Jean on Problem Solving

While the term custodian often refers to the person who cleans and maintains a building, custodian can also mean one who safeguards and protects any company asset. For example, a custodian bank holds equities and bonds in safekeeping, all the while collecting and disseminating information about the condition of those assets to interested others. For years companies have trumpeted that “our employees are our most valuable asset.” If that is true, what should you be doing as a manager (or custodian) of that asset?

Typically, a custodian oversees all phases of an assets life cycle: construction, acquisition, usage and maintenance. Here’s how the four phases connect with your role as a human asset custodian.

Construction: Just as a building requires quality raw materials, your employee requires quality training as well as on the job skills practice. Assure that your work group has skills that are current, not hopelessly outdated. See that they get the chance to use the new skills they learn in training classes; one idea is to have the employee who attended a training class give a presentation about what they learned. Also be sure to give regular feedback to your employees so that they understand what they are doing well and what they should work to improve.

Acquisition: Even if you don’t need to hire someone now you should still be in “asset acquisition” mode. While recruiters certainly play a role, you can assure that your organization has a list of ready candidates by making sure that you make your company’s presence known in your community and professional groups. Ask for logo merchandise to donate to events around town; volunteer to speak at community meetings on topics of interest to potential candidates. Connect with local colleges so that graduates understand what your company does and how they could benefit from being a part of it. Above all, keep thoughts you might have about problems within your company inside company walls, honoring your commitment to confidentiality. Loose lips sink ships.

Usage: The bulk of your asset management tasks fall within this part of the life cycle – the months and years when your employees are “used.” Your goal as custodian is to see that they are used well, but not used up. Ask yourself these questions: Are my employees doing work that should be done by someone else’s department? Are they spending time correcting the mistakes of others – and how could I make that stop? Are my employees getting enough credit for the work they do? Keeping your employees motivated means that you manage every part of their work experience, from the assignments they get, to the deadlines they must meet, to the resources they used to get the job done. Do what it takes to position them for success and by all means, get out of their way.

Maintenance: Most complex equipment comes with a list of scheduled maintenance activities or maybe even a service contract with an outside vendor. Equipment owners know that changing out worn parts before they break saves money in the long run. In the same way, there may be employees in your work group who need some downtime to recharge. Stress takes its toll on people and if your department has been working on high alert status for a long time, your employees may be feeling the strain. Learn what you can about problem-focused and emotion-focused coping skills, then make a plan for helping those employees who may not be coping well.

While you may never carry around a hundred keys, you are still a custodian. By carefully managing the construction, acquisition, usage and maintenance of your company’s most important resource, you’ll hold the key to your company’s success – and yours.