Purpose is the primary element of motivation.
At the heart of any business is its business practices. This is typically in the hands of a company’s greatest asset, cost centre and risk; the workforce or human element, which has many moving parts. It is paramount that we not only meet our obligations to various government regulators regarding this living asset, but management of your workforce through capability, performance, retention and will (values in action), is key to unlocking long term business viability. Business should be more than creating revenue, and good business is done with clearly defined goals and key measurables around performance and behaviour that align with our business goals.
Simply put; you need the right plan and the right people with the right supports.
Values are our set of precepts – general conditions around our rules of engagement. Values are not flexible nor adaptable and must be ready to meet daily challenges from all angles. They are vital and must run through all stakeholders allowing all the team to enjoy and engage with others who share the same agreed standards and philosophies. Values are a belief system that should guide our behaviour which in turn defines our reputation.
Our attitude delivers who we are, what we do and what we are known for. It denotes our psychology: our attributes, character and strengths as well as our reactions, responses, orientations, choices and actions. Values are the why and the way we travel, whereas attitude is how we travel with both hands on the steering wheel.
Workplace culture is our values and beliefs, as habits in action. These practised disciplines expressed through shared workplace expectations and accepted workplace behaviours, accumulate as ‘votes to our identity’ of who we are. Departments and people aren’t silos; all staff hold the role of ‘play maker with the ball’ at some point in the business process.
How do you proactively face the changes and challenges that naturally come in running a business? By having clearly understood and aligned goals, engaging your staff and utilising their experience, skills and knowledge to meet these challenges.
If our values drive our behaviour, it makes sense to represent this in your business policy and procedure for those who join the team to follow and be assessed against.
Well-written policies and procedures are:
- Overseen by regulators of industry;
- A fair play agreement with staff, when done properly not only includes a compliance framework but also the businesses discretional views on such matters;
- Done correctly they solidify: “who we are, what we value and how we do things here”;
- Provides personal security with clear parameters around personal performance and responsibility, organisational scalability and a clear-thinking framework when under test; and,
- It makes the team responsible for their actions not just those in management.
By making people responsible for their part in the play, giving them clarity and definition, it allows them to be: Response Able
Assessing staff through a Skill and Will performance formula
P = C x A2
Performance/Productivity = Capability (skill) x Attitude/Values2 (Will)
Work history, experience and skills may get you the position; but your character expressed in attitude and work ethic will be the intrinsic value that keeps you in the position.
To learn more and discuss any questions you may have in this space, please contact David Reid from Business 360 for a complimentary discussion.
