Regardless of whether people were part of the “me” generation or whether they were just simply looking out for “number one,” their emphasis was on the themselves, not the well being of others.
Business Success in a Values Centered Society
That worldview is out of the mainstream today because this new world of values is different in that it is “others” centered. It is different because it recognizes a universal desire of people to be trusted and respected. It places people before things in terms of priority. It is a worldview with a much different emphasis.
The implications for business organizations are entwined in an emphasis on continuous improvement that, in addition to improving processes and products, will gradually build the self-esteem of its work teams and their members. Activities such as judging, criticizing, and directing will no longer be part of the picture because they drain the self esteem from the souls of individuals and the organizations they are working in.
Out with the Old
Competition, hostility, office politics, and suppressed fear will not be part of the new atmosphere. This is not coming about just because a new management wants to make people feel good. It is happening because there is a direct association between the high levels of self-esteem of people in an organization and the success of that organization.
High levels of self esteem require a group chemistry made up of respect, trust, courtesy, good manners, and keeping promises. This breed stands in sharp contrast to the toxic organization where individual spirit is trashed and rude and abusive behavior is an everyday occurrence. This will go to a view where the spirit of the employees comes first and the customer comes second.
The Advantages of Teams in the Workplace
Here is some clarification of just what a team is in a business sense. A team is not a group of people who like each other or simply work together. A team is a group with a common objective. While this group can be no smarter than the sum of all the strengths its members bring to it, it can be much dumber if its internal workings do not allow people to express their talents.
Work teams bring another advantage as markets place a premium on cycle time, adaptability, and giving a unique response to the customer. In this scenario the advantages of the functional organization no longer hold and It’s time for businesses to create team based cross functional units organized around customers.
Supervisory and management positions will survive as long as they provide value to the core work teams who are now their customers. The value added will be defined by the team/customer, not the supervisor or manager. Their new coach or facilitator role is a transitional one because, over time, even this role will either go away or their organization will become correspondingly larger to justify their position.
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