Developing Teams, Individuals and Organisations

Developing Individuals, Teams, and Organizations
Name
Institutional Affiliation
Developing Individuals, Teams, and Organizations
1.0 Introduction
The work teams and groups form the critical backbone of the current work life. Top management runs organizations, while the project groups establish new products and the services within the organization. As a result, the high-performance work teams are essential to ways majority of firms organize and execute various activities in their organizations, resulting in a more superior and efficient performance in the organization, which later transforms into a substantial competitive advantage. For that reason, this report will analyze individuals and organization learning about a various aspect of high performance working as well as organizational culture. It will also examine the performance management and how it promotes high performance in the Balfour Beatty Company.
1.1 The company
The Balfour Beatty company is a British international infrastructure group with a bias in the construction services, provision of services and investment in the infrastructure. The company works across the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Canada(Rob, 2016, p.1). The firm was then established in the year 1909. It is managed by Philip Aiken and has a large number of employees of 30,000 within its subsidiaries. For almost more than 100 years, the firm has established and cared for its vital assets that ensure the growth of society and economy; seaports, bridges, and health facilities have been developed by the company towards driving the progress of countries (Rob, 2016, p. 2016).
1.2 What the aims and the purpose
This report aims to establish the level in which Balfour Beatty efficiently utilizes the learning and development to support individuals and the teams in promoting high performance working as well as high-performance culture. With a critical purpose of ensuring the high-performance working are incorporated into the strategic objectives of the firm.
2.0 Individual and organization learning
Organizational learning is explained as the process in which the firm's units like teams, sections, and other department transform due to experience gained by the employees. For instance, if employees are learning how to use a given machine to improve the work efficiency is regarded as the organization learning (Argote, 2011, p. 447). Therefore, the individuals are mostly perceived as the practical mechanisms for the organizational learning by developing knowledge through some experiences. However, the individual approach only encourages learning within the company and applying it in practice (Argote, 2011, p. 446). In other words, a person may decide to hold information or use the knowledge somewhere else. Hence, it is essential to retain knowledge after employees have learned, and the best way a manager can retain knowledge is by using repositories like processes, networks, and the learning agendas. Furthermore, individual learning also entails acquiring new skills with the primary aim of improving one's performance in the organization (Argote, 2011, p. 446). It is imperative for management to consider the employee's skills after learning.
2.1 Importance of relating learning to strategic and tactical goal
For several years, learning has always been viewed as part of the organization. For that reason, an organization that aligns its strategic goal with learning can improve its productivity as well as performance (Mee-yan & Holbeche, 2015,p.24). This is because after employees have gone for a particular training, they apply the knowledge gained from classroom to their working setup. This not only enhances their skills, but also enables them to achieve the set goals. Also, relating learning to the tactical goals enables the management to identify the training needs that will then be used to identify the employee who need training or learn about a certain job so that the employee can use their acquired skills to perform a certain job effectively (Mee-yan & Holbeche, 2015, p.24). However, firms are also able to enhance on various employees’ skills by using various approaches if the learning is aligned with the strategic objective of the organization. The management comes with various methods on how it can be able to identify staff with capabilities and appropriate skills to perform a given job or responsibilities.
2.2. Use of value of formal and informal learning to develop individual, teams, and
Organizations
Most of the informal learning always occurs in the workplace when the human resource manager is not aware, or at times, they are away from what is happening. Unlike the formal learning which in most instances is organized by the management with the key purpose of improving employee’s skills and work performance. The formal learning always focuses on the needs of the organization compared to individuals and the team’s needs. The structured learning set values focus on how the organization will use its resources to improve learning within the workplace (Friedman, 2012, p.89). Whereas, the informal learning key purpose is mostly for the teams and individuals to enhance their current skills in which they will be able to explore various ways on how they can improve their skills. However, the formal learning process entails several diverse approaches that are used by a large group of people and individuals as well. For instance, the use of case studies in which the instructor facilitates learning through the use of combined approaches like lecturing (Friedman, 2012, p.89).
However, employees and groups within the firm always feel relaxed and more eager in the informal learning set up, and they mostly commit themselves to learning various skills without necessarily worrying about the evaluations. Though, the correctness of the learning materials and resources together with learners’ understanding cannot be evaluated in the informal set up (Friedman, 2012, p.89). Furthermore, the firm is capable of delivering a unique information or the knowledge resource to a significant number of the employees at a given time by formal learning approach. The formal learning can as well be examined and reported and ensures reliability to the firm. Thus, it is not easy to exchange formal training with the informal training. But then again, it can as well add a lot of value and involvement in the formal learning practices. As a result, a firm is required to understand most of their learning aims, the target audience so that they can establish an effective learning surrounding for employees (Friedman, 2012, p.89).
2.2 How learning drives sustainable business performance at Balfour Beatty
Learning is perceived as critical at Balfour Beatty in which the firm can enhance its sustainable business performance. Balfour Beatty focuses on delivering structures that satisfy and meets the customer’s needs (Rob, 2016, p.3). As well, as increasing the well-being and the value of customers as they respect and treat their various shareholders in a fair manner. The employees also use the skills attained after learning to safeguard the natural surroundings as they reduce the construction influence on the depletion of energy and other resources. By exercising various skills, they have acquired, they make the firm more profitable and competitive in the market (Rob, 2016, p.7)
3.0 What is high performance working
High-performance working entails employee-controlling tactics that enhance on the productivity and the income of a firm. If the tactics are used systematically, and in a fair way within the organization, they can improve staff engagement, encourage high performance and productivity (Macky & Boxall, 2007, p.12). Furthermore, high performance working also established mutual trust and confidence among staffs, which in turn enhance on a firm’s profit. The example of high performance working includes; existing and flexible job descriptions and job qualifications, standardized job categorization and compensation method (Macky & Boxall, 2007, p.12).
3.0 What is High-performance culture
The high-performance culture involves the capacity of a firm to align its vision, strategies and shared employees’behaviors with its key goals it intends to achieve(Macky & Boxall, 2007.p.15). The high-performance cultures have a different perception in which a firm can design its future. Irrespective of the situation, and whatever change in the market, it believes that the world is full of possibility and the opportunity. As a result, the firm requires learning, adjusting and innovating to adapt to the changing market tactics. Therefore, firs with high-performance culture have placed talent as its key core asset, and as a result, they act on it accordingly. They also model the world perception; the standard and alignment of the firm’s objectives to ensure it meets those set standards (Macky & Boxall, 2007, p.15).
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