Bill asks some good questions:
> Interesting that being considered a resource is framed so negatively.
> I've been in organizations for a long time and I used to be part of
> "Personnel" at that time we were trying to get management to consider
> people AS important as machines, physical plant etc. It was actually a
> step up to consider people as a resource. We at that time were not so
> focused on depreciation but on the fact that improving a machine,
> retro-fitting or upgrading increased its value to the company - our hope
> was that training and development would be seen as improving the
> most valuable resource instead of just an expense. Having said all that,
> how should we refer to human beings - assets, resources, human capital,
> ???
Bill, there are two aspects to human beings: First is what they actually
are at present; second, their potential to become something more. This to
me suggests that humans are much more than resources. They are an
organization's potential to increase profits, market share, and longevity.
People make organizations function. What should they be called? How about
"the company"? When I a CEO says, "I'm going to send a message to the
company" he's not referring to inanimate objects owned by the company such
as a desk, computer, or telephone. He's talking about the people.
A company does not own the people who work for it (although many companies
behave as if they do). In fact, more than most would like to admit, the
people own the company because they are the company. It doesn't matter how
gifted, bright, or competent senior managers are, if they don't have
people they don't have a business.
Again, what would I call people? I'd call them "the company." And from
this, I'd hope that people would develop a stronger sense of ownership, a
stronger sense of power, and a drive and determination to help the company
achieve it's full potential and remain competitive and profitable for
years to come.
--Benjamin B. Compton ("Ben") | email: bcompton@novell.com Novell, GroupWare Support Quality Manager | fax: (801) 222-6991
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>