Articles.

The slow-growth economy brings with some predictable implications for the work environment. The basic "stuff" that keeps talent connected to your organization is quite different in times of low or no growth. The articles in this edition of the journal tackle different elements relating to this issue. When talent is no longer rapidly moving between positions and up the organization, at least three of their questions are:

1. Am I developing and utilizing my skills?

2. Am I having fun?

3. With all this (360-degree) feedback I am getting, how should I use it?

In the first article, "The Power of a Development Plan," two well experienced consultants and executive coaches (Bob Stringer and Randy Cheloha) present what is known about how to make development plans relevant to the real world. They remind me of the phrase "motivated adult with a need": With that combination, you can make a difference with the person! Until then, no amount of wonderfully planned development events will matter. The article blends literature on what is known in this area with organizational examples to make it real. It is a nice combination of relevant knowledge or theory and specific "how to" suggestions that are immediately usable no matter what formal system your organization might utilize. The focus is the development of future leaders, important in any time and era.

The "serious" side of fun is considered in the second article: "Questions and Answers About Fun at Work." Note that the second author has the word "laugh" within his name. Bob Ford, Frank McLaughlin, and John Newstrom explore how 572 HR professionals conceptualize and deal with creating a fun work environment. Just defining what is meant by a "fun work environment" is a contribution, but they go well beyond that to describe perceived improvements to key employee outcomes such as attracting new employees, communications, commitment, customer satisfaction, culture, turnover, productivity, and absenteeism. They also uncover some reasons management resists building "fun" into the work environment: Can't afford the time; Can't afford the dollar cost; Don't know how to get started; Don't want to look silly; and so on. Yet when 75 percent of respondents believe there is a gap between the actual amount of fun and the optimal amount of fun, this largely unstudied area deserves some attention. I personally would like to know the names of the 3 percent of organizations reporting "too much fun."

The third article is really the beginning of a series that will add to the state of knowledge regarding 360-degree feedback, brought to you by two researchers, consultants, and practitioners who have developed deep expertise in this area over the last 30-plus years: Bob Eichinger and Mike Lombardo. It is entitled "Knowledge Summary Series: 360-Degree Assessment." The journal will continue this series and explore 360-degree processes and what is known about them in more detail over the coming year. This initial article explores what is known about three key issues regarding 360-degree assessment: 1) The Dynamics and Value of Self-Ratings; 2) Should 360 Results Be Confidential; and 3) If a Lot is Good, More Must be Better: Overusing Your Strengths. I am in an interesting spot here: In the 1980s, "Dr. Bob" was my dotted-line boss at PepsiCo for about five years, but since then I co-authored an article with Marcus Buckingham in this journal ("The 21st Century Human Resource Function: It's the Talent, Stupid!") in which we argued for the importance of understanding and building on your strengths. This last section may well set up an interesting debate among the HR community regarding the use of strengths in development planning. We have all experienced the key fact that a strength used to excess or over-applied in all situations can be career limiting, and that this logic can often he the best way to get the attention of otherwise-successful executives. Strengths that carried a person early in his or her career can become limiting later in a career; and knowing your weaknesses so they don't blind-side you is essential. Even with these agreements, professionals are still left with the question of where to invest limited dollars and time for development--And I would still argue, build on the strengths!

Richard M. Vosburgh, Ph.D.

Vice President-Human Resources, Asia Pacific

Hewlett Packard