Servant Leadership: Authenticity and the Spiritual Journey

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Doug Ramsey

Authenticity

Leading with a Noble Purpose and pursuing a life of service to others only becomes authentic, dynamic and revitalizing when your spiritual practice evolves to the higher stages.

Until then it is mainly a “prepersonal” exercise firmly anchored to your egocentric self.

Being Selfless or Selfish

Leading without a spiritual purpose boils down to a simple ego-boosting technique that may make you feel better, but it will not lead to authenticity and into the ranks of the BIG L Leader.  Doing good and being your highest self is not the same thing.  Doing good can have at its essence an inflated ego drive – at a prepersonal level.

Authenticity and right motives may be repressed by the cocoons of denial and self-deception always assuring you of what a good person you are.  When in reality, Authentic Servant Leadership requires brutal self-honesty (as to your true intentions) and that you truly acknowledge with kindness and compassion your own vulnerabilities.

You have no choice here!

“Be the most ethical, the most responsible, the most authentic you can be with every breath you take, because you are cutting a path into tomorrow that others will follow.”  Ken Wilber

Detaching From Self

This developmental process is ongoing throughout life and it presents itself at both our strongest and weakest times.  If your understanding of “self” is deep and broad enough, you will have the opportunity to detach from ego and with work, experience your higher self.

Then your Servant Leadership style will move towards authenticity and it will resonate in all you do.

This is the true meaning of service and responsibility blended within the presence of a true seeker seeing from multiple perspectives and choosing right actions in being in the world.  Alas, you are awakening; you are beginning to know who you are and what matters to you.

“If you put yourself in God’s position, you will see that you wouldn’t be able to create the future in and through a selfish, self-centered person who deeply experiences incarnation as a burden.  There simply wouldn’t be any room for you in such an individual’s heart, mind, and soul.  This is why our enlightenment – our development beyond ego – has become nothing less than an evolutionary imperative.”  Andrew Cohen

Making a Difference

If you have or are about to take up the practice, you have chosen to use yourself in modeling your beliefs, values, and gifts each day.  You are now truly being in the world, however beautiful or ugly each day presents itself.

This is where you will stand with no excuses, apologies or wavering.  You are here.  You are not lost.

The manifest and absolute realities of life will show themselves.  You are beginning to understand what you are here to do and have accepted the reality that your story (indeed all our stories) will end.  As a Big L Leader, you will take a spiritual stance in your leadership beliefs and actions.

This path leads you to discover how you will make a difference by contributing what only you can give.  Is there any nobler path other than the one that leads to your inner self?

“What is this precious love and laughter budding in our hearts?  It is the glorious sound of a soul waking up!”  ~ Hafiz

A New Frontier

As many of us have discovered, these moments of spiritual depth and insight may strike us suddenly and leave us a bit unsure about our previous worldview.

They illuminate for us a new frontier of profound growth and development.

That what we seek – our true self – is right in front of us.  Are we ready to tap into this awesome potential?  Deep experiences of this scale are essential for next stage progression in consciousness and awareness. Helping us evolve spiritually and integrally.

But we need the courage and commitment to step up and out on to this new frontier in order to feel the solid ground that will hold and lead us to our new-found “self” and the dangers, opportunities, responsibilities and obligations that await our arrival.

  • How will you find your true self and immerse yourself in the authentic leadership experience that offers you the noble purpose way forward in your life and work?
  • How do you continue to grow and deepen continuously, even when you are not in touch directly with these deeper developmental insights?

To paraphrase Rumi:

“These spiritual window-shoppers, who idly ask, ‘How much is that?’

Oh, I’m just looking.  They handle a hundred items and put them down, shadows with no capital…

Even if you don’t know what you want, buy something, to be part of the exchanging flow…

As a leader, can you hear the spirit calling? If you cannot, what can you do to tune your ears, heart, and soul toward your calling? If so, what are your next steps in influencing others to greater heights? I would love to hear your thoughts!

