“We should view this as a contract, as the company’s commitment on how it will behave.”
That was a quiet bombshell dropped into the conversation recently. We were having a very honest discussion with a group of key client staff, about taking major strategic growth opportunities without destroying the reason so many good people want to work there. We were doing the hard work on strategy development, in short.
I thought “What an insight!”. Those value statements that should lead the strategy documents, if they mean anything, are commitments. The “Why” of the business is why people stay. If we feel free to rip those up, we’ve just sold out, haven’t we? If your strategy is real, it must be a commitment.
People do come to work just for the pay. The term “compensation” captures that neatly. If I need to be “compensated” for enduring my job, then I have no more commitment or loyalty than a customer who buys only on price. I will take any better offer that drifts into view.
If, on the other hand, I do my work because my colleagues and I are creating something we care about, a contribution to the world, a joy to be part of, then even on bad days I’m not seeking compensation. I expect to be paid fairly for what I bring, but it’s the shared “Why” that really gets me out of bed in the morning.
And therefore I will hold the company accountable for how it treats me, my team, its customers, and the wider world. I will treat the strategy as a promise.
It’s a powerful view of strategy, would you agree? Here’s the hard question: Is your strategy a promise?
Strategy has been my passion for years. Can I help you turn it into a cutting-edge advantage, your true north?
Call me, let’s explore what that could look like for your business.