New Book Exposes Why People Are An Organizations Greatest Asset and How Corporations Fail To Utilize Them
+1 902-660-3070; +44 (0) 20 7993 4720; jonathan.ledwidge@thapartners.com, www.thamanifesto.com
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While dysfunctional human relationships are a widely studied topic, it isn’t common to equate dysfunctionality to the relationships between organizations and their workforce. In his new book The Human Asset Manifesto; What Happens When Organizations Allow People The Freedom To BE, Jonathan Ledwidge makes the bold assertion that organizations are not only socially dysfunctional but they subjugate and destroy the human spirit!
“Managers often say good things about the importance of people but very seldom mean it, comments Ledwidge. This can be seen from the rightsizing, downsizing, reorganizing and outsourcing that happens with unabashed frequency. These actions represent a failure to comprehend the true value of people and people processes. Worse still, this cycle is constantly repeated even when it obviously doesn’t work.”
The Human Asset Manifesto is a groundbreaking work that reveals how businesses can bring together the concepts of wealth and value, as well as human and social factors. It demonstrates the critical role played by human and social factors from the time of the Industrial Revolution all the way through to the current IT Revolution, and specifically links the quality of human assets to excellence and competitive advantage. “I wanted to make both Marx and Rockefeller happy, comments Ledwidge. The most successful organizations in the future will be those organizations that operate and define themselves within a human and social context, giving people the freedom to BE.”
Drawing on his own vast experience and observations, Ledwidge notes that it is the very nature of organizations that destroys the human spirit. “Instead of utilizing the passions and goals of its workforce and rewarding employee initiative, most jobs control and squash human creativity, stated Ledwidge. Consequently, neither the organization nor the individual ever attain their best or achieve their greatest ambitions. Instead, and to their mutual discomfort, they share a marginal existence.”
What is the answer to this social dysfunctionality? Ledwidge asserts that organizations must define themselves in a way that expresses the greater good for society. “Once an organization has redefined itself in a human and social context, comments Ledwidge, they should recruit people, not just qualifications, which share their vision.” Thus, The Human Asset Manifesto provides insights and tools that give organizations and individuals a framework to move beyond their current state of social dysfunctionality, to BE the very best that they can and want to BE.
Jonathan Ledwidge was born in London but grew up in his parents’ native Jamaica. He studied Physics and Chemistry at the University of West Indies before joining Price Waterhouse. Jonathan has worked in the City of London for over 18 years in a number of global investment banks, including Continental, CIBC Capital Markets, and ABN AMRO. His roles included developing and implementing business strategies, transformational change, as well as devising methods for improving the productivity of sales and origination teams. Jonathan holds an MBA from Cass Business School in London. His first book, A Mannequin for President, is a critique on US Presidential politics. Currently he is Managing Partner at THAPartners. For more information go to www.thamanifesto.com, email jonathan.ledwidge@thapartners.com or phone +44 20 7993 4720, or +44 (0) 7795 035 229 (mobile).
