It is clear as daylight. Everyday millions of people like us go to work. Its those who are able to deliver results in whichever area that they went out in search of their work for the day that end up being satisfied. So much so that they are willing to get up the next day and go to work again, either to pursue the next part of the task of the previous day, another associated task or a new task.
Each one of us becomes a part of this process only and once we have agreed to take it upon ourselves that we shall have tasks for us, work on these tasks and ensure we are committed to completing them.
9th Box assessment is to help us understand how we do this, in a manner uniformly applicable to others in similar conditions and situations and thereby to know who is better than the other
On one part of the assessment we consider POTENTIAL. And on the other we consider PERFORMANCE
POTENTIAL – while there can be many ways to consider this term, the simple way to define this will be to assess the Competence of the person being assessed to Comprehend / Understand tasks given in the area of work, Use Knowledge to gauge how to get it done, Skills to have this completed within a time frame and with accuracy / completeness and finally, to be able to do more than simply complete the task, as in do it better or improve on the process etc
To take a simple example, let us see what transpired at the Goodwork Municipal Corporation.
The municipality was asked to clear the road by removing an old but healthy tree which had fallen during the recent storm. The gang of workers who went there with their Supervisor had been provided with axes and some basic implements and a lorry / truck in which they came in
The Task – ‘to clear the road’ in shortest time so that the morning peak hour traffic could be cleared as soon as possible
Maan was the supervisor here and he asked the gang to start the work to remove the tree asap. The tree was to be cut into smaller parts and so they could have them lifted out of the road so that traffic go go past smoothly. They had to ensure minimal splintering so that passerby and those having time to watch them work did not get hit but wood chips. The wood needed to be preferably cut in large enough blocks as then they could be auctioned at a higher price. At the same time they should be cut up such that they fitted into the lorry in one go to minimise to and fro as well as reduce labor efforts
So lets size up Maan’s work. He had to have the knowledge to be able to measure up the tree, assess its weight and how much could be cut / chopped off where so that there was minimal wastage, and the pieces could be easily lifted on the lorry. He had to identify which areas to cut off first so that the road could be opened up bit by bit (which was the first and primary purpose), and finally he had to organise the labor to ensure the gang worked in unison and the people would work as per their skill levels. Some who were better skilled to be kept on cutting and sawing while the others to keep the people at bay, moving to pick up the materials and placing them on the lorry
In effect, Maan’s effectiveness to get the work done in the least minimal time and to get the best out of the task including possible higher revenue from sale of the tree was in itself a combination of these six elements – know self and manage self, know people and manage people and finally know the work and manage the work. To become more and more effective, Maan, and likewise all of us need to become better in our knowledge, skills and Competence – all of which combine to become our Behaviour
Many a time we see people who are supposed to lead, back off and allow others in the team to do so. Many a time, it is called empowerment. But usually it fails because the team has not yet been helped to understand how they are to use their Knowledge and Skills and how to make them work. Some of them may even manage a particular situation, but to be able to do it consistently well every time is what this unique mechanism puts forth as the 9th box champs.
Lets start knowing what goes into the boxes and how we can self assess where we are and what we need to to do go forward.