So lets just put it out there that your's truly isn't the most reverential sort @ work...
I am respectful always but expect to see that reciprocated company wide...
Alas I have a sense of humor & refuse to take myself to seriously... thankfully today's wave is in sync.
And I draw the line @ schmoozing 2 climb the corporate ladder...
Alas imagine my dismay (& distaste) when it dawned that this is actually deeply ingrained in many org. cultures.
Imagine my further woe when I discovered that healthy confrontation is frowned upon... most are encouraged to spend hours dissing colleagues or planting a knife in your back while smiling sweetly to your face... I've seen a lot of senior Hr folks actively encourage this and attempt to sneakily ferret out information @ the behest of management.
News flash guys... if you have sufficient EQ levels and are suitably connected this sort of approach will be unnecessary.
Its not about performance at all its simply becomes a game of one upmanship at all costs. Ethics and morals be damned...tell me how healthy can this sort of thing be for your business ?
Don't get me wrong I'm not dissing a competitive environment... but nurturing a healthy one with a clear set of ethics is imperative. Its about equilibrium , true transparency ( never at the cost of breaching confidentiality) ,trust , creating & maintaining an engaged workforce.. where at least a majority perceive themselves as stakeholders...
I know many out there will peg me an idealist.... ( er without dreams where are we?) but I truly believe that this fosters a culture of mistrust...and separation. You are automatically isolating employees & encouraging them to think solely about themselves, (encouraging defensiveness & unethical practise) and their own moments in the spotlight, career trajectory etc.. how many go beyond themselves & are truly invested in your business ?
Your corporate values may claim transparency but how many of your employees regard themselves as stakeholders/ embody your brand?
Here's a heads up/ news flash... It ain't gonna work no more...
There's a whole new generation out there.... who are as irreverent as er me... but if you engage them right... you'll get the best out of them.
Worse ...(depending on how you look @ it) they have an entirely entrepreneurial mindset and a very conducive environment to go down precisely that path...
If you don't engage them you are going to lose them , STAT.
At the risk of oversimplification.. people need to know you care, they need to feel valued & recognised & respected. When they truly believe @ their core that what they do makes a difference... that the company cares about their welfare...they become invested and that automatically enhances productivity... You can take that to the CRM, Mis bank and measure till the cows come home.
Today more than ever before... young people are astute, exposed to a wide gamut of information / education and hence are all too aware of their options ..the onus then is on the Leadership Team to ensure engagement ALL of the time. For many that will mean flipping everything you know & have adhered to in your own leap up the ladder (and are clinging on to for dear life) on its head... & making employees your focus...& priority. ( Yes i just said that). What drives them, what will keep them... ensuring they remain engaged, invested and therefore focused...
PS- You are going to need a lot of energy :)!
Small fine print : I seldom rant & rave (on HR / Leadership issues) but care enough 2 step out on a limb this time... just my humble view ( please forgive irreverence & plain speaking).