**********

Never miss an issue of Linked 2 Leadership, subscribe today. 
Learn, Grow & Develop Other Leaders™

——————–
Doug Ramsey
Doug Ramsey is Managing Director at Designed Management, LLC
He serves with Company Building, Growth, Leadership Development, and Coaching
Email | LinkedIn | Web

Image Sources: curtissgroup.com

Related articles

Filed under: Authentic Leadership, Emotionally Intelligent Leadership, Leading & Developing Other Leaders, Servant Leadership, Values-Based Leadership | Tagged: , , , , | 5 Comments »

Defeating the Fear Monster! Part 2

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Al Gonzalez

Fear Monster Canyon

In my last article, Defeating the Fear Monster! Part 1, I listed the fears that make up what Jim Haudan, CEO and Founder or Root Inc, calls the Fear Monster. 

In Part 2, I will focus on two specific strategies that managers and supervisors can use to help all employees lead through the never-ending change we face at the workplace.

The strategies are:

 Using Visuals and Establishing a Common Language

As the saying goes, a picture tells a thousand words, so lets start with the visual.

Using Visuals

Take a moment and examine the stories found in “The Canyon” picture above.

As I mentioned in my first article, Root Inc’s ability to develop powerful imagery to simplify complex topics is truly superior.  The image above, called The Canyon, quickly shows why I feel so strongly about the many talents of Jim Haudan and his team of gifted artists.

First and foremost, does the Canyon depict a scary place?

Not only are the symbolic precipices scary, there is a huge tornado coming!

That tornado symbolizes CHANGE;  the main reason Jim accounts to our inability to feel safe at work.  Constant change…

Now let’s take a close look at the middle-manager for a moment.

Fear Monster Middle Manager

Not only is the middle manager about to get swallowed by the tornado, he is getting pulled apart by two forces that are not in alignment!

  • Does this image scare you?
  • Have you ever felt like this at work?
  • Not only have I felt like this for most of my career, many of my employees feel the same way!
  • In terms of feedback, do you think it is easy for a middle manager to explain to senior management that he that he finds himself pulled in two different directions?
  • That seems like a tough message to deliver, don’t you think?
  • Or, is it easier for middle managers to look at a visual like The Canyon when it is being shared by the senior executives and say, “We often feel like this.”

[More on this in the Common Language section of the article below.]

Engineered Brilliance

In his passionate and wise manner, Jim explains that well crafted visuals are:

“elegantly engineered brilliance… The brain gym for systemic thinking.”

Visuals can help us discuss and understand our shared situations.  By using visuals we can simplify context that helps us create a shared meaning with our audience.  In the case of The Canyon, the audience is the workforce.

While Root Inc. is in a class by itself when it comes to developing imagery that can capture the challenges facing an organization, we all can use images to help us find shared meaning with those who work with us.

Some of us may be able to develop graphics, while others can draw on boards, and, of course, there is always the internet, where I found The Canyon and shared it with my staff years ago.

Establishing a Common Language

Do you see some similarities between The Canyon and places where you have worked or your current workplace?

I see so many similarities!

Would it surprise you to know that The Canyon was first published over 20-years ago?

I was truly amazed when Jim told me this!  And the interesting part is – many of the same issues that were going on 20 years ago are still happening in organizations today! I asked Jim if The Canyon was based on one specific company and he explained that he had encountered these issues in company after company, after company.

Thanks to their learning design expertise and visual design skills, Jim and his team have been successful in helping companies develop a common language.   Jim explained that when teams find time to feel that they are in it together, all collaborators and accountable for the success of the organization, they develop partnerships and new standards.

Time after time teams have converted areas of dissatisfaction into shared future collaborations.

Defeating the Fear Monster 

As I mentioned in the example of the middle-manager, it is a lot easier and a lot less scary for all of us to share tough messages when there is a shared meaning.

I was recently involved in a conflict with a  manager whom I have worked with for more than 7 years.   I needed to find a safe way for us to work through the issue, so I emailed him The Canyon graphic and asked if he felt like the middle manager in the illustration.

