| tart --> | | | | - Integrate and align all activities |
| Success in business comes as a result of getting the | | | | - Create a never-ending cycle of reinforcement. |
| right things done, in the right way, by the right people, all | | | | We Must Know What We Are in Business For |
| the time. If our business structure supports this kind of | | | | Our Mission embodies and spells out for everyone the |
| effort, then we will be the proud owner of a business | | | | reason we exist as a business. To this end, we must |
| that very quickly achieves outstanding and lasting | | | | think it through at a very deep level and align all our |
| results. | | | | business activities with the sense of meaning that we |
| All good business relationships are based in trust. The | | | | have created for our business. |
| higher the trust levels are within a business, and | | | | It naturally follows that all the people we deal with, at |
| between the business and its customers and partners, | | | | whatever level, are watching and testing us against |
| the more rapidly the results will be achieved. | | | | this stated meaning. We must be "centered" in this |
| When people trust us, business deals are done very | | | | meaning and hold ourselves accountable to a high |
| quickly and often on the basis of a handshake. High | | | | standard of personal behavior, responsibility and |
| trust and high ethical standards produce high | | | | accountability. We must examine ourselves daily to |
| performance. Trust is one of the highest valued | | | | ensure that we are adhering faithfully to the Mission |
| attributes and qualities of good leadership. | | | | and Vision that we have articulated. |
| The organizational architecture of the value-based | | | | To have an ethical business, we must be straight |
| business shapes the creation of meaning and purpose, | | | | forward in all of our dealings with others, within our |
| in the first instance, and informs all actions. | | | | business, within our industry and within our community. |
| Clarity about our Mission, Vision and Values and living | | | | When we make a mistake, we must admit it, learn |
| by these elements creates trust in our business. It | | | | from it and move on. To build trust, we must trust |
| does this because our espoused belief system gives | | | | ourselves and trust the people around us. |
| us a benchmark against which all of our behavior can | | | | All of Our Thinking Must Be Aligned to Our Value Base |
| be measured. Strategy and leadership are then | | | | All effective decision making is bounded by the belief |
| grounded in and informed by always doing that which | | | | system we have established for ourselves in our |
| is right. | | | | business by way of Mission and Vision. |
| A clearly articulated Mission, Vision, Values, and a list of | | | | Our list of Values creates a code of expected |
| the expected behaviors that flow from these | | | | behavior that we hold ourselves and each other |
| elements, form the basis of our employment contract | | | | accountable to on a daily basis. |
| with all of the people involved in our business. | | | | When we do this, we create clarity, coherence and |
| By consistently carrying out our small business plan in | | | | consistency. The result is a high-trust culture, where |
| light of these elements, we build exponential value into | | | | everyone is on the same page. |
| our business. | | | | All of Our Activities Are Aligned and Integrated |
| These elements inform all the activities of our business, | | | | The power of having the foundational elements right in |
| from policy development, planning, leadership skill | | | | our business means that we can consistently align all |
| development, information and communication flow, | | | | of our business activities with our value base. |
| through to our systems and processes that ensure | | | | By having our proper foundation in place, we create |
| compliance with standards, measures and | | | | the high-trust, ethical environment, where the expected |
| benchmarks. | | | | behaviors are clearly spelled out and understood by |
| Being clear in the first instance about the meaning and | | | | everyone involved in the business. |
| purpose of the business delivers excellence as a | | | | This environment becomes trustworthy because there |
| natural outcome of putting the right principles in play. | | | | is a clearly understood business philosophy, mindset, |
| In the value-based business, standards and compliance | | | | common shared frameworks, and tools and |
| are never seen as an imposition. They simply | | | | processes that build competency and capability that |
| represent that which the business is already and | | | | are used uniformly throughout the business. |
| naturally pursuing. This approach leads in turn to even | | | | Create a Never-Ending Cycle of Reinforcement |
| higher levels of performance and excellence. | | | | These elements must be consistently reinforced at |
| The high trust, value-based business is integrated and | | | | every level of the business and within all business |
| aligned by these critically important foundational | | | | activities. Everyone must know his or her particular role |
| elements. | | | | and how to carry it out. This understanding must be |
| The four keys to getting this right are: | | | | reviewed on a regular basis as part of the |
| - Know what you are in business for | | | | performance management process. |
| - Align your thinking to this value base | | | | |