Half of your employees are just punching the clock

One of the most influential articles published in the Harvard Business Review in the past decade was Kim & Mauborgne’s article, “Blue Ocean Strategy.”  The authors have followed up with a related topic in the May 2014 issue of HBR, this time focusing on leadership.  They cite some alarming statistics about the workplace:

EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

• 30 percent are committed to doing good job
• 50 percent are putting in their time
• 20 percent are discontented and actively showing it

The cost of that unhappy 20 percent to the U.S. economy is estimated to be $500 billion each year.  Kim & Mauborgne suggest that the way to deal with that counterproductive or not fully productive 70 percent is through improvement in leadership.  The Blue Ocean Leadership concept has four steps, which are fully described in this article:

1. “See your leadership reality”
2. “Develop alternative leadership profiles”
3. “Select to-be leadership profiles”
4. “Institutionalize new leadership practices”

Source: Kim, W.C., and Mauborgne, R.  Blue ocean leadership.  Harvard Business Review.  92(5):60-68, 70, 72, May 2014.  Click here for publisher’s website:  http://hbr.org/2014/05/blue-ocean-leadership/ar/1  (Posted by AHA Resource Center (312) 422-2050, rc@aha.org