This was the question posed to me by a senior leader in a large multinational organisation. 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 the 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.
Ok then, let’s start with “results”.
What happens when organisations 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?”
Imagine a continuum. On the 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.
Ok then, let’s start with “results”.
What happens when organisations 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?”