0

    Module 3 – Case
    Peak Performance
    Assignment Overview
    Hallowell (2011) explains What I mean by peak performanceand what most of us seek in our lives and what managers wish to help their people achieveis consistent excellence with improvement over time at a specific task or set of tasks. He further asserts Those three factorsexcellence consistency and ongoing improvementdefine peak performance for my purposes (p. 32). Managers should always be on the lookout for employees who just dont fit in with the organizations culture. Hallowell (2011) explains you can tell a person is not in the right role if he feels no enthusiasm for what hes doing if his mind never lights up if he never gets excited about his job if he chronically complains and further states This doesnt mean hes a dull person or that the line of work he has chosen is intrinsically dull just that hes not assigned to the right task (p. 47). Being assigned the right tasks and then being responsible for those tasks relates to the division of labor concept coined by Adam Smith (1776). Hallowell (2011) explains The goal is for employees to spend as much time as possible at the intersection of three spheres: what they like to do what they are most skilled at doing and what adds value to the project or organization (p. 49). For peak performance or enhancing productivity levels many would argue that specific tasks should be assigned to specific individuals with specific skills. Strategic leaders are known for being able to quickly match skills to tasks.
    HR managers need to understand the importance of employees having fun while at work. Many organizations are highly task oriented and forget the importance of being relationship oriented. Hallowell (2011) explains One way you can tell if your employees are in alignment with the Cycle of Excellence is to see if they are having fun (p. 47). For example some modern managers see the value of having fun at work or even taking time off from work to just relax and reflect. For example Bill Gates is famous for taking seven days off twice a year in a secluded cabin where he reads drinks diet Orange Crush and thinks (p. 131).
    Hallowell (2011) provides the following recommendation for managers Consider having a goofy day of some sort now and then. It must conform to the basic rules and values of your organizations culture of course. But make it fun (p. 129). By having a goofy day at work or dressing up for certain holidays employees are able to have some fun which also relieves stress. Hallowell (2011) explains Effective management limits bad stress as much as possible while promoting good stress in the form of surmountable challenges (p. 143). Effective managers also understand the importance of recognizing employees for their daily contributions. Hallowell (2011) states Recognition is so powerful because it answers a fundamental human need the need to feel valued for what we do. Managers are in a unique position to offeror withholdsuch recognition and with it the feeling of being valued (p. 162). Hallowell (2011) provides a unique example from Harvard University that reinforces the importance and significance of recognizing all employees and not just the popular ones. Hallowell (2011) explains
    To celebrate those who worked in nonacademic jobs an outside group helped create an event called Harvard Heroes. It was a phenomenal success until it was discontinued for budgetary reasons in 2009. Once a year exactly one week after Harvard Universitys commencement ceremonies the university held a parallel ceremony to honor selected employees who had gone above and beyond everyday achievement in their work (pp. 168-169).
    The Harvard Heroes example depicts the importance of recognizing the employees who are at times behind the scenes. According to Hallowell (2011) the five steps to igniting peak performance in an organization is called the Cycle of Excellence (pp. 6-7):
    Step 1Select: Putting people into the right jobs so that their brains light up.
    Step 2Connect: Overcoming the potent forces that disconnect people in the workplace both from each other and from the mission of the organization and restoring the force of positive connection which is the most powerful fuel for peak performance.
    Step 3Play: Play or imaginative engagement catalyzes advanced work and managers can help people tap into this phenomenally productive yet undervalued activity of the mind.
    Step 4Grapple and grow: Managers can create conditions where people want to work hard and employees making progress at a task that is challenging and important turns ordinary performers into superstars and increases commitment.
    Step 5Shine: Doing wellshiningfeels good so giving recognition and noticing when a person shines is critical and a culture that helps people shine inevitably becomes a culture of self-perpetuating excellence.
    The five steps of the Cycle of Excellence provide a novel approach to maximizing peak performance.
    Reference: Hallowell E.M. (2011). Shine: Using Brain Science to Get the Best From Your People.Boston MA: Harvard Business Review. (This book is not required).
    Case Assignment
    Drawing on the material in the background readings and doing additional research please prepare a 3-5 page paper (not including the cover and reference pages) in which you:
    Assignment Expectations
    Your paper will be evaluated on the following points:
    Assignment Expectations (Structure)
    Module 3 – SLP
    Peak Performance
    HR Functions
    Human resource management has seven vital functions that are connected to each other. The seven different functions are:
    After doing some research on the different HR functions discuss the three most important functions based upon your experiences research. Please make sure to justify why you chose the three functions that you did and how you three functions can help an organization progress.
    This assignment is a Signature Assignment that will be used for specific assessment purposes.
    SLP Assignment Expectations
    Your paper should be short (2-3 pages not including the cover sheet references and assessment sheet) and to the point.You are expected to deal with these issues in an integrated fashion rather than treating them as a series of individual questions to be answered one by one and left at that.
    You will be particularly assessed on:
    SLP Assignment Expectations (Structure)
    Cite your sources: APA Style – Trident requires all PhD work to be in APA form. We also encourage all other students to comply with guidelines for proper citation of references. You may use the tutorial found on the following link (press view the tutorial): http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx?apaSessionKey=4532A4A4911C1E8D5E885C141739A382
    Module 3
    Required Material
    Peter Prowse and Julie Prowse. (2010). Whatever happened to human resource management performance? International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management Volume 59 Issue 2 pp. 145162.
    Siew Fang Law and Sandra Jones. (2009). A guanxi model of human resource management. Chinese Management Studies Volume 3 Issue 4 pp. 313327.
    Ivan Svetlik and Eleni Stavrou-Costea. (2007). Connecting human resources management and knowledge management. International Journal of Manpower Volume 28 Issue 3/4 pp. 197206.
    Steve Miranda. (2005). Creating the indispensable HR function. Strategic HR Review Volume 4 Issue 3 p. 3235.
    Chris Ashton Mike Haffenden & Andrew Lambert. (2004). The fit for purpose HR function. Strategic HR Review Volume 4 Issue 1 p. 3235.

                                                                                                                                      Order Now