Having
worked with approximately 100 leadership teams over a 30 year period, one of
the most significant items I have concluded is that high achievement leadership
teams and cultures do not follow the tide or trends often spoken about, or that
are present in the majority of companies. While most companies focus on
what can be seen physically, High Achievement Companies focus on building
what can NOT be seen. It sounds strange but the real power that drives
high achievement is what is invisible but so clearly felt. So what are
these invisible factors that drive high achievement? To date I have
discerned five factors. In last month’s version of “The Strategic
Minute,” I shared with you that the Leadership Team was the first of the five
invisible factors. Today, I will share the second invisible factor of
High Achievement Companies.
Invisible
Factor Number 2: High Achievement Companies have a strong company spirit that is clearly
felt. This spirit resonates throughout the organization with everyone
reinforcing it. On the occasion when this invisible code is violated,
team members take it upon themselves to speak with their peers in a big brother
like manner to guide and mentor their colleague. This strong company
spirit is grounded in the company’s Core Values and Trust.
Core
Values are principles of conduct that are organization specific. They set
the bar for what is right in that particular organization and are the
foundation for making the hard decisions. High Achievement
Companies consistently live to and apply Core Values to all decisions including
who is hired, performance reviews, policies, compensation plans, etc. By
purposefully living Core Values, High Achievement Companies reduce and in some
cases eliminate:
- Internal Company Conflict
- Inconsistency in Leadership
- Unclear or Inconsistent Company Reputation
- Second Guessing Decisions
Working
hand in hand with Core Values is an underlying sense of Trust. In High
Achievement Companies, trust is evident and specifically lived in three ways:
1. Competence:
The team members of High Achievement Companies trust that their colleagues are competent to perform their duties.
2. Integrity:
The team members of High Achievement Companies trust that their colleagues will do what they say, including
living to the Core Values.
3. Fairness: The
team members of High Achievement Companies trust
that their colleagues will balance their interest with the Company’s interest
and/or the interests of follow colleagues, departments, customers, vendors,
etc.
What spirit is being projected by your
company? Do your team members know and live to a set of Core
Values? Is there a sense of trust among team members or do you experience
infighting? The Good News is High Achievement Companies can be
created.
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Kathie McBroom
Synergy Business Group LLC
Kathie.Mcbroom@thinking-organization.com
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