Building an Organization of Influence by Developing Human Capital
Submitted by Karen Keller Ph.D on
"The most valuable of all capital is that invested in human beings."
Alfred Marshall, Principles of Economic
There are many ways a company can invest its capital: land, equipment, research, development and more. Your organization can go the “cause route” by investing in charitable efforts to promote your social consciousness. Yet one investment is more foundational than all of these, which is the investment in developing the people in your organization. While this investment may seem to be a given, recent trends have resulted in many organizations reducing their human capital investment percentages, trading them for perks and bonuses to the employee. While these are not bad, when they take away from an organization’s ability to increase the potential of its employees, these perks (like a new office chair, expanded food services, and other short-term investments) are actually robbing the individual and the organization.
Investment in the growth of the individual does not expire, unlike the office chairs, which will go out of style or trends in office design (remember cubicles or even themed breakout areas, anyone?). When you build the person, they carry that investment with them the rest of their lives.
