One brand, one country for a new beginning in Sri Lanka
View(s):As the new president was sworn in, I could not help but reminisce the time a new CEO was sworn in to a company I happened to know of, subsequent to the premature retirement of the old CEO, due to the dissatisfaction of the people and the way-forward of the company. The old CEO, a result of many pressures in the industry, had been tormented to rise up to the challenge of meeting the profit margins which eventually almost killed him due to two consecutive heart-attacks. Premature retirement was a wise decision and as he stepped down with dignity, the new CEO was welcomed to not only increase the profits but also to increase the levels of satisfaction amongst the employees.
In his first speech to the workers, he asked one question, ‘You wanted change and here is a moment of change. What will YOU do with it? You as the individual worker, how will you contribute to this change? Remember … the change you expect at a larger scale in this company is very much determined by the change you make in the way you work.’
Work on change
These words almost reverberate in my head as I am tempted to ask the same question from the very citizens of this country today, myself included. “What change will you bring in, through your work to the ‘better tomorrow’ you voted for?” The change you aspire to see in the country is an aggregation of what you and I are prepared to do for this country. But wait, let’s start with the fundamentals.
The CEO of the above company had to reinstate something absolutely crucial for the long term sustainability of the company; good corporate governance. In his first six months, he worked towards establishing a code of ethics that everyone had to follow and any violation was severely dealt with. He became unpopular amongst the corrupt, but won the hearts of those who wanted to do an ethical business. But over and over again, he made sure he asked the people “Are you doing what you are supposed to be doing? I don’t know about you, but I am here for a purpose to make a meaningful difference”.
Sometimes, we the common man, we the follower, we the employee, tend to think that responsibility is totally in the hands of the leader. Yes, the leader has tremendous responsibility to lead, guide, support and make wise judgements and take timely actions on any prevailing crisis, but does that mean that we could succumb to a victim-mentality (like we do when we shift the blame and resort to helplessness) and expect the top to take responsibility for everything? I think not. I think it is time to wake up. Yes, all of us.
Transformation
What brings transformation in a country? A transformed organisation can transform an entire community or a city, which in turn can impact the transformation of a country. If you are an employer, ask yourself, “How many families do I feed? How can I grow this number and find a way to uplift their lives so that they can dream of a better future and not just make ends meet?”
The more we grow our business, the more we grow the possibility of empowering more and more families. This can bring about transformed communities, cities, leading to a transformed country. To expect a lasting impact, lead with an ethical responsibility that does not compromise on the values you want to see grounded in the country as a whole. To grow human resources and capability so that employees are given the option of becoming better individuals and work up the hierarchy of needs, we should start from a place where the basic needs for these individuals are provided. This however is simply not enough. Employers have to create a culture of growth and sustainability, in which the outer growth of the company is synchronised with the personal growth of individual workers. One transformed person can have a snowballing effect.
If you are an employee, ask yourself “What is my responsibility to this company? Is there are a person job fit, a culture fit, a value fit with the company?” If the answer is no, it’s time to look for a new job, a job that will align who you are with the values and the greater vision of the company. This will be the best thing you’d do for yourself in the New Year. Find meaning in what you do and make a difference in the lives of those around you and finally be a catalyst of the change of good corporate governance and ethics. We need to understand that the governance of a company contributes to the governance of the country. The way you legitimise the processes, the way you earn clients, whether you choose to give commissions and bribes, the way you look after your people, the way you reward behaviour good or bad or punish the acceptable and the unacceptable, all contribute directly to the total establishment of good governance in the country.
Mission
How can you and I contribute to the transformation of the country by leading our employees with a purpose- a purpose that is bigger than our organisational vision or mission? How can you and I contribute to the transformation of the country by leading ourselves to serve our companies better, serve our communities better? A transformational mindset and a perspective of hope for sustainable growth within us and outside us will bring about renewal and restoration to a country. We truly need to rise above our past crises and conflicts, to find a purpose that surpasses the need for growing ambassadors for our companies, to creating true ambassadors of our nation. And for this, we need character; firm, sharp, conscious and persistent.
As organisations, we can’t just afford to think of industrial success anymore. We need to proactively work towards global success in character and growth. This is your greatest brand as a company!
We are a resilient nation and only we can prove this to ourselves. We are being given another opportunity and the success is in the hands of all of us. One country, one brand, one hardy character; the clock is ticking and there is no better time than now.
(The author is a Business Psychologist, consultant, author and a lecturer based in Colombo. She can be contacted on rozaine@forte.lk)