The strategy worked exactly as I had hoped!

He replied with a smiley and explained that he felt I was the senior manager pulling in one direction and his staff was pulling him in the other.  The stress and tension we had both been feeling was over.  We then met and worked together to solve the issue in a spirit of collaboration.

Before, we were at odds.  He was afraid that I was going to be upset with him and I was afraid to tell him I didn’t know all the answers.

After I sent him the graphic and we met, we partnered and did the best we could do, together.

The visual helped us develop a common language.

We not only used this strategy to help the organization move forward, we were able to maintain our relationship!

Now it’s your turn…

Do you identify with The Canyon? If so, in which area to do find yourself? Were you surprised that Root Inc published the Canyon in 1992? I would love to hear your thoughts!

**********

Never miss an issue of Linked 2 Leadership, subscribe today here!
Learn, Grow & Develop Other Leaders™

——————–
Al Gonzalez
Al Gonzalez is Founding Partner at GIVE Leadership
He helps clients develop trust and leverage the strengths of all team members
Email | LinkedIn |  Twitter | Web

Image Sources: Root Inc.

Related articles

Filed under: Authentic Leadership, Future Leadership Issues, Organizational Health, Practical Steps to Influence, Servant Leadership | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

3 Great Ways to Scare Off Potential Employees

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Anil Saxena

I Quit

Here are three sure fire ways to not only lose the people you have but also scare off any great potential employees.

 3 Great Ways to Scare Off Potential Employees

1. Use Layoffs as a Way to “Meet the Quarterly Numbers”

Although proven time and time again, somehow organizations STILL use layoffs as a tool.  Layoffs are NOT a good tactic to remedy short term budget crises.

More than anything, layoffs — and the potential for layoffs — causes a sense of panic within the employee base. ~ Mr. Van Gorder, CEO Health Scripps

2. Don’t Allow for Flex-Time, Working from Home, Job-Sharing or Other Alternative Work Arrangements

Somehow during economic programs like flex-time, working at home or alternative work weeks seem to lose their luster.  But why?  Is it because they are less effective?  No.  Most organizations see these types of work arrangements as “perks.” But they are not perks.  They are the new way of work and actually work to INCREASE productivity.

Companies are finding that flextime boosts productivity, and more and more of them, including Kraft Foods, Texas Instruments and First Tennessee Bank are taking advantage of it. When employees manage their own schedules, their stress levels decline and they focus better on their tasks. ~ Emily Schmitt, Forbes

Recently, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer announces that employees can no longer work from home and must report to a Yahoo office by June. The stated reason was to create more innovation. The company has been struggling and Mayer thinks that this will help them increase business through innovative creativity.

However, there is a large group of people think that this move will hurt more than help. They simply point to Google.

3. Don’t Focus on Results

There are still too many organizations that operate under the misconception that working longer hours (night, weekends, through holidays, etc.) shows how dedicated an employee is.  Often, employees that don’t put in that “face time” are seen as “not dedicated”.  Unfortunately, there is nothing further than the truth.

Simply put, punching a time clock makes no sense for professionals. Their contribution is not the time they spend on their work but the value they create through their knowledge. – Robert C. Pozen Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School

All three of these facts indicate that employers need to start thinking of how to KEEP their best employees. What are you doing to make sure your best are not thinking of leaving AND you can hire the best when you need them?

**********

Never miss an issue of Linked 2 Leadership, subscribe today here.
Learn, Grow & Develop Other Leaders™

———————
Anil Saxena
Anil Saxena is a Senior Consultant and Business Partner with Coffman Organization
He helps organizations create environments that generate repeatable superior results
Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Web | Blog | (888) 999-0940 x-730

Image Sources: 1.bp.blogspot.com

Related articles

Filed under: Emotionally Intelligent Leadership, EntrepreLeadership, Organizational Health | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Middle School Leadership Lesson: I DARE YOU TO FAIL!

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Brian Dawson, M. Ed.

