Category - Business

Q: What can have a single face or thousands of them, but should only ever have one identity?

A: A company.

Every time an employee of a company contacts a customer, a potential hire, a supplier, a government office, or anyone else, they are assuming the identity of their company, whether they realize it or not. This means that the impression people are left with not only reflects the individual themselves but also the company as a whole. Because of this the core values of the company will be either hidden or disclosed based upon the actions and value set of the individual. If the individual has a set of core values that is closely aligned with the company then the interactions with outsiders will typically yield an accurate depiction of the values of the company, assuming the individual acts in accordance with those values. However, in cases where the person is not closely aligned or does not act in accordance with the company’s core values, the impression left is not one that accurately reflects the true identity of the company.

Disparities in values are not only acceptable but necessary for a thriving company. A friend/colleague of mine always says, “If there are two people in a business that have the exact same values and opinions, the business has one too many people.” Differences of opinions and value sets are necessary in order to push the envelope and allow companies to sustain their forward momentum. However, when these differences cause a negative perception of the company the entire organization is instantly set back.

While the internal organization should cultivate diversity, this should be largely hidden from external entities in order to paint a singular image for the public. Companies must insist that all employees foster an attitude and environment that appropriately portrays the values of the company and minimizes differences. As an example, many companies have poor customer service, which is undoubtedly not something they strive for. Customer service representatives that are rude, recruiters that attempt to devalue potential hires, and store staff lacking knowledge of their products are just a few of the many ways that companies allow the public to get a hazy image of the core corporate values. All of these could be fixed by management.

While most modern companies are highly focused on low cost and fast turnaround, it is essential that management focus on the task of getting all points of contact to emulate the image the company wishes to show to the public. It doesn’t matter if employees agree with the values or not, as long as their complaints and dissensions are never voiced publicly and always reserved for the office. This is the only way to prevent a fractured public opinion.

There have been a number of experiments and historical events where people have been systematically excluded from the larger group. In some situations this meant that they were forced to forego privileges while in others it meant the extraction of their personal rights and freedoms. Regardless of the severity, case, and background, the results are always the same. The excluded group begins to resent the controlling party and the ‘elite’ group who have greater privileges and powers. This resentment boils and eventually simmers down to outright animosity and anger, which will eventually culminate in conflict. What applies on the world, social, and environmental stages applies equally to the business environment. When people are of equal rank, value, and position, they should all be treated uniformly. Always.

Take Steve R. Fictional for example. Steve is a middle manager who has a good track record, solid industry experience, and has been in the field for well over a decade. Over the past couple years Steve decided that he wanted to pursue more of a leadership track and moved from an employee to a manager role. He has done well so far in this role and has always achieved the tasks set in front of him. Steve is a good employee and a good manager and gets along with everyone. But Steve finds himself systematically excluded from meetings, team building exercises, and other functions. Attributing the exclusions to oversight Steve contacts people to make sure he is on the right mailing lists, that HR has been advised of his role, and so forth. Yet he is still excluded.

So now that we know Steve’s background, let’s take a look at what is going on with Steve. If he is like most people, which we will assume he is, Steve is beginning to feel devalued and cast aside. He is beginning to feel that he is the repeated target of lip service geared at simply appeasing him. He is thinking about moving on.

The attrition rate for a company will inevitably be higher when there are a lot of Steves. Likewise, it will inevitably be lower when there are few Steves. So the impending question is, how do you avoid Steves? The answer lies in equal treatment. Always. Treat all employees the same, all managers the same, all directors the same, and all executives the same. If people are categorized in the same way, regardless of whether it is by rank, title, status, or something else, they should be treated uniformly. If a directors meeting is held, all directors should be included. If a team building exercise is scheduled, all team members and the leader of the team should be included. No exceptions.

If you want your employees to be happy, productive, and lasting, make sure they feel like part of the group. If you want to watch them drop away one by one, systematically exclude them.

I am sincerely not a fan of Rodney Dangerfield however feel that his cliche utterance of, “I get no respect”, can find its place in modern society.

One of the best core values I have ever been a part of is: “Respect the individual”. This singular value is so encompassing that it allows the value set to be boiled down to a few distinct items. Respecting the individual, is simple and elegant, yet extremely effective. Show everyone the respect you want them to show you, no matter who they are. This doesn’t mean you can’t dislike people, get into arguments, or have long standing and deep rooted disagreements – it simply means that you are able to look past those enough to show a basic level of respect to the person.

This is such a good core value to me because it closely aligns with my personal values and reflects my upbringing. I was always taught that everyone has value and they should be treated as such. What pains me is that people so routinely neglect such a basic tenet of social life. People don’t pay attention while driving, endangering others. People cut in line at the grocery store. People yell into their cell phones in obviously and traditionally quiet places, like the library. People let doors swing shut behind them, with utter ignorance of the person right on their tail.

For the most part, people don’t respect one another. There are exceptions though. My wife is nine months pregnant right now. Three times out of her past four trips to the grocery store a complete stranger, who did not work for the store, stopped and helped her load either our 2 year old or our groceries into the car. This is more of what our society needs.

Do your society a favor: respect someone. Open or hold a door for someone. Get off the phone while you drive. Move out of the left lane if you are going slower than the people around you. Tell the person you’ll call them back when you are in a more appropriate place. There is no excuse for not helping others and showing a basic level of respect. Most respectful activities don’t take up any extra time or effort and the majority of the rest only take up a minimal amount of time – 30 seconds to help load groceries, 2 seconds to hold a door, etc.