I have been fortunate in my working career over the years to travel a great deal globally and visit some amazing places and meet with some very interesting characters and have some great conversations and moments. I learnt a great deal in the process and have made many new friends and business contacts.
Many of these meetings have led to numerous conversations which often begin with general discussions, local issues, family and the industry as a whole and on many occasion we come to the real point of the conversation which is business. On various occasions i have been asked to share my thoughts and comments on the current business issues or problems that a company has had for sometime and the problem hasn’t resolved itself or a solution has presented itself, and there are some occasion however not that often which do tend to sort themselves out if left alone which honestly does happen.
What makes me smile at times, is when company executives and more so the owners of companies start to ask in detail what, how, and where should i take my business etc. you can spend hours in these discussions and debates with people. A majority of these discussions are founded on either not truly understanding the problem they are facing or simply being too far removed from the reality of the issue and the state of their own business. This may seem harsh to make this statement however its a big issue and people with nice offices suffer from this infliction at times. Not always, i will hasten to add.
However the reality is many owners, or executives have people working for them that fear the truth or fear the outcome for sharing a problem or failing to know what to do about the problem.
My advice is normally short and precise and the discussions normally come to the same point. It normally starts with a look on someone’s face, you’ve seen it. It looks something like tell what i already know, but i want someone else to confirm it to me……. now your smiling and have seen that face too, right!
The look behind that face is reality, the reality is the lack of a relationship and sometimes it can be rule by the “fear look” by owners or senior executives in a company when they have been caught out or the sudden realisation hits them.
Sadly, this approach never builds a strong management team or a successful company nor a team that should be focussed on there business strategic plans or development, it’s the old human nature of “rule by fear” and “divide and conquer” which i have been through many times whilst i was at the beginning of my career.
What have i learnt over the years, its relatively simple…. it doesn’t work.
Its not a great environment for employee’s to excel in and make things happen or for the good of the business. Its the old counter productive Monday morning feeling of “Oh no!”
What we should be nurturing is a “yes” culture and strive to delivery excellence from our people, having a working culture of success and more importantly one where having a fun culture is far more successful and productive. This is how many great leaders have been successful, they recognise the emotional needs of the human being and develop this in the workplace, and no i don’t believe in hugging tree’s either.
Coming to work is a basic contract, you work for me, i pay you for the work done, that’s simple, how about you come to work, i pay your for the work done and as a bonus you can have fun too and excel…… we both win with this culture.
Respecting each other is key, but working together and having fun is where we want to be, it’s interesting how happy and cheerful people tend to be more successful and a pleasure to do business with. It’s easier to invite someone back to your office for a chat with a smile, rather than sitting thinking how quick can i get this person out of my office….. hoping and praying your personal assistant walks into your office to remind about a non-existent meeting. been there lately?