Dare to Fail

Often times, we spend so much energy on trying to not fail, that we fail at everything.

Middle School Leadership Lesson

I was watching a basketball coach work with some 7th grade boys.  This team was brand new to the sport and lacked many of the needed skills to succeed at playing basketball.  On top of that, due to the awkward stages of their current development, risks and challenges were even more daunting.

As I watched the coach, his words of encouragement really struck me.  He watched one student particularly.  This student would shy away from the ball and would not attempt to make any type of rebound when he was near it.

The coach asked the young player why he was afraid of the ball.

The boy looked at the coach and simply stated:

“Coach, I am not afraid of the ball, I just don’t want to mess up.”

The coach’s response was even more enlightening than the boy’s. The coach responded by telling the 7th grader this:

“…you will never truly know what you are capable of achieving because you’re not putting yourself out there. If you never try, you will never learn or grow your craft.  I’d much rather you try and make a mistake that teaches you, than for you to not try at all and never learn anything or ever improve your playing skills.

When you don’t try at all, you are not only selling yourself short, you are affecting your entire team, who is depending on your efforts to drive our team towards the goal of winning.  You are either all in, or let me know so we can find a player who is.”

Taking It to the Goal

I watched as the boy cautiously trotted up, attempted a lay-up, made it, smiled and went back to his spot in line, waiting for his next turn with the ball.  But, the boy went back to the line changed.  He was no longer worried about and overly focused on NOT making a mistake.

He was now focused on repeating the “good” and learning from his mistakes.

Our world rarely acknowledges or celebrates failures.  We very rarely make reference in our history books or great speeches about people’s failures.  However, people often forget that very few times is success immediately attained.

If we spent as much time trying to learn from our lack of successes and what must change the next time, we would truly see a new definition of “success.”

A Bright Idea: Persistence

Think about the famous Thomas Edison.  Where would our world be without his inventions?  If he just tried one or two times and then gave up, we would be in a world of dark; pun intended.  It was documented that Edison stated he tried 10,000 times before he was finally successful in creating the light bulb.

When Thomas Edison was interviewed by a young reporter who boldly asked Mr. Edison if he felt like a failure and if he thought he should just give up by now. Perplexed, Edison replied, “Young man, why would I feel like a failure? And why would I ever give up? I now know definitively over 9,000 ways that an electric light bulb will not work. Success is almost in my grasp.” And shortly after that, and over 10,000 attempts, Edison invented the light bulb. Source

Unlike Edison, most of us fear failure and avoid it at all cost. Often times, we truly never realize or reach our personal and maximum potential because the fear of failure kidnaps our efforts before we even try. We spend so much time trying to hide or deny our mistakes out of fear and pride; we very often fail to learn from our failures.

Root of the Issue

As a middle school principal, I often remind my teachers, students, and parents, much of the learning our students need to experience is not in writing down the “right answer,” it’s the steps the students must take in order to get to the right answer.

If you spend any time analyzing data-school, sales, trends, etc.-you will spend a great deal of time analyzing what went wrong; but, yet, very little time on what caused it to go wrong.  Why? Often in the business world, we see many leaders, teams, and employees who never reach their personal and maximum potential because they are scared of making a mistake.

“We have too much at stake to lose,” is often the thought for the day.  However, I challenge you with this…we have too much at stake to NOT make a mistake and learn from those mistakes.  Often, what we learn from making the mistake not only teaches us about that particular contextual learning, but it transfers over to so many other areas of our lives-both professional and personal.

Recalibrated Thinking

“Failure is not an option.”

NASA flight controller Jerry C. Bostick reportedly stated during the mission to bring the damaged Apollo 13 back to Earth, and we have heard that phrase in the education and business world ever since. I challenge Mr. Bostick.  Failure should be an option; so long as we spend our time and efforts learning through and from them.

SO…GO MAKE A MISTAKE!  I DARE YOU!

