A Healthy Company

by John Keyser

In a conversation at a dinner, a person told me about his work and how fortunate he feels. He loves his company and feels fortunate because his former company expected so much from their people, yet seldom acknowledged nor seemed grateful for the very hard work and effort of their people.

I asked him what he appreciated about his current company, which he has been with for ten years now and hopes to be with for the rest of his career. And, by the way, he is young.

He very much appreciates their flexibility. The leadership try to accommodate people’s needs, personal as well as professional.  And this goes for people at all levels.

They are given realistic goals. I loved hearing this. So many companies are assigning stretch goals, with reduced expenses and cut backs in people. These goals are often simply unrealistic. Putting pressure on their people dampens their spirit.

The driving force of his present leaders is a healthy company. It is not focusing on 90-day earnings and or achieving as much profit as is possible by driving their people.

A healthy company means their people are happy, are dedicated and loyal, that their clients are satisfied, and they enjoy admirable growth and profitability.

They are loyal to their people. If a mistake is made, they treat that as an opportunity for learning. Don’t get me wrong, though, while a mistake is accepted, that mistake cannot be repeated. There is accountability – and good people want accountability!

I hope this sparks ideas. I believe that a company’s success over time depends on its organizational culture—the spirit of its people.

Let’s bear in mind, the healthiness of our company is not just about our profit, it’s also very much about the happiness of our people.