Apr 13

CRaaaaZy Ideas on Company Values

Recently I replied to a blog entry at the Fast Company magazine website about ENRON and how the values of its leaders were central to the company’s demise.

To stir the pot a little, and provoke some new thinking, I offered some CrAZy ideas on the subject of leaders and values.

I repeat them here for you now:

Looking at ENRON for evidence for what went wrong from a values perspective is like looking in Wonka’s factory for a bar of chocolate. I find it kinda boring anymore. Besides, such focus only plays into our culture’s habit of watching the flashy and listening to the loud.

If you want to find sparkling examples of how companies are, not can be, but are built on values that evolve not just the wallets but the spirits of everyone involved, start looking at micro-businesses.

It may not play well for a FC reader; they want to know how to scale organizations. I realize that. But, the little guys have more to say about what is right; the big guys tend to focus too much on what works. They are not, as we know, inherently synonymous.

As we leaders grapple with coalescing a group of values to guide our organizations, let us first and foremost publicly declare, in writing and voice, our commitments to much more than making the numbers; let us commit to the high road only.

Also, we must demand that outsiders rigorously hold us to our high standards. The pressure in business is to the low road. Small business or large, make life easier for yourself by a public commitment; it will be impossible to slide and hide.

Then, let’s urge the inclusion of a few values that hardly ever make the list. Why add things like Shame, Greed, Fear and Poverty? To shake up automatic thinking and roll-your-eyes platitudes about teamwork and open communication (among many others). Read on. Enjoy some craziness.

Shame - we value shame when someone repeatedly transgresses against what they and we have collectively chosen to be our guiding principles.

Forgiveness - we value forgiveness because we know that the high road is a hard road. Everyone falls down once in a while. We lift each other up, forgive, remind, recommit and move forward.

Fear - we value fear as a potent reminder of the imminent consequences likely to befall us if we remain on an uninspired path.

Poverty - we value poverty, or the imposition of financial hardship (loss of pay, loss of job) as a necessary result of wonton disregard for our high-minded and high-spirited system. It’s like being expelled from school for breaking the honor code by cheating- quite fair, quite right.

Greed - we value greed because it keeps us looking at new places where we can serve. We want to serve X number of people and make Y amount of money. These things are good. They turn bad when we harm people and fail to think, talk and act as the most evolved businesspeople - correction - PEOPLE who ever lived. Should greed be misinterpreted that way, please refer to the first item on this list.

Okay, if those ideas are too weird, rent three year’s worth of The Waltons. Pay special attention to the grandmother. No nonsense. No noise. No silly language. Just straightforward, clean ethics.

How’s that for CrAZy thinking?

Follow this link to read the original article.

http://blog.fastcompany.com/archives/2005/04/12/valuable_advice.html

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