If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake? Which is worse, failing or never trying? Is it possible to know the truth without challenging it first? Has your greatest fear ever come true? If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose? Do you ask enough questions?  Or do you settle for what you think you know?

**********

Never miss an issue of Linked 2 Leadership, subscribe today here.
Learn, Grow & Develop Other Leaders™

———————–
Brian Dawson
Brian Dawson, M. Ed. is a Middle School Principal and Independent Consultant
He serves with Educational Restructure, Transformation, and Systems Specialist
Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Web

Image Sources: 5congressavenueaustin.files.wordpress.com

Filed under: Authentic Leadership, Coaching Corner, Emotionally Intelligent Leadership, Future Leadership Issues, Leadership Lessons Learned, Practical Steps to Influence | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

How to Lead People You Don’t Agree With

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Anil Saxena

Conflict at Work

Politics and religion…

These are two topics that many people suggestion should stay “non-topics” in a polite society.

Fightin’ Words

Following politics in any country shows the passion that people have for their points of view. In the recent election for US President, the voting populace was severely divided.

Families fought and friendships ended.

But, what about at work?  Can you lead someone that you disagree with politically, religiously or otherwise?

Religion and politics are the third rail of work.  No one is supposed to talk about them or be upset about differences.

But is this realistic?  No.

Diversity and the global nature of work have caused an integration of people that, left to their own devices, might not associate with each other otherwise.

Leading Through Opinions

So, if we have to work with and lead people we don’t agree with how do we do it? 

Why is it hard to do?

There are two main reasons it’s hard to work with those that you disagree.

1. You see parts of yourself and your beliefs that you don’t really like

“The reason you can’t stand that person in the first place, is that they remind you of what you can’t stand about yourself.- Peter Bregman

2. It causes you to question your beliefs

Any time someone has a worldview or set of beliefs that are different than yours, it calls your beliefs into question.  That is never easy or comfortable.  But, unless its something fundamental like “thou shall not kill”, it can give you different perspective and help you see the world through other’s eyes.

So what do you do about it?

Engage and Finding Common Ground

Work hard to find things to agree and work together on.  There are often more similarities than differences between people. Organizations and teams are ripe with a variety areas to have common ground:

  • Team goals
  • Project completion
  • Project outcomes
  • Company success
  • Professional growth

Regularly explore and expand on them.

Whenever I take on a new team, I always meet with each person and spend time exploring our commonalities.  This way we can begin to build on those right away.  Differences come easily. If they show up after you’ve already built a foundation of commonalities, they are less likely to impact how work together effectively.

Focus on What They Do Well

No matter what you think of someone’s views, they often are exceptional, or at least capable, in a few areas.  When leading someone that you don’t agree with it’s important to keep those skills at the forefront when working with them.

Otherwise, the people you don’t agree with will become stereotypes.

Conservatives will seem militant; liberals will seem noncommittal, etc.  This occurs because of a phenomenon called “self fulfilling prophecy.”

“A self-fulfilling prophecy is a thought or expectation that occurs because it has been thought. For example, when a teacher assumes that a certain student is not intelligent, the teacher might give that student less positive attention and more negative attention, resulting in poorer performance by the student….. Our behavior can affect others, particularly people over whom we have authority or with whom we spend significant amounts of time.” ~ GoodTherapy.com

The problem is that it can impact the folks we lead and work with. Working with people that are different than us can make us better if we let it.  Remember to focus on each person’s positives.

Don’t Dwell on What You Don’t Agree

When there is an area or topic that you don’t agree with someone about, don’t make it the focal point of your relationship.  It is not healthy and makes the team less productive.

  • Time spent trying to change an opinion that doesn’t impact the success or failure of the team is time wasted.
  • Move on and focus on activities THAT WILL PRODUCE RESULTS.
  • Surprisingly, people are much more tolerant of others when they are winning.
  • Focus on being a high performance team creates tolerance.

Seeking Out Their Opinion

Some of the very best advice given is from folks that you don’t agree with politically or philosophically.  Their opinion is unvarnished. Compliments are more sincere, criticism more pointed and solutions more clear.

