So... still skeptical about the value of your people? Of course not,
as you would say. But how come you could just fire them or lay
them off?
Well, firing is understandable if competence has negatively
affected productivity. But what about laying off?
"Recession isn't the fault of the workers. If management take
the risk of hiring them, we have to take the responsibility for
them." ~ Morita Akio
Oh, so, it's the outside factors. Yet, who is in charge of the
company's direction? The Executives. Particularly the CEO.
Hence, if there's anyone who should be "laid off", shouldn't it be
the CEO? Makes more sense, right?
Yes, CEOs and everybody else can be fired, recession or not
but for ineptitude or worse... for embezzlement. But why lay off
your people if not for those reasons? As the Leader, can't you
find any other means than what you think as an obvious
expense?
"If corporate health falters, the priority should be to mobilize
human potential, to restore or maintain trust and civic
behaviour and to increase professionalism and good
citizenship." - Arie De Geus
See, we even keep telling the world our people is like family.
People, WACADAD. "Words are cheap and deeds are dear".
When you say family, you should be aware of the responsibilities
that go with it. Unfortunately, many just likes the fun, no wonder
why there's so many break ups.
Hold it there. Let's get off the down side and back to business.
Family is about staying together for better or for worse. If there's
a problem, you talk about it, you look for ways, you don't blame
each other and separate. You hold on even more in tough times.
Family makes each other better people.
An organization who really treats people like family understands
what family is; and applies its principles resulting in a stronger
unit ready for challenges and always aspiring.
"You do not get good people if you lay off half your work force
just because one year the economy isn't very good and then
you hire them back." - Ken Iverson
Value your people just like how you value your customers.
Treat your people just like how you treat your family.
Notice, successful organizations and families have, among
many others, the most crucial thing in common -- they are happy.
And when you are happy, it brings out the best in you.
Everything is done with much enthusiasm, great ideas just
come pouring in, and the cash register, yes, the cash register...
...it just keeps ringing!
Do you know how to make your people happy?
Stay tuned.
Remember…
"You are the company, its success depends and reflects on
how much you value your people."
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Your People...
How many of you still thinks that employees are expenses
instead of assets? We have heard of this. So, one... thousands?
Why?
Well, perhaps these people would say "just look at the books,
where do employees fall on?" Uhmm... trying to use logic huh,
however blind? This is like, which came first, chicken or egg?
There are those who would say egg, for they would argue that
before becoming a chicken, it would still be an egg.
Alright then. We'd just run circles if we fall for that. It's just like
believing that employees are expenses instead of assets.
You want logic, here's logic.
Did God create Cain or Abel before He did Adam and Eve?
Did God fashion an egg before showing us the chicken?
You might say "but that's not business". Right.
Leaders, readers... everything is simply common sense.
Don't complicate things to make it sound prestigious. It would
only show how shallow you are if that's the case. Everything
can be learned. And if only you look deeper, you would realize
how valuable your employees are. And it's not because others
say so, but because you really understand how business works.
"A personnel man with his arm around an employee is like
a treasurer with his hand in the till." - Robert Townsend
Without employees, you would not have the people to help you
produce... from visualizing to creating to innovating to marketing
to selling to collecting and all.
Oh, what if you are a "one-man army"? Guess what? We are
talking about the value of the employee not about yours. For if
you insist on that argument then sadly, you are narcissistic and
do not deserve to have employees.
"It is difficult to love mankind unless one has a reasonable
private income and when one has a reasonable income,
one has better things to do than loving mankind."
~ Hugh Kingsmill
Without empathy, you can never be that Leader. Yes, you could
pay your people to do this and that; but have you ever wondered
of what your performance appraisal would be if they be the ones
to do it on you instead? Good?? Technically possible, however,
satisfaction, respect and loyalty is yours if you not only know
your job but understand and value your people.
Do you? Then walk the talk.
Remember…
"People are people... not personnel." - Tom Peters
instead of assets? We have heard of this. So, one... thousands?
Why?
Well, perhaps these people would say "just look at the books,
where do employees fall on?" Uhmm... trying to use logic huh,
however blind? This is like, which came first, chicken or egg?
There are those who would say egg, for they would argue that
before becoming a chicken, it would still be an egg.
Alright then. We'd just run circles if we fall for that. It's just like
believing that employees are expenses instead of assets.
You want logic, here's logic.
Did God create Cain or Abel before He did Adam and Eve?
Did God fashion an egg before showing us the chicken?
You might say "but that's not business". Right.
Leaders, readers... everything is simply common sense.
Don't complicate things to make it sound prestigious. It would
only show how shallow you are if that's the case. Everything
can be learned. And if only you look deeper, you would realize
how valuable your employees are. And it's not because others
say so, but because you really understand how business works.
