BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE.

BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE.



By.Nauman Syed.


Have you ever experienced the feeling, the rush, and the passion of being part of a winning team that is contributing and aligned to the organization’s vision, values and goals? There’s a buzz of enthusiasm, creativity, energy, camaraderie, teamwork and above all a real sense of purpose. One visit to the world famous Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, WA and you’ll get it. At the very core of their philosophy is empowerment; the astounding creativity, productivity and profitability that erupts when leaders are willing to be wholly committed to empowering their employees. Over the course of my career I’ve been a part of such a team and organization where leaders bring out the best in their people as part of the overall strategic plan.


So how do great leaders bring out the best in their people? After all, business is all about making money, right? It’s about speed, bottom line, efficiency, cost, etc. Who can argue with that? However, equally true and vital for long term, sustainable results are direction, vision, principles, purpose and effectiveness. In other words it’s about people and leadership. From my professional experience and from the mentorship I received throughout my career, bringing out the best in people is accomplished through a journey of vision, clarity, transparency, creativity and recognition.


Creating a vision. The vision connects what customers care about to what the organization is passionate about giving. As mentioned in my last post, great leaders empower people to discover something the organization can be great at, something the organization can be passionate about and something the organization should focus on to maximize profitability. The vision is a view of what can be and what will be. The key is linking the vision to an inspiring, motivating direction and purpose shared by all who are involved. Involving the team to answer the questions … how will we get there? what will we do when we get there? how will we act while we get there? is a great way to gain commitment and it directly affects how organizations secure buy-in to achieve its mission.


Creating organizational clarity. Ensuring that the whole system is working together and supporting the vision. This isn’t about slogans on the wall or flavour of the month vision statements. It is about leadership that fundamentally agrees on the core values, structure, people, processes, goals, metrics, communication, decisions, rewards, and concepts that drive the vision. It is about leaders that walk the talk and constantly model and reinforce what is important to the organization. Organizational clarity provides employees at all levels with a common understanding, vocabulary and more importantly, it empowers teams with a true sense of autonomy and confidence.


Cascading the message. An environment of transparency is critical. Information flows and cascades repeatedly and simplistically throughout the organization so that all employees within every department remain aware, engaged, involved and committed. Goals and metrics that support the vision are communicated throughout the organization in various mediums, from daily departmental meetings to structured Town Hall meetings. Smaller group meetings are held throughout the organization to solve problems or come up with continuous improvement ideas. With this, employees share a common purpose and direction, know where the company is going and more importantly, know how they contribute to the success of the organization.


Unleashing the creativity. No matter the industry, give your teams the leadership they need to get started; a goal, a timetable and let them get to it. The engagement, input and accountability of your teams is invaluable to drive the overall vision and the goals that support it. You will be amazed at the level of talent, ability, creativity and enthusiasm that is inherent in your teams. It is up to leadership to be patient, and to believe in the potential of their people. Different people develop at different rates and the best leaders are always on the lookout for hidden capacities.


Reinforcing and recognizing. Create systems and procedures that reinforce the behavioural model valued by the organization. This includes the hiring process, the succession planning process, the performance appraisal process, the performance management process and the recognition process. Celebrate successes, take time to recognize the achievements and reinforce the vision constantly. The true value of bringing out the best in people is accelerated when the whole system is aligned to the vision. In other words, common purpose, common direction, common values and leadership that walks the talk consistently, everyday.


So how did Toyota rise from humble beginnings to a thriving global giant? According to David Magee, author of How Toyota Became #1 , Toyota’s amazing twenty five year run was achieved by respecting their people and by maintaining a focus on a business structure that encourages every employee to be actively engaged to pursue the organization’s vision and goals. This is why Toyota not only produces great cars, but also great leaders. Toyota’s management philosophy is focussed on maximizing the strengths of their employees instead of criticizing their weaknesses. Magee goes onto say that Toyota leadership expect their employees to go beyond what they are told and be creative in building quality into the process.


Bringing out the best in people is, without a doubt, the competitive edge for sustainable long term results of successful organizations.