People that think differently than you come at issues, problems, etc. from a perspective you don’t have.

It provides for rich ideas that you might not think of on your own or with someone who thinks like you. Actively seek out opinions of those you don’t agree with, you will develop better solutions and become a better person in the process.

Fightin’ Fair

In order to have a high performing team or organization, ideas and solutions must come from everywhere.  People must feel free to share their thoughts without worrying about self-censoring their own beliefs.  This stifles creativity and tamps down productivity.

  • Stick up for their right to have an opinion different than yours and of others.
  • Champion the voice of those that you don’t agree with.
  • Make sure they have the platform to speak and share ideas.

Real leaders and partners give voice to everyone on the team, not just the ones that are the same religion or political affiliation.

Being a leader means that you will work with all kinds of people, those that you agree with and those you don’t. You are creating a legacy with every interaction. What is it that you are creating?

**********

Never miss an issue of Linked 2 Leadership, subscribe today here.
Learn, Grow & Develop Other Leaders™

———————
Anil Saxena
Anil Saxena is a Senior Consultant and Business Partner with Coffman Organization
He helps organizations create environments that generate repeatable superior results
Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Web | Blog | (888) 999-0940 x-730

Image Sources: a57.foxnews.com

Related articles

Filed under: Emotionally Intelligent Leadership, Leadership Lessons Learned, Leading & Developing Other Leaders, Leading Change, Servant Leadership | Tagged: , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Sowing the Seeds of Mutiny – The Lunacy of Just-In-Time Scheduling

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Anil Saxena

Acrobatic Employee

Every company wants to run a tight ship because it is important to make efficient use of resources and to schedule employees work hours to make sure that customers get the very best experience. 

But this mindset can go too far and begin to sink that tightly run ship…

Far too many organizations are pursuing this goal at the expense of their employees by employing a tactic called “resource optimization” or “just-in time scheduling.”

Just-in-Time, Out-of-Touch

Just in Time Scheduling , widely used in the service industry, results in last-minute schedule changes with employers even sending workers home after they arrive for work or asking them to stay beyond the end of their shift.

This practice is ridiculous, really.

Time and time again, managers and corporate planners put policies in place that are meant to boost numbers or cut down on overhead, but actually work much better to anger and alienate their employees.

Retail companies (Whole Foods and Container Store, among others) are notorious for this, rotating their employees’ schedules to meet customer demand, and inadvertently disrupting their personal lives in the process.

The flexing schedule is meant to keep costs down and provide improved service for customers, but instead creates resentment among workers who can’t plan other responsibilities around an unpredictable schedule.

Bad for Business

Employee MutinyIt sounds great in a corporate board to utilize employees or resources only when they are needed. That is not to say employee scheduling should not be managed or maybe even automated – that would be naive.

But scheduling employees to open the store one day and close the store the very next day is not only bad for them, but also bad for business.  Employees who don’t feel like they have some control over their time can leave work feeling left out, in the dark, and like they have no control of their lives outside of work.

If employees feel like they are getting the runaround from management, or that their interests are secondary to profit, the only outcome is reduced job satisfaction and plummeting morale.

If the ship metaphor holds, these are grounds for mutiny.

Righting the Ship

Little by little, managers and corporate policy-makers are starting to understand the importance of happy, engaged employees – according to Vineet Nair in his recent book Employees Come First, Customer Come Second:

“If you do not put the employee first – if the business of management and managers is not to put the employee first – there is no way you can get the customer first.”

Plenty of companies are still out there making decisions based on dollar signs instead of their employees’ best interests. If only they understood that if they put their staff members first, necessities like efficiency, teamwork, and great customer service improve naturally!

Until companies realize that personally invested, contented employees are their greatest asset, there will continue to be this kind of poor decision making that keeps workers and managers at odds, hurting the productivity of the business at every level and sowing the seeds of mutiny.

What good is a captain without the support of his crew?

