Feeling unvalued of late?0
This piece was posted by a colleague of mine on Linkedin recently, Omar Soker, and it struck such a chord that I thought a re-broadcast wasn’t amiss.
Of course if you wish to go direct to his post – http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&srchtype=discussedNews&gid=2367793&item=182181404&type=member&trk=eml-anet_dig-b_pd-ttl-hdp&ut=16iePylgbddBw1
What are 8 Reasons Companies Drift Away from Values?
1. Lots of Little Decisions – It’s hard to be consistently strategic. Managers make all sorts of ad hoc decisions to meet short term needs without balancing long term value. Like an ill-considered cost cut or too much spin on sales. Each one isn’t ground-breaking but they add up. It’s death by value creep.
2. Internal Focus – Managers are more focused on appeasing corporate hierarchies than addressing key issues.
3. Over Correction – Something bad happens, and the knee-jerk reaction to fix it causes different problems. Like more administration or hoops for customers to jump through to do business with you.
4. Too Much Confidence – A little confidence is essential. But when you think you’re invincible, decision-making becomes arbitrary or self-assessed. That’s when values get broken.
5. Change for Change’s Sake – Someone new comes along and wants to make his mark. The problem is, he didn’t think things through properly or consult front-line staff about how customers will be impacted. What’s changed? Core value drift.
6. Power Plays – It’s the same as above, but this person knows exactly what he is doing. It’s about power, control and grabbing territory. Cause and effect. Tit for tat. Someone just started a war.
7. Boredom – Maybe the CEO’s just fed up and needs a different job? He loses interest and pushes through whatever he wants because he can. Whose fault is this? The board’s; for not keeping him accountable to the company’s values.
8. A Quick Easy Buck – Opportunism is great. It moves business forward, generates progress and development. Nothing wrong there. But what happens when temptation is too much? When lines are crossed, or boundaries broken, or legalities infringed just to make a fast dollar. Maybe they can keep it secret? In today’s connected world, not for long. And once it gets out, trust is broken. Trust is important. Employees like it, so do customers. It’s also linked to core values.
Why else do companies do in breaking their core values?
Have you seen other examples of companies drifting?
Let me know your thoughts on this oft ignored trend when companies and individuals are under stress.
All the best
David
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