Fix the Worker? Or Fix the Work?

Fix the Worker? Or Fix the Work?
Virtual Workshop

May 31, 2022 • 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Organizations have no shortage of problems to address. And when performance falls short, we are quick to focus on the worker. We think about more training, expanding supervision, increasing motivation, improving documentation, pressing for greater effort, or addressing soft skill deficits. But do you have an equally robust tool kit for analyzing and re-designing work? No matter the type of work, whether that is managerial, executive, or other, it is easy to bog down in job descriptions, roles & responsibilities, and documentation. What we need is a notion of work process that sits just above work procedures and also expresses the purpose of the organization. We need a way to see past "people problems" (communication, decision making, conflict, motivation, inclusion, team norms, etc.) to find the broken work process underneath that contaminates everything.

This presentation will outline an approach to work that looks past procedures to define the work processes that are the heart of the organization. Attendees can expect to learn:

• How to characterize work without bogging down in detailed procedures
• How to structure more productive discussions about work problems
• How to separate the work from the worker... and then how to bring the people back in
• How to use the notion of work process to complement corporate visioning and strategic planning

Technology Requirements:

This session will be conducted through Zoom. Log-in instructions will be sent upon registration. 

About the Speaker:

Jerry L. Talley, PhD - JLTalley & Associates

Over the last 40 years Jerry has provided organizational development consulting to about 450 companies. His background is in Sociology, but he is also a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist. Jerry often worked with companies trying to solve the same problem for the 2nd or 3rd time, which made him focus on the process itself rather than just the problem at hand.

Cancellation/Refund Policy: Cancellations made more than five (5) calendar days prior to the event will receive a full refund. Cancellations made three (3) to five (5) calendar days prior to the event will receive a 50% refund. Cancellations less than three (3) calendar days prior to the event and no-shows will not be refunded or credited. Any unpaid balance due will remain according to the above guidelines. Refunds will be issued using the original payment method.