Balancing Results and People: How to Aim for Excellence in Your Organization

This was the question posed to me by a senior leader in a large multinational organization. I wondered how long it had been since I had lost him. That wasn’t what I had been saying. It was, however, the inspiration for a talk I recently gave at a gala dinner event. And this article—in which we will discover sustained success isn’t about committing to results or to people; it’s about committing to excellence.

Imagine a Continuum

On one side, you have a single-minded focus on results. On the other side, a single-minded focus on people. In the middle, a balance between the two. If you were running a business, where should you aim to be?

Three people in the dinner audience I was addressing cast their vote on the side of results. Many more shouted “people.” An even larger group weren’t willing to commit to a side. “It’s a balance,” they said.

What Happens When Organizations Focus Single-Mindedly on Results?

“So, are you saying that in order to succeed, we need to move from being results-driven to being people-driven?”

First, remember that it is people who create and sustain excellence. An atmosphere of excellence can be created by the way people are treated and allowed creative freedom in their work. Good results will follow an organization with good people.

Dear Mr. Ravi P. Singh, should a leader be results-oriented or people-oriented? This is a very old question. "Blake and Mouton’s Managerial Grid," published in 1964, uses the terms "concern for people" and "concern for production." A little more information about the grid is as follows:

The Managerial Grid

The treatment of task orientation and people orientation as two independent dimensions was a major step in leadership studies. Many leadership studies conducted in the 1950s at the University of Michigan and the Ohio State University focused on these two dimensions.

Building on the work of the researchers at these universities, Robert Blake and Jane Mouton (1960s) proposed a graphic portrayal of leadership styles through a managerial grid (sometimes called a leadership grid). The grid depicted two dimensions of leader behavior, concern for people (accommodating people’s needs and giving them priority) on the y-axis and concern for production (keeping tight schedules) on the x-axis, with each dimension ranging from low (1) to high (9).

However, the world has moved well past this discussion. If you look at the Fortune 500 companies, obviously they focused on results as well as people.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Yes I know this is very old trend but the purpose of sharing this in India still many Companies are not able to cop up with this.
They simply believe and talk about Leadership and its traits. "Blake and Mouton's Managerial Grid", this concept is also became older than older. We can refer it but practically World has changed its dimension and Leadership style as well.
Thats what I am talking about a concept of Legitimate Leadership.

Dear Dinesh Sir, I am happy to see your views, but I am looking at this from a different aspect. Let me focus on the framework to gain the following insights:

-- Only when managers are in the relationship to “give” to their people rather than “get” results out of them will their people willingly go above and beyond in pursuit of the company’s objectives.

-- This “giving” is not a giving of money. It is a giving of genuine concern for the individuals (care) and enablement of them to realize the best in themselves (growth).

-- It is two drops of essence, care and growth, which gives those in authority legitimacy, not money.

At the same time, leaders are not necessarily clear as to what caring for and growing their people means practically. They want to know what they can DO to enhance their legitimacy as leaders.

The Role of Leadership in Professional Growth

In practical terms, a leader should let their people grow professionally and as whole human beings by providing appropriate leadership and setting an example through their conduct. They must encourage their subordinates to develop in their field of work technically, educationally, and add value to their abilities. This will enhance productivity and promote self-growth, combining personal development with organizational benefits.

By engaging with their team on a daily basis and through interactions, a leader can identify areas where growth is needed and provide guidance. To do this effectively, a leader should maintain a neutral and open-minded approach in their interactions. It is important to avoid the trappings of seniority and the misuse of power.

Empowerment and Inclusion in Leadership

Leadership needs to focus on the empowerment and inclusion of employees in the business, with a view towards their professional as well as personal growth. Productivity will follow, with better growth opportunities when employees know and have confidence that their personal goals can be achieved only when they use the opportunities for their growth in terms of knowledge and professionalism, contributing the same towards productivity and organizational goals.

Leaders should not merely count on people; instead, they should create an environment for them to innovate, indulge, and involve.

The Importance of Focusing on People

Results come if you focus on people. The "conversion factor" in any process is people. If your results aren't as predicted or calculated, then within the system(s), corrective measures can be taken, and 'things' can be set aright. However, the big 'but' is if people underperform because the EQ is amiss, then nothing can be set aright. The biggest 'factor' you can invest in is people. The results will come!

Adjectives like professionalism, commitment, and skill sets mean nothing until people own the vision, and the management shows a sense of care, concern, and comfort for its people. Follow the 3 C's, and the results will follow.

Warm wishes,

Arif ur Rehman