are simple enough to ask but also very confronting. Take a few minutes to think about them and benchmark yourself. How do you rate? Do you bring value? Value that you can quantify or qualify to your employer? How do your staff rate?

The next step that Peters recommends (after having asked yourself the above questions) is to assess every project and piece of work that comes your way by deciding if it is something you would put on your resume.  He says if you would not put it on your resume, then let it go. Move on to a different project, job, employer etc.  You make the choice.

The second part of “To Resume” relates to the performance review, with its Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or Management By Objectives (MBOs).  Peters suggests that you have your staff update their resumes quarterly. You go through the process with them, perhaps coming up with new projects for them to work on and if you notice that the resumes are getting better every 90 days you can be proud with your progress. These are the people you are more likely to (and want to) retain.  It’s a win-win for employee and employer alike.  While quarterly redrafts may seem too frequent, even engaging in this process with your staff annually will have benefits.

The Tom Peters approach on keeping your resume and employability top shelf is logical and goes beyond simply adding a few bits to your resume randomly over time or when you’re frantically searching for a new job.  Also, having your staff share their resumes with you for skill development and experience is a no-brainer. Let’s face it, most people want to perform well at work while learning and developing themselves.  It’s the best retainment tool around.

I will be altering my approach to the traditional performance review in business after reading Tom’s book.

What are your views on the Tom Peters approach “To Resume”? Is this something your organisation engages in or that you personally do for yourself or staff? Would your organisation even consider it? Share your experiences and views.