PCM Hierarchy for #PeopleManagement
I begun the discussion on the PCM hierarchy in a previous post and sought to extend it further here. PCM stands for Process Complexity Management. And it forms a hierarchy based on the perspective you view it from. So let me begin with some basics.
All that we know comes from four stages of personal evolution; we are blessed with genetic memory and that is why a child need not be taught how to suckle or crawl. Genetic memory is also instinctive and reptilian; it commands us to react based on an autopilot mode which contain the ‘Fight, Flight and Freeze’ response.
The next layer of our command comes from society, which inculcates us with social beliefs, practices and the core distinction between ‘good’ and ‘bad’. This is where our paths separate in the ways of acquiring and implementing information as we integrate into human societies. Visiting multiple such societies builds a certain amount of dichotomy, based on preferences and experiences, and builds the curious effect of questioning our beliefs for the first time.
Knowledge is dispensed through skills, which could be academic or cultural, and includes the impact of socio-economic factors along with preferences. Here it is important to observe this knowledge preference quadrant to establish the veracity of social-economic impact of preference.
The acquisition of knowledge also has forbearing on priorities, and experiences can also be deterministic of choices where they are no limitations of economic or social triggers. An ugly experience in our first music or swimming lesson often makes us quit further endeavor to pursue, thus highlighting the importance of exchange and experience. This can further lead to distilled intellect across specific types of information, dependent of time spent in prioritizing and acquiring such extended and specific knowledge.
The PCM hierarchy tells us that people have preferences and thus create hierarchies of tastes and likings, compared to other alternatives. Knowing them early ensures that losses are minimised, focus is attained early and goals are pursued much ahead of the race.
Forced motivation is a weak conductor of performance. Motivational speakers do a good job of instant gratification but are poor changemakers. It requires months, if not years to tear apart practiced ways and means or distilling between pre-deterministic good and bad; ask a sportsperson how much practice is needed to change an erroneous action.
For effective application of knowledge, one would do much better keeping the 3 horizons of past, present and future in constant vigilance. The past is to recall whether there are chances of failure versus success as an application of knowledge; the present vigilance is to ensure that the past knowledge in the present is being administered under the right conditions for attaining success while the future is to keep track of the path forward towards growth objectives.
So why call it process complexity and have such a complex title? Well, life is a set of complex processes to practice and survive. Is it incorrect that you need to practice different styles as per the environment; we need to be a doting parent, a loving spouse and a caring child at home while practice completely different attributes of negotiators, team leaders and creative innovators at work? Which is why the process complexities for life are not only multidimensional but also bear influences of prioritization and preferences based on exchange of triggers within the realities of environmental exchanges.
Choosing a workforce based on the set of expected knowledge, their application within a certain environment for addressing a certain class of society to address organizational growth strategy is a massive challenge to be left disorganized with a set of managers who are parroting diversity and empathy without understanding the essence behind it.
How to apply the PCM hierarchy at the workplace? Most organisations need to begin with having a PCM framework of understanding the competencies as a sub-culture within the Org culture. It is the role of the framework to classify roles based on Org hierarchy and I have covered the same in my forthcoming book, HR Analytics In-depth by BPB Publications. Alternately, you can reach out to me at pexitics.com to know more about it.
The final truth lies in our ability to persevere and remain curious about our Knowledge Preference quadrant for allocating higher time as the complexity of information rises for attaining higher levels of intellect as a subject matter expert. Skills are the base on which civilizations have prospered. But these skills, when keenly observed, highlight our preference and priority based on the needs of time… and time is a corollary river in which you cannot dip in twice.
Till then, happy reading!