What does your organization value?
I’m not asking what your strategic plan lists as your top goals. I’m also not referring to what senior leaders say are important initiatives. True, these may all be the same things; however, there is often a gap (sometimes a big one) between what the organization ‘says’ it truly values and what the organization ‘truly’ values.
Let me share a couple of examples…
Imagine that it is 1998 and you are sitting in a conference room holding a meeting with your colleagues. The session has been in full swing for two solid hours and everyone is in need of a much-deserved break. A suggestion is made to adjourn for 15 minutes and all eagerly agree. Some scurry to the restroom and others opt to run back to their workspace to check email.
Why did they go back to their workspace?
Consider your organization:
- What’s your organization’s currency?
- What do people in your organization TRULY value?
- What is being rewarded and reinforced?
- Think about the things that people count and brag about. Are they important items that drive goals that matter or are they trivial things with little true value?
Explain this story to a few people in your workplace and ask them to tell you what the current organizational currency is in your organization. You might be surprised!
HENRY KOTULA 