Thursday, December 28, 2023

How Environments Can Restrict Maximizing Human Capital (Learning from Gifted Performers)

Organizations and nations thrive when they are able to develop their human capital and put that capital to good work. Without that human capital the benefits of the information pipeline slows and industries fall behind in products and revenue. Worse, beyond the loss of money, is a decline of standards of living [not just the economic side]. Because innovation leads to economic expansion and that expansion requires a strong supply of human capital, we might consider looking to maximize environments to further development through understanding the gifted and talented performers [Those that realize high performance and displays of genius.].

 [Thinking of human capital as a root micro transactional factor that creates synergy with other factors such as technology and infrastructure.]

Often studies and conversation about human capital is lost in the large stats of economic analysis . Focusing on small groups of high performance individuals and how they relate to their environment creates an additional lens to see human capital development. Gifted and talented as seen as having potential for exceptional performance but needing the a receptive environment to maximize performance skills. Using the micro and macro lens can narrow some gaps in the literature and improve policies [Whatever those policies may be. i.e. moving beyond the hemlock poison approach common in history.]

[Keep in mind that economics is the lens but what it does measure is macro human behaviors based on imperfect measures. Things outside of those bell curves are lost in the variance of statistics but could be fundamental to solving a bigger problem.]

You can read something on how people at the top and bottom of the bell curve understand their environments differently and react to those environments in  Neurocomputational Model and a piece on Problem Solving Abilities. Research supports the idea that gifted people are more sensitive to problems, often care about them more, and can detect the subproblems that create the issue. Thus, they become sponges for their environments through their deeper neural processes. 

Ok great! So what? I use sponges to clean my sink. Well......

Failure to develop these abilities means we don't have the top talent in the industries at a time when we need them. We may also run into situations where new inventions or ways of doing things don't come forward because limitations of the environment that have an exponential impact on new successful initiatives and top talent retainment. If organizations, entities, or others inadvertently [Hopefully not intentionally] limit maximum performance by poor strategic approaches or inability to accept new ideas then that organization will eventually decline and die.  

Let us take hate for example. Gifted people know that hate is immoral and a broken ideology based on highly superficial and ulterior motives that have little to nothing to do with fact or accuracy. A gifted person knows this intuitively and comes to understand what factors cause these poor environments to persist [...and thus lack of performance in academic, social, sports and other arenas of life.]. They may also know how certain norms institutional bias limit human capital development in a way that limits the potential of different demographics.

 [Actually, not even in their benefit in the long run. Shortsightedness damages decision making accuracy and impact. People in authority should not be short sighted least they impact many as well as themselves with such poor decisions.]

A gifted person may feel a moral leaning toward ensuring people and institutions follow the highest moral conscious and treat all people as valued members of society. They do this not only for the ethics of things but also because it creates integrity and higher national-societal performance in the long run. However, short sighted policies, poor values, and self-interest would scoff and discard such ideas because it doesn't reconfirm their narrow sense of understanding [They know that the inconvenience of poor choices in the long run is more important than the inconvenience of solving problem at their root.]

 [In other words, the ignorant can't see what is in front of them but are often adamant they have all the answers. They are also the type who often misuse their authority to ensure their ideology, as based in their benefit, is the the primary narrative. Thus, wiser people should take leading positions and more underdeveloped people should avoid positions of influence. Being open to different possibilities and outcomes avoids the Dunning–Kruger effect.]

If we want to develop high performing talent and create environments where innovation and economic performance is maximized then it would seem that the most cost effective way of coordination is in how we treat each other and shared societal expectations. As studies have shown, higher performing gifted people function best in environments that allow for that high performance to come forward. Thus, developing human capital is beyond education or training singularly and reaches into how we view and value each other on a universal shared level [Its almost simplistically stupid]. We develop people and our society by valuing people and drawing the best out of them without regard to the superficialities of difference [racial, religious, cognitive, etc...any different misused to divide.].

The following quote is an interesting one and seems a little harsh. However, the essential point may still be true. We sometimes need to hedge the different thoughts, ideas, people, and ways of looking at things in order to solve complex organizational problems. Even if such ideas are discarded in the end based on practicality or strategic necessity, one still gains from such diverse exploration new tools for the tool box. Wise people never reject alternative perspectives unless they have at least looked at it with an open an discerning eye. Only then they can say "most likely". 💁 just saying. :)

 “The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." Bertrand Russell

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