How far do you think you are you from disaster, with your current management style?
Is it still business as usual for you, everyday? Just applying sound business practices, systems, policy and procedure. All the academically correct stuff you were taught, and have refined to a fine art.
Then you are okay, all you will need is to know how to sharpen the saw, (your mind from time to time) with new knowledge, in order to sharpen the strategy. You also do realise that daily any strategy will require some sort of orientation and drive towards bettering the strategy as it grows. You are set; nothing is in your view that does not look good. Furthermore, this type of thinking is common and general application. This is a good business principle and practice then.
However, how far from the leadership edge are you really moving, are you seconds from disaster, and don’t even know that you are facing imminent collapse just by navigating your mindset like this. No I’m fine; my job is simple grow business, improve operations, and cut costs...
Is it that simple; enhancing the competitive advantage is arguably one of the most commonly used principles in business today? It is headline in all the business articles on how to, what to, and when to get more advantage. We go from analysing our competitive edge, to customer satisfaction, to production outputs, and the list goes on, and on...
However; have we ever considered that what we are really looking for, is right here, we don’t need to solve old problems in new ways, the answer is right in front of us...
No?, it can’t be. We know business it’s never simple, it’s always complex.
Some refer to this dilemma as the leadership trap... mmmm, so what’s n leadership trap?
Well, the principle is that a leader is only as strong as his people, and the people as strong as their weakest link – their culture.
What we seem to forget although we read a lot about it lately: That leaders influence culture directly, or should they? – see the article i am changing culture come hell or high water by Reinier Geel – because culture connects directly with strategy; so much so that it influence every single aspect of it.
Much of what is at the heart of any culture today will not be revealed as rules to follow, in order to belong. It’s not the rules it’s the designation, or the authenticity that make you belong or not.
Culture extends natural boundaries and laws, it has it’s enlighten and dark-side; weak leaders weak culture, strong leaders strong culture, it’s all related like a soup. Every element makes up the total aroma, and taste.
We are only seconds from disaster if we do not look at business as a matrix of interacting segments forming a totality. Systems thinking must now include the sociological approaches and political aspect of culture, as well as cultural influence, to align strategies with it goals and objectives. We can no longer distance ourselves from it. As it impacts; directly, at several levels of organisation – penetrating the paradigms of management and business philosophy deeply. The place where it is felt and observed most is when we start forming, storming, norming, and performing... as management. How we connect the dots... will reveal who we truly are and how this culture works for us or not...
This is the leadership trap; leaders and managers have become trapped in culture, they have to now carefully consider and rethink every element of directives that they give; as it will be infected with culture and politics.
This will not be a problem, or a concern, if the culture is a sterile business one, and free from adverse influence, because of a greater collective awareness, throughout the corporation. Only when we all subscribe to the same ideology, and consciousness, guided by a recognised company doctrine, will we form the required strong business culture. In the absence of any doctrine, the norm will prevail, and set the tone for the company to follow as its culture.
This has become the rule rather than the exception.
Is this wise? When we now realise that culture is also significant in all we do, hear, say and speak. We tend to start practicing silo management, in the absence of true business culture that is A-Political. Then we get the norm, then its every leader for him self...when the culture is not on track, and uniform. Then we see moral weakness, worry, uncertainty, and stagnation set it...again, seconds from total collapse, these are the signs of the leadership trap opening up; then corruption and all other evils follow. Unity is strength in all things, divided we fall, united we stand.
Again, culture connects with strategy and structure, because it’s the golden thread that links us to our organisations, and then back to our roots. If there is no solid corporate culture, then we can be sure that personal agendas will dictate culture and these traits will become norm.
Nothing correlates if not for culture; we cannot work together if we do not set aside certain cultural issues, and come to grips with diversity, and enmity ( hate, ill feelings, distrust, suspicion etc)
We are truly second from disaster if we allow the leadership trap to open, and stay open; strategy without implementation, or action, is stimulating, but very unproductive. So too is a diversified co-operate culture...it will just not be able to produce, because diversification, is just that, it renders different ways of doing things in a divers manner- “right”. We can either subscribe to the one or the other but never to both ways of doing things, and therein lies the crux, of stagnation, and under performance, when we can be seen to be doing the right things, or doing the thing right. I assure you there is a marked difference...
So ask yourself how is your business culture doing?
I am going to change? How do i do it?
Changing the Corporate Culture Come Hell or High Water!!!
The number one element of business survival in the very near future will be the ability to influence your own corporate culture.
This aspect some predict will become the life blood of all organisations in the near future others say it’s already becoming a critical indicator informing production and profit margins.
How farfetched an idea that corporate culture can make or break a company, really?
Maybe we should look at the bigger picture, and only then draw some distinctions that will inform us as to how close to home this will peg, if it is truly, or will become a reality beckoning.
Don’t compete with internal rivals, take the initiative with labour, lead them around by the nose, or they will you. Make them irrelevant. Labour has a voice, but when this voice become a political one you are in for hard times. If you have internal rivalry from labour elements, then it’s time to take the bull by the horns, and shake some sense into him. When labour mobilizes and politicise issues, then it’s because they need leadership, and have take the intuitive from you, because of a lack of leadership. The signs and symptoms are really obvious; they will start threatening, then withholding service, and then demanding, intimidating and then open confrontation and even violence will ensue.
Easier said than done, or is it? Companies have long since engaged with employees in head to head engagements on wage for labour issues. Better working condition and other labour issues, to name but a few. Since we have become unionised and labour rights inclined we have lost most of our grip on the employees, and have had to find alternative methods of getting the most out of our employees. This is not what this article is about, it’s about creating a sound, normative culture...that will serve both side well, labour and employer. But there needs to be a natural order, balance and respect in place before these action can take place.
This is a huge paradigm shift.
In order for this to happen we have to grip the organisation by the jugular; and create a new value curve. That will influence how we manage and influence corporate culture. We need to address a few points in order to be in a position to address corporate culture...
By examining the value curve we embrace;
1. Reduce the factors that dictate the power balance between employer and employee;
- By looking at best practices
- Industry standard
2. Mitigation of identified risk elements; strikes, layoffs, HIV aids, socio economic, political issues, and public transport etc internal and external influence, must be identified, prioritised, and address as best possible.
3. Create the factors that will give us leverage and the initiative to deal with all aspects of labour.
4. Enforce discipline as a matter of daily order and function – consistently and fairly
2. Offer benefits no one else can equal
3. Opportunities for growth
5. Raise the standards and reward accordingly
6. Incentives, overtime, bonuses, performance bonuses, time off etc
7. Eliminate waist, and factors that contribute to friction
- Email and telephone abuse
- Late coming etc..
- None performers, slackers, bottom feeders
- Raise the bar – raise the pay grading
8. Define what is a job well done
9. What is expected and how will one be rewarded and appraised, on paper.
Creating a new value curve; emits new hope. People need hope to cope with the daily reality; they need to feel that they amount to something greater than them, and are part of its creation. The value curve creates focus on critical under currents that effect how culture in the company grows and flows, into production, and leadership.
Then no one can ride management like a rodeo horse;
In order to break with tradition, you need to create focus; all employees must come face to face with their new reality, and start absorbing it and living it, one bump at a time. Don’t let anyone hypothesise and dramatize any aspect. You tell them how it is, will be, and has to be. No funny business. Then you surprise them and show them what can be done how to do it and how to get the results... face it people, seeing is believing. Get them out of denial and onto solid ground, let them see their feet again, so that they know they can stand, on their own two feet, and walk, let alone run. What this implies is, let people solve their work station problems themselves; you have to give control here to get control at the higher tiers back - culture. There is always a need to revise and review strategy – never get stuck in conformity. Even if we manage by statistic and statically everything is 100%, get down to the ground and gain the experience that inform the statistics to make sure it’s a true reflection...
It’s all about perception management; closing the gap between where we were, and where we want to be, takes effort. Labour is renowned for employing guerrilla tactics, and using their “wear them down strategies”, by stone-walling and delaying all forms of change and implantation, except as much. These good initiatives, reasoning being people will lose their perceived power, as leaders and unions. Then all is lost they own us again... as i said; it’s all perception and denial...
In summary, take care of your “life blood”, your corporate culture, and play the political game, if not it might take care of you in unexpected and challenging ways... find new truth about why people become lazy. Lazy people
Now – Read the book or Ebook; Read more in my new book Strategic Management, The Radical Revolutionary Strategic Management Matrix for Predators by Reinier Geel, now available at Strategic-Management book
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