What are we about?
Retaining essence through growth
There is nothing better than working with people and companies experiencing growth and success. Especially during such difficult times. It has been fascinating to hear and observe of all the problems such growth brings up. It is almost irritating for the management of these businesses. They have over achieved during tough business conditions, yet they are being faced with new challenges they didn't expect. One theme I am hearing is a loss of identity felt by the staff.
We may use the term, becoming more 'corporatey'. A term described to me by small business owners growing into medium sized enterprises, as well as Executives describing recent acquisitions of their brands by larger organisations. I think there is a fear that the intimacy, care, and meaning will be lost and the feel of work will become 'all about the numbers' and not about the people anymore.
How we retain our essence?
Dan Pink speaks of a 'Higher Purpose' in his book Drive. Simon Sinek speaks of 'the importance of why' in his book Start with Why, and Daniel Coyle speaks of Purpose, Belonging, and Safety as the pillars of High-Performance in his book The Culture Code. I am sure all the avid readers out there could add to this list (and please do in the comments). It is fundamentally accepted that understanding and perpetuating our 'business DNA' matters.
In practical day-to-day business it may seem trivial and even a luxury, but understanding who we are and the meaning behind our work is critical. A business' identity, the motivation of its employees, and creating a togetherness basically makes us happier more productive workers. It is the essence of the business or another way of saying 'who we are and what we are about'.
There are vast sums of money spent on figuring this out across industry. But here are some quick hacks I have found to be helpful. Meditate on them as you enter the new year:
That irritated me! Think of the 2-3 things team members did that irritated you. It was probably some sub-standard, tardy, late, or careless work. Now ask yourself, why it irritated you so much. Other than your own standards, ask why it is so important that the small task in question matters. You will not get a clean answer, but sitting with this question deeply over your summer break could be the most important work you do all year to define and refine the true meaning of the work your organisation does.
What got me into this? Remember the good old days when you started doing what you do? For some of us it seems a long time ago, but there was a spark that got us into our trade. There was something about the business, the brand, or the people we loved when we started. What was it? If you can name this you can recreate the feeling. It will be executed in a different or scaled up way, but defining that spark at the start of the journey can have tremendous value.
Let go. Often we pine for the past with rose tinted glasses wishing that things were the same as they used to be. Stop it! Its a waste of time. Instead, focus on what it was that felt great and start looking at ways to breed the ethos into the new environment. If it felt like a family business before, think about what made it feel like family and how that can scale. If it used to feel like everyone was good mates because we had lunch together all the time but now the team is dispersed, think of what made those interactions special and find ways to recreate them in the new environment that is purposeful and meaningful. Note - inserting zoom meetings and drinks left-right-and-centre is not the answer.
It takes a bit of creativity, but it is possible for a global business to feel intimate and connected. It may look a little different, but it is possible for a team of hundred to belong as the original ten workers did ten years ago. Often, it will be executed using the same values, beliefs, and meaning placed on the work. And, be assured, the investment in this thinking pays back in bucket loads as the wasted effort and resource poured into superficial motivation and incentives will no longer be required.
Bonus tip. Turn the tips above into questions and discussion points with your team and colleagues. Have casual one-on-one conversations and see what nuggets of gold emerge!