"A personnel man with his arm around an employee is like
a treasurer with his hand in the till." - Robert Townsend
Without employees, you would not have the people to help you
produce... from visualizing to creating to innovating to marketing
to selling to collecting and all.
Oh, what if you are a "one-man army"? Guess what? We are
talking about the value of the employee not about yours. For if
you insist on that argument then sadly, you are narcissistic and
do not deserve to have employees.
"It is difficult to love mankind unless one has a reasonable
private income and when one has a reasonable income,
one has better things to do than loving mankind."
~ Hugh Kingsmill
Without empathy, you can never be that Leader. Yes, you could
pay your people to do this and that; but have you ever wondered
of what your performance appraisal would be if they be the ones
to do it on you instead? Good?? Technically possible, however,
satisfaction, respect and loyalty is yours if you not only know
your job but understand and value your people.
Do you? Then walk the talk.
Remember…
"People are people... not personnel." - Tom Peters
Friday, July 2, 2010
Building That Institution... Part III
From responsibility and legacy in the first part to continuity and
courage in the second part -- finally, we come to the last act of
this series... "intentions" and "cooperation".
"The public has become pretty cynical about big business and
for good reason. Sometimes our cars were so bad, they felt we
built them that way on purpose." - Lee Iacocca
Isn't it incidental? Lee Iacocca... hmm... Toyota..?? Although
Chrysler was plagued with management and sales problems
and Iacocca became its saviour, Toyota was a little different.
But, can you and your organization survive and thrive if you
deliberately produce defective products? Wait. Did I say
Toyota "intentionally" did that?
Well... "intentions". That's the starting point of any undertaking.
It's like soul searching. Are you going to play to win, or sell your
game just to earn a few bucks? Will you be fair and sportsman
like? Or are you going to take the game by hook or by crook?
Intentions. Objectives. Vision. The torch you need before
starting a journey.
Did Toyota lack one? Certainly not. They come a long way now
for people to just judge them like that. Like all other "institutions",
their vision was good and constantly marketed and sold quality
cars.
What happened then? It's the passing of the torch, it simply
failed to give light to everybody concerned.
In short, vision should be shared and cooperation mustered --
ad infinitum. It's a Leadership Issue. Quality control was just a
branch of the tree. As a Leader, you should not merely unite
your people into one force but look into the effects of your
actions before proceeding.
"Virtually all economic activity in the contemporary world is
carried out not by individuals but by organizations that require
a high degree of social cooperation." - Francis Fukuyama
See, to aim high is not a problem. Aspiration is what makes
this world advance. However, to shoot for the stars without
considering where your arrow will land is the problem.
To build that institution, do not put too much weight on dollars
but get other leaders and organizations to play fair and realize
their accountability as well.
You earn not just a living through people but more, therefore,
make sure you deserve their trust.
With their continued trust, an institution is in the making.
Remember…
"A business that makes nothing but money is a poor kind of
business." - Henry Ford
courage in the second part -- finally, we come to the last act of
this series... "intentions" and "cooperation".
"The public has become pretty cynical about big business and
for good reason. Sometimes our cars were so bad, they felt we
built them that way on purpose." - Lee Iacocca
Isn't it incidental? Lee Iacocca... hmm... Toyota..?? Although
Chrysler was plagued with management and sales problems
and Iacocca became its saviour, Toyota was a little different.
But, can you and your organization survive and thrive if you
deliberately produce defective products? Wait. Did I say
Toyota "intentionally" did that?
Well... "intentions". That's the starting point of any undertaking.
It's like soul searching. Are you going to play to win, or sell your
game just to earn a few bucks? Will you be fair and sportsman
like? Or are you going to take the game by hook or by crook?
Intentions. Objectives. Vision. The torch you need before
starting a journey.
Did Toyota lack one? Certainly not. They come a long way now
for people to just judge them like that. Like all other "institutions",
their vision was good and constantly marketed and sold quality
cars.
What happened then? It's the passing of the torch, it simply
failed to give light to everybody concerned.
In short, vision should be shared and cooperation mustered --
ad infinitum. It's a Leadership Issue. Quality control was just a
branch of the tree. As a Leader, you should not merely unite
your people into one force but look into the effects of your
actions before proceeding.
"Virtually all economic activity in the contemporary world is
carried out not by individuals but by organizations that require
a high degree of social cooperation." - Francis Fukuyama
See, to aim high is not a problem. Aspiration is what makes
this world advance. However, to shoot for the stars without
considering where your arrow will land is the problem.
To build that institution, do not put too much weight on dollars
but get other leaders and organizations to play fair and realize
their accountability as well.
You earn not just a living through people but more, therefore,
make sure you deserve their trust.
With their continued trust, an institution is in the making.
Remember…
"A business that makes nothing but money is a poor kind of
business." - Henry Ford
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