Mental Coaching In The Internet Age: HR Still Matters
Today's most vocal business leaders are emphasizing that "the world is flat," that labor moves freely, and that the lowest price, whether it's from Atlanta or Argentina, always wins. Million dollar orders can be placed online without so much as speaking to a live person, and the "faces" of corporate communications are increasingly those of models or paid spokespersons rather than real business leaders.
Are people skills even relevant, at a time when posting a job opening online will get you applications from around the world? The answer is a resounding "yes": at the end of the day, someone is still designing the products, the web sites, and the marketing material.
That person deserves the best possible environment to perform his or her job, even if- especially if- that person comes from some other country; immigrants and guest workers are members of your company just like your other employees. They bring their own special strengths and weaknesses, and require close attention and mental coaching to maximize their productivity. Mental coaching is the best way to ensure that anyone from any background is truly part of your team, which is the most important part of human resource management today.
Mental coaches are most widely associated with professional sports. Dr. John F. Murray developed the Mental Performance Index to analyze American football players, and also helped Vincent Spadea overcome one of the longest losing streaks in pro tennis history. However, mental coaching is just as helpful for anyone on any rung of the corporate ladder, from the CEO to the lowest salesman or engineer.
It costs a company tens of thousands of dollars to hire and train even a mid-level employee. Given the level of investment required to bring people in, shouldn't you do everything you can to maximize their value? Mental coaches help most professional athletes, so why can't they be effective in aiding your business professionals?
Whatever shape the world is- round or flat- humans still live on it. No human performs at his best without good management and training. Companies are, have always been, and will always be as good or as bad as the people working for them, and the internet doesn't change that at all.
These days a job opening posted online easily fetches applications from around the world. A person needs a proper work environment, especially if that person was born and raised elsewhere. Immigrants and guest workers are integral members of the corporate world. Their special issues and hardships need close attention to bring out the most in them, and that requires mental coaching. This is an excellent way of bringing someone from a different culture into a team 100%, and is one of the most important functions of human resource management. The mental coaches help to maximize the value of employees. Such coaching is relevant for employees at every level.
Published July 20th, 2007
Filed in Business, Career, Management
