As part of management’s role to manage its resources for maximum benefit is its duty to preserve its assets and ensure they remain maximally effective.
In any organisation, a large proportion of the assets (resources for production) lies within its employees’ brains. This fact is more so for knowledge workers, where it has previously been pointed out that knowledge workers have and are the means of production.
That being the case, it is imperative that the organisation attracts, retains, and nurtures its most valuable assets – its employees.
Want to try a thought experiment? Imagine how productive your organisation would be if all the employees left. If you can manage without them, then congratulations! If you can’t because all you have remaining is a collection of non-functional hardware and software assets, then the point is made.
What are you going to change to attract, retain, and nurture your most valuable assets?
Adapted from Peter Drucker, Management Challenges for the 21st Century.
