People Focus Spring 04 NA - CIPD

PEOPLE FOCUSMar 2004 ContentsSurprise! Benchmarking can benefit the country pg 2New National Deal is unlikely pg 5CIPD Approved Courses pg 8Current Trends in Variable Pay: pg 10Getting more bang for your bonus buckSummary of Winning Entries in the National Awards pg 14for Excellence in HRMBishop Puts Breaks on Employment Injunctions pg 18CIPD Strategic Conference pg 20An Intelligent Approach pg 24Managing Organisational Change pg 26National Launch of Programme pg 28Members Evening Meetings pg 30Regions pg 32Profit Building Teams First, Downsize Last pg 36People on the Move pg 40In FocusHR professionals will appreciate that“Benchmarking” requires more serious analysisthan the knee-jerk reaction that has characterisedmuch of the debate to date. While focusing on theinitial cost of benchmarking creates good tabloidcopy, it fails to recognise the strides that have beenmade in public sector pay determination since themilitancy of the mid 90’s threatened our economicprosperity. Now a comprehensive changeprogramme is firmly on the agenda with the real prospect of a more efficient andaccountable public service emerging. In our Analysis Section we examine theimplications of Benchmarking for industrial relations and the economy generally.Also in our Analysis Section we discuss the prospects for another NationalAgreement and argue that the odds of a follow-on deal are shortening all the time.In particular, we consider the likely reaction of private sector unions to public sectorpay rises and conclude that if a seventh national agreement proves impossible thepublic sector will do a deal on their own, based around benchmarking.Many of the articles in this issue concentrate on organisational performance.Weexplore current trends in variable pay, we look at managing organisational changeand discuss why traditional “change management” has failed.We get some practicalexamples of emotional intelligence in action, we have a report on our AnnualStrategic T&D Conference, and we discover how the Bishops may have put the brakeson employment injunctions.And finally …… Ireland to host Major European HR ConferenceCIPD in Ireland has been given the honour of hosting the next European Associationof Personnel Management (EAPM) Conference in May 2005. The theme we havechosen is “The European Workplace of the Future – Flexible and Competitive” and theevent will be held in the Burlington Hotel, Dublin from 11th to 13th May 2005. TheExecutive Board of EAPM recently visited Dublin and are looking forward to nextyear’s event with great anticipation.People Focus is issued by the Chartered Institute ofPersonnel and Development in Ireland.Mention of the CIPD in the text refers to the Institutein Ireland unless otherwise stated.Material printed in People Focus is not necessarilyendorsed by CIPD Ireland.Editorial enquiries to:The Editor, Michael McDonnell, CIPD Ireland,7-8 Upper Mount Street, Dublin 2.Tel: 676 6655 Fax: 676 7229 e-mail: info@cipd.ieDesign-Layout-Advertising:IRN Publishing/Creative Inputs,121-123 Ranelagh, Dublin 6.Tel: 497 2711.Printing: Brunswick Press, DublinEAPM Executive Board meets in Dublin