Human Resources... We use this word all over the world. In the time that we gave simple tasks to people, with not that much of responsibility, because the manager is responsible i can understand that. But nowadays? Most of the people have contact with customers and they are the visit card of the company. People who have less or no direct client contact need to support the others who have. And because the customer is more and more demanding, we expect from employees that they come up with solutions themselves and not their manager....or the manager of the manager. In my opinion you cannot speak anymore that a person is just a resource. A resource you can easily replace or buy somewhere else. But what if an employee who is appreciated, professional and with a lot of experience is leaving the company ? Are you loosing a part of the human resources,or you loose an investment ? In my opinion the last. But still we act if humans are resources. They are on the financial balance sheet on the cost side, not on the investment side. And how do we act if a company is not doing that well? We immediately are cutting costs. With people that means reduction, no or less training, reducing the secondary benefits etc. etc. On the investment side we have things like machines. Because they are an investment we take good care of them. Regular maintenance, dealing with care that is what we do with investments. Actually strange. Doesn't have it to be the other way around? That machines are costs and people an investment ? If you think further this change of thinking could mean a lot. In the benefit of the people and company