Douglas Conant – one of America’s leading CEO figures – said that knowing your people and establishing a proper relationship with them was key to organisational excellence.
“Trust gives you the permission to give people direction, get everyone aligned, and give them the energy to go get the job done. Trust enables you to execute with excellence and produce extraordinary results. As you execute with excellence and deliver on your commitments, trust becomes easier to inspire, creating a flywheel of performance.”
He was right, and his recognition of the fact that the achieving of excellent results is built upon a foundation laid as far as possible in advance, was a key factor in his successful career. The best organisations in the world are very aware of the necessity for planning ahead. Alignment of the people in an organisation to its goal will avoid any confused and mixed messages. When the whole of a team has clarity on what needs to be done, then the productivity of that team will be strongly enhanced.
In the four areas of the Investors in Excellence Standard, this recognition of effort is shown in the order in which the items are set out. Leading is the initial point to consider when an organisation looks at its operations, products and services. Resourcing concentrates on how best to put in place the processes and assets required for success. Delivering the required items and services to customers and the communities served is key in the Achieving of excellence in the results shown by the organisation.
When these four areas are assessed, any in need of improvement can be assisted by our suite of Business Improvement tools and related Approaches to focus the processes and resources in the areas that will give the best return. Sustainable and continuous improvement will lead to people’s trust being won and secured for a healthy future for all stakeholders.