Ethics in Business: The Chicken or the Egg?

I’m always leery of those who say either for sure.  In business it’s irrelevant.  No chicken: no egg:: no egg: no chicken.

This question will arise, most often, when credit is taken or given to a group within an organization and not to the entire funnel.   Discussion becomes centered around and stuck on:

·      Which is more important the idea or the task execution?   

o   With no idea, there is no task, with no task completion the idea dies.

·      Which is more important the idea, lead, cultivation or execution?

o   Without each there is no result, no result, equals no product or service and no product or service leads to no revenue.

§  Without revenue, there is no business. No business means no jobs.  No jobs…

OPPORTUNITY

These questions provide an opportunity to examine and address cracks in your organization’s structure, most often centered around teamwork.

A business with employees signifies a need, by the owner, at some point, to break up functions that were of such value that each should be funded to handle and feed the funnel from inception to fruition for the good of the organization’s ability to grow its bottom line.

Credit does need to be given or taken for the seeds planted and their cultivated at each step of the executing model.  Project management and logic models provide accountability for each task and step in a process.  Missing steps will lead to a different outcome than the one planned in the model and is easy to identify.  The question becomes are you willing to train-up to teamwork or accept hits to your bottom line and staff discontent?

ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUE: TEAMWORK   

How do you determine if teamwork is an issue in your organization and if training-up will help your bottom line? Ask yourself these questions:

·      Does the organization have one task function area that takes, or is given, all the credit for projects or outcomes?

·      Does leadership think the end dollar amount (sale/revenue/donations) is the only metric that counts?

·      Do staff members sabotage their tasks (give less than 100%) due to these, or other undefined, factors?

·      Do staff and leadership understand what teamwork is and that teamwork leads to job security?

·      Do you have staff silos within your organization?

·      Do you know how to address these silos, break them and rebuild a strong organization?

These are important questions for small businesses and non-profits to ask and address head-on.

TEAMWORK IS MORE THAN TRUST BUILDING, BUT TRUST IS NECESSARY

Teamwork is the reason each employee was hired.  The business owner or Board determined that each function was needed and created a plan to hire staff, to work together,  to deliver product or service as efficiently as possible to increase the bottom line.  Increasing the bottom line is the only vehicle for bonuses and raises.  Teamwork is the juggernaut of a business and non-profit.  Silos and the unwillingness to break them is no longer a sustainable business nor non-profit model.  Nor can it be hidden, the bottom line is the best indicator of silo issues in businesses and non-profits.

SOLUTION

Conduct a blind survey through a vehicle like Survey Monkey with your staff.   Ensure staff that the results are confidential and encourage 100% participation.

After the survey share and discuss the results and ask your staff for solutions, this provides staff an opportunity to articulate their concerns, be heard and affect the outcome of new performance measures that will benefit each essential function of your organizing and increase your production in a positive manner.

If you feel the discussion is best guided, bring in a consultant.  A consultant will provide a format and mitigate opportunities for the discussion to get off track or personal. 

Addressing these very real issues today will create a much happier work environment for staff and a positive financial result for the organization.