Are We a Nation of Hunter/Gathers or Planter/Planners?

Once again the national budget allocates the lion share to education in an attempt to fight poverty. South Africa in the past fourteen years has spent more on education and skills development than any other country on the planet. So why then do we see such a blatant mismanagement of the country's resources? I believe it is precisely because emphasis is placed on acquiring skills rather than capability and capacity; padding a cv rather than building character. As a recruiter with over fifteen years experience, I have observed a change in the attitude of applicants. The labour market is flooding with Hunter/Gatherers who are replacing the Planter/Planners of the past at a rapid speed. The applicants of today are smooth talking high flyers who believe they can do anything they focus on. This is all good and well but when the going gets tough their flight is swift and clean. They are incapable of facing their blunders or learn from their mistakes. Instead their 'getaway quick' strategy is excused by stating their reason for leaving as 'career growth'. What grows a career more than learning from ones mistakes, I ask you!

Hunter/Gathers (HG) are brazen careerists who focus on their image at the expense of proven ability. These smooth talking fast moving individuals pursue qualifications that will enhance their CV, often at the expense of gaining or improving know-how. They spend a great deal of effort on appearance and communication skills and not enough time on developing commitment and discipline - on actually getting the work done. Planning ahead is not on their agenda because they don't plan to be around long enough to execute those plans. Networking career opportunities is a great deal more important to them than delivering on set goals, unless they are closely monitored and measured. They are takers - they espouse the 'what's in it for me' syndrome. Style takes preference to substance.

Hence, we see a new breed of career seekers, I have named Hunter/Gathers. Their light weight experience is often out of sync with their remuneration demands and their impact on a company's bottom line, usually negative. Strangely enough they also lack real confidence which is usually gained by a record of proven accomplishments and achievements. This is replaced by much posturing and blaming and belief in entitlement. These rolling stones gather no moss just votes.

Planter/Planners (PP) on the other hand, are those individuals who know that in order to reap they must sow - and 'sow' they do. They are the workers - the ones who plan ahead in anticipation of problems. They develop and train teams, meet objectives and deadlines, and promote the organisation at every opportunity. They contribute to the firm's growth and survival by providing functions beyond their job description. They are the individuals who have a can-do-attitude. They are dedicated to accomplishing objectives. They may not have much style or appearance but they have substance - without them most companies would fold. Many of them go unrecognized and unrewarded.

Hunter/Gatherers are an organisation's worst nightmare. They are guzzlers of resources and not makers of goods or services. Identifying HGs is crucial to the survival of all organizations as they are cost-increasers vs PPs who are income-generators. Using the normal performance measuring tools, in my view, is not sufficient. Individual performance is greatly influenced by systems, technology, procedures and other factors beyond the control of the individual employee. A far stronger indicator of value-add is the voluntary/discretionary efforts exhibited by individuals i.e. their involvement, their attachment, their identification with the organization, the desire to give versus the desire to take. Contributions that go beyond pay for work should be measured. Do you know who are your contributors of human capital, your Planters/Planners? Do you know your companies intellectual capital, those who give you the one up on your competitors?

Here is a 10 point tool that will assist you to identify them:.

Planters / Planners are usually:

1 Leaders with substance

Are 'follow-throughers' who are accountable for their actions - they assertive and exceed expectations - meet their set goals and some - uphold the rules and procedures regardless of personal inconvenience - go beyond role requirements and are committed corporate citizens - do not leave the organization until they have completed the goals they have set for department.

2 Mentors

Volunteer their knowledge and expertise to the organisation's problems and challenges and demonstrate a good understanding of the business's needs - focus on developing skills of all - resolve conflict immediately;

3 Problem Solvers

They are in control - they anticipate problems and solutions before they occur - they know that they cannot grow their department if they are always putting out fires;

4 Doers Not Procrastinators

They plan ahead and note due dates before they are due - they don't let important things slip by - they make decisions, they are in control;

5 Gracious

They understand the importance of good manners - they are gracious and personalize their communication ensuring that their subordinates feel appreciated and noticed - they demonstrate respect for their families, colleagues, superiors, customers, laws and rules and especially themselves;

6 Customer-focused

They understand that without customers an organisation will not exist. Therefore it is their primary goal to satisfy customer needs. Deliver more than they promise, consistently - they ensure that they know and understand the organizations policies, procedures, resources and processes;

7 Networks

Establish networks to gain industry knowledge and to access information when required in order to make calculated decisions and contribute to company strategy if and when required;

8 Trend Spotters

Keep abreast with trends, scan the environment and look to the future - know competitor activity - they learn to speak the same language as top management - read industry journals, news, etc

9 Committed

Want to make a positive impact - they learn to see the big picture, and understand the impact their actions have on the whole organization, not just their department - volunteer for tasks in other parts of the organization because they want to learn about every part of the company and they are not afraid of meeting new people;

10 Ambassadors

Never, never talk poorly about the organization - inside or outside - they understand that their company is not perfect and always has room for improvement and they are a contributing factor towards that improvement

Energy flows where attention goes. Whatever you measure you will focus on and thus create a culture - be it a corporate culture or national one! This tool is your formula for success. Every single person in a leadership role, whether leading a team, a corporation or the country, needs to have such a tool in order to reward 'the givers' rather than 'the takers'. Our survival as a nation depends on our ability to evolve from having resource guzzling mentality (Hunter/Gatherer), to that of makers of goods and service (Planters/Planners). The Planters/Planners among us, are our hidden assets; they are our diamonds: they must be cherished! The only way to fight poverty is to create a country of Planters/Planners