Define Purpose, Engage Employees and Achieve Results!

Wednesday, 03 June 2009 10:55

Articles - Articles By Rick

Michael Gerber writes in his book, The E-Myth Manager,

“No matter what the size of the organization, it is the ability to treat the organization as a small business and the manager as a small business owner…that produces a profound shift in the mind-set of that organization.”

The profound shift Gerber is referring is the level of energy and creativity from the team and their focus on the customer.  When you are a small business, you have a clear purpose and communication is uncomplicated.  You have a value proposition to exploit an opportunity in the market.  Innovative and creative thought drives your business and inspires your team.  You are focused on your customer and you recruit people to continue to help you maintain that focus.  Together, you work tirelessly to achieve that goal.  Simple, right? 

Except, if you are in a big company, then thinking like a small business is complicated.  Gerber's premise is the manager should see themselves as an entrepreneur within their areas of responsibility in the organization. While some managers have a knack for embracing Gerber’s advice, there are others who have given up the fight.  Uninspiring leadership, consensus decision-making policies, politics and bureaucracy have shut down some managers for so long, they begin to go into ‘safe’ mode.  One can argue that these are potential pitfalls to desperately avoid in a “big business”. 

Innovative and creative thought are the cornerstones of entrepreneurship and are exactly what keeps a business alive and positions it for new growth.  This is required for survival, especially in these times of economic uncertainty, regardless of the size of your business.

We need leaders to be profound, bombastic, and passionately exuberant or even a Raving Lunatic Mad about new ideas they have, and they need the guts to stand up for it and change the business!  Instead we have an abundance of leaders who are afraid to rock the boat, unaware that there is opportunity in rocking the boat.

The fallout of this ‘safe’ leadership is predictable.  It breads Corporate Zombies, people who come to work dutifully and perform their work and go home.  That’s it.  They feel no connection other than their monthly pay check.  They do not give more than is asked. When more is asked, the emotional bank account is empty because their leaders have failed to fill it up with that much needed “So what?”  They have failed to appeal to every person’s desire to be a part of something, anything, that gives them meaning.  They have failed to instil purpose and thus they have failed to create a connection to their people’s daily activities and the direction of the organization.  The sad thing is it didn’t have to be that way.  You insert the same people into a different organization with an inspiring, visionary leader and you end up with motivated and engaged employees and happy customers.

Getting back to Michael Gerber’s Quote, I have been a part of a couple of small businesses and have found these to be some defining characteristics:
1.    Passionate, Focused, Innovative and Though-Provoking Leaders
2.    Direct contact between (strategic) Leaders and Employees
3.    Direct contact with customers (hence the small organization)
4.    Main objective is survival and growth
5.    The team shares in the rewards linked to near-term business success

Gerber’s quote on this subject matter addresses the profound shift in people’s attitudes when they understand how their daily activities are contributing to a tangible near-term business result.  In fact, some reports have shown that being in a crisis is more rewarding than the regular boring day-to-day work.  No wonder we have so many crises.  It creates a more exciting place to work! A quick search on “Happiness at Work” on Google will reveal that the people who are most satisfied with at work are people who can see a direct connection to their daily activities and the business objectives.  In other words, “The means is the end.”  Another statistic showed that people in small businesses with employee numbers under 100 rated themselves as happier than those in larger businesses. 
Team sports are a good analogy of a small business.  The team has a stated goal and everyone has a role in assisting the team to achieve that goal.   In fact, you can say that the entire time the game is on, the team is in crisis and crisis breads focus!  They are fighting to win at the most intense and focused level!  Simple in concept right?  But, How far have you gone to recruit commitment from your team?  When was the last time you communicated your strategic goals to your team? Have you created a sense of urgency? Have you clearly stated the objectives of the business and related it to them? Or are you just “Open for Business”.

As a business leader, your objective is to engage your team by creating the connection to your purpose.  If you are a corporate department like HR, Marketing or Business Improvement Team, then change your perspective to one where you are providing a professional service through your department and that department should operate like an outsourced company.  Do this and you have made the first step in creating that profound shift.  

It’s OK to be big, but think small, make your actions relevant, and engage each individual.   This will have a profound affect on the level of energy and creativity from the team and their focus on helping to drive results.