of their way to recognise and appreciate employee contributions during stressful times, thereby strengthening their contribution to the organisational fabric. A love of learning mindset Businesses are a part of, not separate from, society. They therefore need employees who love learning and are curious about and interested in engaging with the communities their companies serve. Learning and development is a vehicle for helping everyone to improve at an individual, team, and enterprise level. But pouring more knowledge into people’s heads isn’t the answer – company cultures are richer, and improved performance is more likely, when you connect the latest content to the larger market context, especially through experiential methods, to help employees understand how external factors affect them. People with a love of learning are more than employees; they become trusted community advocates. Admirable behaviours You may exceed your targets. But how you did it influences your reputation and longevity with the company. Stepping on people on your march to achievement won’t earn you any favours. Demonstrating business behaviours that convey how the work you and your company does enriches society
Here, an important point must be made. ‘The very best of society’ is judged by the standards within that societal context. Behaviours that work well in the US are ineffective in many Asian cultures, for example. Do each of the three areas sound obvious? Even so, organisational culture is not the easiest of areas to develop and nurture, and is challenging to measure, so we can often fall prey to misleading correlations. If our business achieves its financial objectives, isn’t that a sign that the culture is working well? Possibly, but not necessarily. A successful financial outcome is the result of a myriad of factors coming together, some of which may very well reflect a healthy company culture, while others may be the by-product of toxic practices. The takeaway? Improving these three areas will help you focus on the right things, avoid negative practices and increase your chances of building a radical culture that engages everyone and creates meaningful impact that the world values. “We have over-rotated on the mechanics of measurement and underinvested in the organics of understanding”
abandoning attempts to measure people performance. But we have over-rotated on the mechanics of measurement and under- invested in the organics of understanding. In my work with organisations in more than 40 countries, three areas stand out as vital to those businesses that demonstrably improve society: a dynamic organisational fabric, a love of learning mindset, and admirable behaviours. A dynamic organisational fabric The term ‘organisational fabric’ conjures images of a colourful, rich and diverse workplace where people are inspired and challenged by each other, interweaving their ideas and feeling safe knowing they won’t be vilified if they screw up. Language is a vital thread in organisational fabric. What we say matters. A vibrant, strong organisational fabric doesn’t refer to employees as ‘human capital’ (or HR or personnel) as that reduces them to mere economic inputs. Employees are ‘people’ who want to improve their lives, strengthen their sense of dignity, and be part of an organisation that appreciates them. When company leaders understand and demonstrate this themselves, employees will expend the discretionary effort to help the company prosper. Developing your company’s organisational fabric requires the courage to abandon previous conventions and adopt new practices to engage people. For example, get rid of probation for new hires (and promotions) as it is demotivating. If your selection process is thoughtful, then you shouldn’t need a probation period. Give people the agency to show what they can do, not invisible handcuffs that quietly imply “do well or you’re gone”. Location matters, too. We’ve learned that businesses can survive when people work remotely. Where possible, give them a choice of location. Good employees won’t abuse this. People don’t just leave bad jobs, they also leave bad bosses. Bad bosses cause rips in the organisational fabric, some irreparable. Research from the Achievers Workforce Institute has found, for example, that 40% of employees did not feel appreciated by their bosses for work done during the Covid-19 pandemic. The best leaders today go out
requires the courage to challenge and change the outdated paradigm that says individual accomplishment, company profitability and business growth are the determinants of success. Today, societal value creation is another critical success
factor. And that means being focused on others. The best
leaders across companies, cultures and countries have a shared quality: consistently exceeding expectations and leading by example. Their behaviours are admirable and worthy of emulation, thereby representing the very best of society.
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Ambition | BE IN BRILLIANT COMPANY
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