Recommended reading
Article Type: Resources From: Strategic HR Review, Volume 9, Issue 6
The Good Work Guide. How to Make Organizations Fairer and More Effective
Nick Isles,Earthscan,2010,ISBN 978-1-84407-557-7
This book is positioned as different to the many books on work and related aspects because it focuses on the idea of “good work.” The author defines this as “a way of looking at work as a fully human activity”and it is a means of balancing traditional work-related aims, such as profitability and efficiency, with more personal-related values such as fairness and voice.
The need for good work is stronger than ever as organizations look for ways to prosper in a knowledge economy, which means engaging employees so that they use their knowledge to create value. Organizations no longer control the work environment, as only employees can control the knowledge they own and therefore organizations need to give more and understand what employees need from work.
Good work in practice
The book starts by creating the context that has made good work so important– the credit crunch, the recession and the rise in the knowledge economy. It goes on to define the idea of good work and explore it in practice. The author links it to the high performance workplace, which has many of the practices that empower the workforce and encourage delegated authority. These include an apparent simplicity of processes; a culture of empowerment; a long-term customer orientation; communication and the related ability to share knowledge; and open, visible and accessible leaders.
The author then focuses on ownership, as a key to good work, explores the five dimensions of ownership and looks at the role that leaders play in delivering good work. The final chapter gives ten steps to good work, and acts as a guide to help organizations looking to embrace this way of thinking and working. Good work is shaped by context and is a way of thinking that aims to get better outcomes for everyone involved in enterprise. The ten steps are designed to work together to help an organization find its own approach to good work and, despite the intangible nature of the idea, they give a practical model for moving forward.
This is a thought provoking read and one that may help organizations looking for a way to balance the seemingly conflicting demands of today’s business environment.
Sara NolanEditor, Strategic HR Review
