Something happens and the immediate response is they caused, forced, or did it to me. We’ve all become extraordinarily good at the blame game. Personal responsibility has disappeared and become replaced by victimization. They did it to me! In some cases this is true. But in the majority of cases, it seems a person didn’t …
Pay is also shifting to motivate and reward measurable results. A part of a paycheck may even be at risk. A clerical person may find 5% of his or her annual salary at-risk while a senior manager may find 30% or more of a salary at risk. If the company meets all its goals then …
Do happy Brand U’s make better and more profitable companies? If the answer is a demonstrable yes, then people really do matter. The Gallup survey discussed early in the chapter found there was a positive correlation between worker attitudes and a company’s financial results. The survey found that four attitudes correlate to higher profits: 1. …
Technology is also blurring the lines among work, family, and leisure. Work and technology are portable, transparent, and mixable. And as more of us see technology as fun, Brand U’s are using it to improve their lives both at work and at home. But, work and life seem to be a zero-sum game – if …
Practice what you preach. Plautus, Roman Playwright
Warm, endearing stories and poems are often not part of an organizational culture. Business war stories of an individual or a team developing a hot product, working outrageous hours to please customers, or blazing new profitable markets are more often the stuff of corporate myths and legends. What’s different now is that organizations are paying …
Lead the cultural change or transformation Make a case for cultural change Use organizational design as part of the business strategy Ensure the successful change effort is collaboratively, systemically, and competently managed Promote a continuous learning and adaptation environment Are keepers of the organizational vision.[i] [i] Sherwood, John J; Hoylman, Florence M, “The Total …
No more glass ceilings Equal representation of the sexes at all levels of government Understanding and celebration of gender differences It’s okay to be single Control over childbirth Community based childcare Human scaled institutions Equal education for women throughout the world A clean environment based on principles of sustainability Less war, crime, and violence[i] [i] …
What does a non-Brand U organization look like? Mort Meyerson, President of Perot Systems recently said, “the emphasis on profit-and-loss to the exclusion of other values was creating a culture of destructive contention. … For example, I listened to some of our senior leaders talk about how they handled people on teams who didn’t perform. …
There’s a misconception the only way to create a virtual organization is to provide workers a laptop, e-mail, and instructions while corporate offices are sublet or disappear. Wrong! Organizations run on a set of rules, principles, and practices. Businesses and organizations are based on a culture, face-to-face contacts, synergies, and shared goals that can’t be …