SO WHO ARE WE REALLY?

"We have too many high-sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them."

Abigail Adams (1744-1818) First Lady of the United States.

Many of the words you see in this photograph are carelessly strewn throughout the mission statements of so many companies.

What do they mean?

Simply saying them, putting them in a mission statement hung on the wall, telling employees "this is who we are", doesn't come close to making it so. 

UNTIL DEATH DO YOU PART (MAYBE SOONER THAN YOU THINK)

"The difficulty with marriage is that we fall in love with a personality, but must live with a character."

Peter de Vries (1910-1993) American editor and novelist.

While originally describing the marriage of two people it applies equally well to the merger of two companies.

What you think you will get very often doesn't happen.

Carefully evaluate the potential "personality" you hope to get so as not to end up with the "character" you don't want.

SO OBVIOUS YOU MAY NOT HAVE SEEN IT

"Business is like a wheelbarrow--it stands still until someone pushes it."

Unknown

"Companies" and "businesses" don't exist without employees and without the effort of all nothing good happens.

If you're simply waiting for everyone else to do something, how do you know everyone else isn't doing the same?

And if they're not and you're not how far do you think your company "wheelbarrow" will go?

THE UNIMAGINABLE IMAGINED

"Moralities, ethics, laws, customs, beliefs, doctrines --these are of trifling import. All that matters is that the miraculous become the norm."

Henry Miller (1891-1980) American author

That last sentence would make a pretty good mission statement wouldn't it?

But how?

Left only to a mission statement hanging on the wall, useless.

Could (would) you even attempt to create a work culture where miraculous results was the expected norm?

BEFORE IT IS YOU VOTED OFF THE ISLAND . . .

"Coalitions though successful have always found this, that their triumph has been brief."

Benjamin Disraeli

19th century British politician/author

At work we might call these "clicks".

Avoid them by any name choosing instead to align only with those who work to advance the company mission rather than their own.

They're Not Laughing

"Humor is the first gift to perish in a foreign language."

Virginia Woolf

20th century British novelist

Because communication is as much if not more about the culture as it is the translation.

If you don't know one you don't know the other.

And if you don't know what I mean, I rest my case.

Now That's Different!

"It is superstitious to put one's hope in formalities, but arrogant to refuse to submit to them."

Blaise Pascal

17th century French mathematician, physicist, philosopher

I spend a lot of time working in Asia; Japan, Korea and China in particular, where social "formalities" are complex.

Accepting them is not only essential to success in business, doing so is also enjoyable.

The next time you encounter "formalities" different from what you are used to, give it a try. 

Besides being important for whatever you wish to do, you may just enjoy the experience.

Different Yes, But In What Way?

"You have to work at creating your own culture."

Mitch Albom

American writer

Good advice for anyone starting their own company, saying to themselves, "My company will be different than all the others."

It will be but you'll have to work at it to make that difference positive.

The Value of Management/Employee Agreement

"Better a friendly refusal than unwilling consent."

Spanish proverb

Management can order employees to do most anything, expecting and getting compliance, at least in the short term.

And employees must often do things they would rather not do.

But does anyone doubt how better the outcome when both are in agreement concerning what will be done?

Now, how to make that happen more often?

The Habit of Good Management

"Nothing is stronger than habit."

Ovid
1st century BC Roman poet

Good and bad, what we habitually do drives our success and failure and personal habits soon become part of a company's culture.

Do you consider that when attempting to bring change to your organization?