Relationship between People Growth and Organizations Growth – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #926

Relationship between People Growth and Organizations Growth – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #926

Dear Colleagues! This is Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #926 for Pharma Veterans. Pharma Veterans Blogs are published by Asrar Qureshi on its dedicated site https://pharmaveterans.com. Please email to aq.pharmaveterans@gmail.com for publishing your contributions here.

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The dynamic interplay between individual growth and organizational development has long been a subject of discussion among the management theorists. It's a classic chicken-and-egg scenario: which comes first, the growth of employees or the growth of organizations? In this blogpost, I shall try to look into this intricate, yet inevitable relationship. My view is that it is a symbiotic relationship, which means that both parties should benefit. I also argue that one cannot happen without the other, and if it does, the growth may not be lasting. Let us explore the personal and organizational growth, and what may be the sequence.

Organizational Growth

Organization is a collection of people, and organizational functions are a sum of the effort of its workers. By the same token, organization growth is dependent upon people growth. 

At the heart of organizational success lies its people. Employees form the bedrock upon which organizations build their structures, strategies, and successes. Conversely, organizations provide the fertile ground in which individuals can thrive and develop. This reciprocity forms the cornerstone of the growth dynamic between individuals and organizations.

Employees' Growth

Individual growth includes personal development, skill enhancement, and career advancement. When employees are empowered to expand their knowledge, hone their skills, and realize their potential, they become invaluable assets to their organizations. A workforce comprising of motivated, skilled individuals leads to innovation, productivity, and resilience—key ingredients for organizational growth.

Employee – Organization Relationship

In the scheme of things, organization is created first. An entrepreneur plans to embark upon a business venture. It is her/his vision of doing something which creates a small/medium/large organization on paper. To bring it to ground, suitable people are sought and attracted; the organization becomes live. The vision leads, employees follow and do their best to realize that vision, and the organization keep moving forward, growing. As the business grows in volume and complexity, existing staff’s capacity and capability needs to be enhanced, and additional, differently specialized staff may be needed. Such decisions are taken by the organization based on its financial capacity and future plans. 

In the beginning, and for several years into future, the employee-organization relationship remains mutually dependent, benefitting, and satisfying. As the organization becomes viable and robust, the moment of truth arrives. The employees shall keep on giving their best, but the organization must decide whether and how much it will invest into development of existing employees.

Investing in employee development pays dividends beyond individual performance. It builds a culture of continuous learning, adaptability, and creativity within organizations. Employees who feel supported in their growth journeys are more engaged, committed, and loyal, leading to reduced turnover rates and enhanced organizational reputation.

Conversely, organizational growth creates opportunities for employee development and advancement. As organizations expand their operations, enter new markets, or innovate their products and services, they open doors for employees to take on new challenges, assume leadership roles, and acquire valuable experiences.

Organizational growth also provides resources and infrastructure for employee development initiatives. Whether through training programs, mentorship opportunities, or career progression pathways, growing organizations can invest in their employees' growth, further strengthening the symbiotic relationship between individual and organizational success.

The relationship between individual and organizational growth is not a linear one but rather a dynamic symbiosis. When employees are supported in their growth endeavors, they contribute more effectively to organizational objectives, driving innovation, productivity, and profitability. In turn, organizational growth creates a fertile environment for employees to thrive, providing opportunities for advancement, recognition, and fulfillment.

Market Landscape

All over the world, a time comes when employees and organization’s symbiotic relationship breaks. Either the employee grows too big for the organization, or the organization becomes too big and thinks that people are not important, and can be replaced with less able, cheaper ones because the organizational systems have become stronger and self-sustaining. The symbiosis is bound to break after a certain time. We see that in fast growing organizations, people worked for many years. The organization did not stop growing, so the people kept growing, however, ultimately the breakup took place. The largest organizations like Microsoft, Apple, Google, Facebook, and many others have gone through this cycle. Organizations that have become large do not suffer due to their size and because they can afford to hire new, capable people quickly. People may suffer emotionally, if not financially, as they find some other lucrative job.

In Pakistan, similar scenario is seen. The difference is that the organizations here take such decisions rather hastily. Another important reason is that most organizations do not consider employees important enough. There is a feeling that if one employee leaves, ten people are standing in queue to take over his job. I can say with authenticity about pharmaceutical companies. All those which are now among the top 50 companies had a stable team which worked for many years and made the company big. All of them lost that team within 15-20 years. Presently, the timeline for change is very short; it takes 2-3 years to change the entire team in many organizations, particularly in the relatively less performing organizations. In better performing ones, this timeline may be 5-7 years for most positions.

What Should be Done?

To harness the power of this symbiotic relationship, organizations must prioritize strategies that promote both individual and organizational growth simultaneously, including but not limited to”

Investing in Employee Development Programs – Providing opportunities for skill-building, training, and mentorship to empower employees to reach their full potential.

Creating a Culture of Learning – Building an environment that values curiosity, experimentation, and continuous improvement, where employees are encouraged to embrace new challenges and explore innovative solutions.

Aligning Personal and Organizational Goals – Ensuring that individual development plans are aligned with organizational objectives, nurturing a sense of purpose and alignment among employees.

Recognizing and Rewarding Growth – Acknowledging and celebrating employee achievements and contributions, reinforcing the importance of growth and development within the organizational culture.

Sum Up

In the process of organizational success, the relationship between individual and organizational growth is symbiotic and mutually reinforcing. When people grow, organizations thrive, and when organizations flourish, people flourish in return. By nurturing this symbiotic relationship through strategic investments in employee development, creating a culture of learning and innovation, and aligning personal and organizational goals, organizations can unlock the full potential of their greatest asset—their people—and chart a course towards sustained growth and success.

Concluded.

Disclaimers: Pictures in these blogs are taken from free resources at Pexels, Pixabay, and Google. Credit is given where available. If a copyright claim is lodged, we shall remove the picture with appropriate regrets.

For most blogs, I research from several sources which are open to public. Their links are mentioned under references. There is no intention to infringe upon anyone’s copyrights. If, however, it happens unintentionally, I offer my sincere regrets.