SCRIPTURE: He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? – Micah 6:8.
QUOTE: Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me… going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me. – Steve Jobs.
NOTE:
Fishes cannot survive without water. Therefore, water matters a great deal to fishes. Wolves and arctic foxes need deserts to thrive. Beavers and muskrats only prosper in wetlands. Organizations and the teams therein are like animals; each has its natural habitat and its survival codes. Understanding that makes each team appreciate its essence – what are we here for and by what metrics are we to be evaluated? What matters most for a sales team is sales (explain that whichever way you choose to).
What matters most for an HR team is qualitative and motivated workforce in right quantity. You see the difference? That the teams are within the same organization does not change the reality that what matters most to one team differs from another team.
Defining what really matters will include clarity on corporate culture, ideology, philosophy, core values and the acceptable how-we-do-things-here rituals. A leader must define and exemplify acceptable attitudes and conducts in his/her team with a view to optimizing productivity. Openly celebrate and applaud conducts that will push your team forward towards realizing its set goals. Whatever is rewarded gets done and over time becomes a culture. And if it is an anti-productivity attitude, address it immediately too; firmly and courteously.
ILLUSTRATION:
There are five things that really matter at Apple Inc.; vision, ease of use, less issues, product efficiency and year ahead of competition. Every idea, product or service from the organization must pass these litmus tests; else it is not from Apple! From top down, everybody knows what really matters.
REFLECTION:
- Can you itemize three things that really matter for your team to continually operate at peak productivity?
- To test their levels of importance, can you identify the consequence/cost if any of those three factors is missing?
TWO YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Kings 18, Psalm 28