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Creating a Culture of Results

Every business has a culture of some kind. But you can’t change your culture any more than you can change your brand by just talking about it, or even teaching it. You have to make systemic changes in your organization that transform the way people think and behave.

People are deeply influenced by their work environment. Weaker people can become highly productive and stronger people can lose their edge, depending on your company culture.

The magic really begins to happen when the right people come together with remarkable business systems to create a culture of results through discipline, enthusiasm and high performance.

It is the primary concern, and responsibility, of every business owner, manager or executive to create a culture of results inside their company. This is created and maintained through disciplined adherence by every employee to ensure profitability and continuance of the company’s operation.

((Efficient People + Motivation) * Accountability) = Effective Team Results

Where does it start?

HIRE THE RIGHT BEST PEOPLE

Let me repeat from author Jim Collins, 

“Those who build great companies understand that the ultimate throttle on growth for any great company is not markets, or technology, or competition, or products. It is one thing above all others: the ability to get and keep enough of the right people. GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON THE BUS FIRST, AND THE WRONG PEOPLE OFF THE BUS, THEN FIGURE OUT WHAT DIRECTION TO DRIVE THE COMPANY” (Good to Great).

Only hire “A” employees. These people have a history of getting results. They aren’t afraid of accountability and scorekeeping. They are self-confident and able to apply past successes to new assignments, but they are also teachable and eager to learn. “A” employees make good things happen, especially when their personal goals are in line with your company goals.

Keep in mind: You always pay for the “A” employee. The lesser cost of a “C” employee, plus the hidden cost of lower performance, poor decisions, and costly mistakes, is equal to or greater than the higher cost of the “A” employee. Replace “C” employees with “A” employees to improve performance and get results.

Take Away:  Hire and empower goal-oriented people. Tell them why the system was created, how it works, and why it will benefit them. Enlist their knowledge, talents, energy and resources to improve the system and raise the bar on performance standards. As people achieve results, their self-esteem and sense of value to the company will go up. They will set new performance records. When they create greater value, compensate appropriately.

MOTIVATE YOUR PEOPLE

Inspired and motivated workers, that know how their contribution helps, make well-designed systems hum!  Results are a natural and ever-increasing outcome of understanding this concept.

Motivation is the drive that moves people to action. People are motivated when they feel they are doing something in their best interest. Because motives come from feelings, you can’t directly motivate others; you can only influence their feelings about the work they do. You can create an environment or culture of results that motivates them to positive action.

Fear doesn’t work as a motivator for very long. Incentives and rewards can be effective if administered properly. Opportunities for personal growth and advancement are among the best motivators in business. When people trust that you are giving them a legitimate chance for a better future, when they think you really care about their welfare, they want to perform well and please you. It’s human nature. 

OWNERSHIP AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Ownership of a task, objective, or result unlocks the inherent power of motivation. This happens when the “right people” are allowed to influence goals, participate in the development and improvement of the systems, and choose their own rewards.  

Team goals shape personal goals. Personal goals are the foundation of all achievement. Goals must answer the questions of how many (or how much), by when, and by whom.

•              “How many” is the desired result.

•              “By when” is the adrenaline-boosting deadline.

•              “By whom” indicates ownership and accountability for the result.

Performance is determined by individual capability and willingness. Remember, people perform at their highest potential only when focusing on the most valuable use of their time.  Personal goals must fit within the prescribed organization boundaries and be consistent with team goals. When a person chooses a goal, he or she simultaneously chooses to pay the price to attain it, and the payoff for its accomplishment.

MEASUREMENT

Effective teams continually measure performance and compare current results to past results and to desired results (e.g., performance standards; Balance Scorecard targets). Information from company financial statements also provides lagging indicators of performance and can expose weaknesses within the business or team.

 “When performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported, the rate of improvement accelerates.” 

Thomas Monson