Wednesday, July 16, 2014

#775 job symphony

The IBM Service Center in town classifies their jobs in three categories:  rhythm, blues and jazz.

Just as the name implies, employees in the rhythm level do basic tasks and repeat them.  Employees on the blues level are allowed more autonomy and have the ability to infuse judgment and some improvisation into their work.  Those on the jazz level have no "sheet music" and are considered experts who can improvise all of their work.  The concept allows people from all three categories to work together in groups to support each other.

Are there elements of the IBM classification system that you can adopt for your organization?  Perhaps instead of clerical staff and administration or line workers and managers you can create more broad groupings that allow people to see themselves in a larger context.  Maybe you can align job expectations like is done with the rhythm section, where those hired know they will be doing tasks over and over.  It may allow you to recruit junior "blues" members if they know that the "jazz" level is possible for them.

As I have written on numerous occasions, language matters.  If you have job categories with no meaning you are missing out on an opportunity to illustrate how your symphony plays from the same music.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

Source:  Tom Coffas, IBM Dubuque Service Manager as quoted in the Telegraph Herald, 6-22-14

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