Page 8 - SPiCE Magazine (January 2019)

8 The SPiCE Magazine • January 2019

Vivified!
HR 2018: Confronting our

Transformation Paradox

By Noli Galgana

SPi Global will soon celebrate its 40th run. We believe life begins at 40, and 2019 is going to be
momentous as we usher in a huge celebration through relevant programs and initiatives.

However this future may look like, 2018 was no less significant as we faced what we call our
“transformation paradox”.

A significant insight we realized in 2018 was that the very reasons why SPi Global maintained its strong
market position for four decades are the same reasons that now serve as a challenge in future-proofing
the organization. Four key questions come into play:

• How do we create disruptions to a leadership culture that already has a well-established
understanding of its operational processes?
• Do we have the agility and velocity for a strong take-off point despite the deeply rooted
processes and work behaviors that have kept us standing all these years?
• Do we have the right people who constantly think of creating technology solutions for our
clients beyond adapting and reacting to innovation trends?
• How do we enable a culture where people will embrace technologies and processes, and
then readily let go of them in anticipation of obsolescence?

Responding to these questions, the HR team institutionalized some initiatives to plant the seeds for a
more meaningful transformation as we approach our 40th year:

High flyers, where we reinvigorate our rewards and recognition for high performers through an
awarding ceremony that happens in the midst of operations’ work areas. Soon, such recognition will
be felt across all levels of the organization.

Performance shape-up, where we engage low-performing employees in a series of coaching and
consistent performance monitoring, helping them get back on track of key metrics. So far, the program
has shown very promising results from the pilot.

Coaching, As part of our back to basics approach, we instill the importance of consistent coaching as a
communication line with our employees in hopes of getting a “sense on the ground”, and of reinforcing
our corporate values.

SkillsInfinite, where we allow employees to re-imagine their careers and explore new skills that are
relevant for future operations. This was piloted with classes in copyediting and Python programming.
More skills and competencies will be added in the coming months.