Hot on the heels of our financial discussion come the philosophical aspects of an organization. It’s hard to imagine Nancy Pelosi arguing on behalf of Citizen’s United or Mitch McConnell heading up Obamacare, yet on a much more personal level (usually without celebrity) we see this every day.
Is your personal perspective the same or complementary to that of your organization’s? You don’t have to be the owner of a brand to need this alignment as this differentiation occurs at all levels. Whether you’re a founder of a local restaurant, a multi-national startup, a greeter at Walmart, or a Senior VP at Eli Lilly, if you don’t believe in your organization’s direction (mission, vision, etc), you will lose out on the fulfillment a job can bring.
This is incredibly problematic for a number of reasons, and organizations should strive to make sure that each stakeholder has a purpose and that that purpose reflects the objectives of the organization. By reaching a harmonious and clear existence, brands will naturally function without a number of kinks in their value chain.
Essentially, as you work on anything, you should always ask yourself, “Am I absolutely clear about the goals, outcomes and measures of this thing?” If not, seek to understand before you lose work.
Many in business know the famous CEO examples of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, and how their different approaches to similar technology helped forge two very different end products and company cultures. A more recent example of a CEO with vision is Tony Hsieh of Zappos. Hsieh is famous for his absolute focus on customer service, and despite engaging in the highly risky business of logistics (those shoes don’t ship themselves), Zappos has continually gained market share and earned dividends for its stakeholders. What’s more, really talented people clamor to be part of the team, and Zappos has a really sophisticated hiring process to ensure all new employees align with the company culture.
So as you take a bird’s eye view of business, brands and your projects, how do you feel about your level of philosophical clarity?
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