So, how are you managing the scheduling for your employees that works best for everyone involved? How can you work to keep the right balance of employee engagement with profitably and productivity and avoid a mutiny? How close are YOU to irritating your people to where they make YOU “walk the plank?” I would love to hear your thoughts!

**********

Never miss an issue of Linked 2 Leadership, subscribe today here.
Learn, Grow & Develop Other Leaders™

———————
Anil Saxena
Anil Saxena is a President & Senior Consultant Cube 214 Consulting
He helps organizations create environments that generate repeatable superior results
Email | LinkedIn | Web | Blog | (847) 212-0701

Image Sources: extensispeo.com, 1.bp.blogspot.com

Related articles

Filed under: Authentic Leadership, Coaching Corner, Emotionally Intelligent Leadership, Leadership vs. Management, Practical Steps to Influence, Servant Leadership | Tagged: , , , , , | 7 Comments »

Hey Leaders: No One Values Bland Corporate Values

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Anil Saxena

Corporate Values

It seems like most businesses, from mom and pop shops to corporate giants, are getting caught up in the trend of “defining company values.”

While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it can be pretty useless if not executed correctly.

Creating Unity

Companies want to create unity among their employees as well as project an image of solidarity, value, and respectability to potential customers or clients. This is all well and good, of course.

But what happens when every business is making a move to show it?

We end up with a great deal of generic, trend-following value statements that are ambiguous to both customers and employees. This diluted mass-minded approach defeats the purpose of defining values in the first place.

Corporate-Speak

Often, the problems have been that the values are typically expressed with meaning-neutral (if not meaningless) corporate-speak, or that the values aren’t of a first-order nature.

That is, they don’t touch on what truly constitutes the “good” for people inside and outside the organization.

Of course “customer service” is valued at any given company.

Q: What business doesn’t value their customers?

They would be foolish not to provide great service to their patrons.

Q: But does this really have to be defined as a corporate value?

The same is true for other generic values like “market leadership” and “commitment to employees.”

Do a quick Bing search, and you can probably find 200 companies with these same phrases listed among their company values – hardly a unique position.

Getting Real

If the point is to select and identify values for all employees to embrace, then these values have to be relate-able  and more importantly, specific to each unique business.

Overly-generalized value statements come off as corporate jargon, and most employees will simply let this kind of talk go in one ear and out the other.

To present values that are actually valued by employees, owners, and management teams have to find factors that the staff actually identifies with.

They have to be tangible.

Creating stellar core values isn’t exactly easy. You’ve really got to dig deep and figure out what is at the core of you business. That kind of soul searching doesn’t happen overnight and often takes someone outside of the company to take a look at your business.

Great Examples of Values

For workers constructing skyscrapers, perhaps “fearlessness” is a value that is both identifiable and extremely important to a job well done. For those handling dangerous chemicals, a “commitment to proper use of safety equipment” is something that employees can get behind.

Corporate values should be important to the success of the business AND the direct interests of employees.

There is a great deal of emphasis on how to make corporate values “sticky” to staff members, but this is a classic case of putting the cart before the horse.

If the ideas are to be truly valued, they have to be valuable to the people adopting them – specific, well-thought corporate values will be perfectly “sticky” all on their own.

So, how is your organization doing in creating honest and authentic core values statements that reflect the true essence of your mission? What steps can you take to recalibrate your core values statement to better align with your people’s true heartbeat? How can you improve your internal communications to help your team(s) improve their values alignment? I would love to hear your thoughts!

**********

Never miss an issue of Linked 2 Leadership, subscribe today here.
Learn, Grow & Develop Other Leaders™

———————
Anil Saxena
Anil Saxena is a President & Senior Consultant Cube 214 Consulting
He helps organizations create environments that generate repeatable superior results
Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Web | Blog | (847) 212-0701

Image Sources:3.bp.blogspot.com

Related articles

Filed under: Leading Change, Organizational Health, Servant Leadership | Tagged: , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Next Page »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 38,438 other followers

%d bloggers like this: