《Corporate Sigma 5》.pdf

4 Human Capital: The Heart Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it. Irrigators guide water; arrow makers straighten arrows; car- penters bend wood; wise people shape themselves. Buddha If you ask any executive “What is the most valuable asset in your com- pany?” he or she will quickly respond, “People are our most valuable asset,” “Our employees come first,” “We’re only as strong as our people.” Yet a growing number of American companies are learning that they have long overlooked and mismanaged one of their most critical assets: human capital. When we look at what is happening in corporate America, there is a real disconnect between the typical executive response and the reality of how people are valued in the workplace on a daily basis. Executives seem to be in denial about the failure of company programs and rhetoric to real- ize the full potential of their people. Several business leaders and studies examine the fact that employee sat- isfaction and engagement are critical to the success of the corporation. We believe that if employees are the heart of the corporation, they need to be fully connected to the arteries and veins of the company. Only in that way can both succeed. By integrating employee personal scorecards with cor- porate scorecards, that connection is made and companies are better able to maximize and engage the hearts of their employees. Human capital issues are at the top of the agenda for today’s CEO. Enlightened executives have realized that human capital represents a real sustainable competitive advantage. Yet, organizations continue to treat human capital as a non-strategic asset. In fact, many continue to witness 53 54 • Corporate Sigma: