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A core philosophy of business is to get as much as you can. Market share. Revenue. Profit. Recognition.
If you want to give back, great. Write a check to your favorite charity and let them do the dirty work. So you can get back to your primary objective of growing and making money.
I’m glad to see that this kind of thinking has been breaking down and becoming more human.
Your company is absolutely unique. So much so that nobody else on the planet is able to do what you do.
Except, of course, that your products are so similar to the competition that people have a hard time recognizing the difference.
By the way, this tension is a universal experience. Read the rest of this entry »
There’s been a lot of chatter about company cultures recently. Unfortunately, that includes lots of bad examples.
- Google employees are arguing about gender bias.
- Airlines have opened up a debate about what enables great customer service.
- Restaurants are starting to figure out that the roots of food contamination often start with how their workers think of their role in the company.
- These events have increased the realization that businesses are more like organisms than machines. They’re based on how people believe and behave as a group.
The last thing you need is employees.
Don’t get me wrong; You absolutely DO need these people. It’s the name “employee” that could be a problem.
Many years ago, Walt Disney started describing people in his company with more creative names such as “Imagineers” or “Cast Members.” These descriptors signified their unique value to the business, and a shift in mindset and relationship.
I had a chance today to watch an insightful video about bullying in the workplace. It’s sobering, because I can see the organizational dynamics which make this kind of thing possible.
We’re all trying to create environments where great people can succeed, right? And to bring great value to the world through business.
Yet. We’re dealing with humans here, and we have all kinds of failings. Each of us.
This article was first published on the Bolton Remote blog.
How did you celebrate the holidays with your remote team?
Today’s technology and tools make it possible for a completely dispersed team to share meaningful moments with each other. As a company who helps businesses find remote workers, we at Bolton Remote see the positive impact of celebrating events and milestones.
Carl Dierschow of Small Fish Business Coaching previously shared with us how Amazing Celebrations Keep Morale Up. Now, he shares with us his first-hand experience about planning and execution as well as the impact it has between remote collaborators. He participated in a virtual celebration which was held just a few weeks ago, involving all the clients going through a program with a coach. Read the rest of this entry »
How do you design your org chart?
In a small business, it’s common for roles and departments to grow organically, addressing the issues and pain points which have cropped up over the years. Need to focus deeply on sales this year? Create a sales department and put someone in charge.
At some point, this system breaks down. You end up with duplications, overlaps, and other inefficiencies.
Oh, the media are all abuzz about Zappos and its announcement to adopt a holacracy organizational model. It’s an interesting concept, and I wish them all the best in pulling this off.
It’s a unique and potentially powerful innovation.
There’s a very real danger, though, in considering this independently of the rest of the company’s culture and business model. Let me give you another example.
Here’s a great article about Fortune magazine’s 2012 top companies. Guess what defines the top companies? Trust. And “this has only increased over the last 15 years.”
Here’s where pay and benefits fit into the equation:
Sure, the pay counts – to the point that people feel it’s fair compensation for the work they do. And the perks are great, but they’re icing on the cake for a company where people trust in management’s integrity and feel safe in taking risks, making the occasional mistake and openly discussing it with the team.
Go check it out – a good read!
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