“Behaviour is basically dissimilar” How we can try to ensure uniformity in behaviour towards achieving conformity with organizational goals?
From India, Chennai
1From India, Chennai
Dear Balasubramanian,
You have started your post with the statement "behaviour is basically dissimilar". However, this appears to be your's or some else's averment. Yes, there exists an element of dissimilarity in human behaviour but it cannot be an axiom either.
What is the definition of behaviour? Behaviour is defined as the action or reaction of something under a specified circumstance.
While running a business enterprise or even a non-commercial entity, it is important to bring consistency in the actions or reactions. The decisions taken by the management personnel are nothing but their actions or reactions. The following could be the means to bring consistency in their actions or decisions:
a) First and foremost, even before setting the goals, a business enterprise needs to have a vision and mission statement. While taking decisions, the top management personnel must check whether their decisions fit within the framework of the vision and mission of the organisation.
b) It is not just the top management personnel who take decisions. The senior managers or even managers also make decisions. To bring consistency in their decisions, the top management must declare the organisation values. The managers must ensure that their every action or reaction fits within the values. By chance managers deviate from the values to check the deviation, a few companies empower their staff so that they can bring to their notice this deviation.
c) In day to day life, lower-level staff need guidance. To guide them or to delegate the work, the top management personnel make policies, rules and regulations. These policies or rules are designed to ensure that the principles of equality are maintained properly.
d) However, whatever written above is not sufficient. It is important to give proper shape to the organisation's culture. To do this, top management personnel are absolutely clear on what kind of culture they want to promote and conduct organisational surveys to ensure that the organisation's culture remains pure and steps are taken to remove impurities if any.
e) To bring similarity in the behaviour of all the personnel, it is pertinent on the part of the top management personnel to foster a culture of justice or discipline in the company. There cannot be two sets of rules for the different sections of personnel. Application of the rules and regulations should be uniform irrespective of department, designation etc.
f) Bringing behavioural consistency is always a challenge. To tide over this challenge, in many companies, proper records are maintained on the circumstances under which the decision has been taken. In many companies, whenever a new CEO or Director joins, he/she brings his/her own set of rules. However, while amending the rules or regulations, due diligence must be done to know what were the options for taking the decision and why a particular option was chosen by his/her predecessor. The option for taking the decision that the current CEO or Director could be considering the same option might have been considered earlier also. However, why it was sidelined is important to understand.
Bringing uniformity in behaviour is no easy task. However, to bring uniformity, checks and balances must be instituted. In a few companies, someone may be designated as a whistleblower. The role of the whistleblower is to flag the deviations if any.
Though your query was short, it had a lengthy reply. I do not know what your designation is. I hope you understand what I have written above.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
You have started your post with the statement "behaviour is basically dissimilar". However, this appears to be your's or some else's averment. Yes, there exists an element of dissimilarity in human behaviour but it cannot be an axiom either.
What is the definition of behaviour? Behaviour is defined as the action or reaction of something under a specified circumstance.
While running a business enterprise or even a non-commercial entity, it is important to bring consistency in the actions or reactions. The decisions taken by the management personnel are nothing but their actions or reactions. The following could be the means to bring consistency in their actions or decisions:
a) First and foremost, even before setting the goals, a business enterprise needs to have a vision and mission statement. While taking decisions, the top management personnel must check whether their decisions fit within the framework of the vision and mission of the organisation.
b) It is not just the top management personnel who take decisions. The senior managers or even managers also make decisions. To bring consistency in their decisions, the top management must declare the organisation values. The managers must ensure that their every action or reaction fits within the values. By chance managers deviate from the values to check the deviation, a few companies empower their staff so that they can bring to their notice this deviation.
c) In day to day life, lower-level staff need guidance. To guide them or to delegate the work, the top management personnel make policies, rules and regulations. These policies or rules are designed to ensure that the principles of equality are maintained properly.
d) However, whatever written above is not sufficient. It is important to give proper shape to the organisation's culture. To do this, top management personnel are absolutely clear on what kind of culture they want to promote and conduct organisational surveys to ensure that the organisation's culture remains pure and steps are taken to remove impurities if any.
e) To bring similarity in the behaviour of all the personnel, it is pertinent on the part of the top management personnel to foster a culture of justice or discipline in the company. There cannot be two sets of rules for the different sections of personnel. Application of the rules and regulations should be uniform irrespective of department, designation etc.
f) Bringing behavioural consistency is always a challenge. To tide over this challenge, in many companies, proper records are maintained on the circumstances under which the decision has been taken. In many companies, whenever a new CEO or Director joins, he/she brings his/her own set of rules. However, while amending the rules or regulations, due diligence must be done to know what were the options for taking the decision and why a particular option was chosen by his/her predecessor. The option for taking the decision that the current CEO or Director could be considering the same option might have been considered earlier also. However, why it was sidelined is important to understand.
Bringing uniformity in behaviour is no easy task. However, to bring uniformity, checks and balances must be instituted. In a few companies, someone may be designated as a whistleblower. The role of the whistleblower is to flag the deviations if any.
Though your query was short, it had a lengthy reply. I do not know what your designation is. I hope you understand what I have written above.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
Dear Balasubramanian,
This is in addition to what I have written above. The behavioural consistency or inconsistency also depends on one's conviction. If one's actions or decisions are strongly rooted in ideals or some principles, it brings consistency. If there is no unwavering or unflinching faith in the ideals then it is bound to bring inconsistency. However, this is not just applicable to one's decisions or actions in a personal capacity. An organisation's top leadership must demonstrate unflinching faith in a business model or the management model. For example, imagine a business leader with a strong faith in models of quality philosophy like ISO 9000 or Total Quality Management (TQM) etc. Such leaders ensure that the quality philosophy percolates to the grassroots level. In contrast, the business leader who wishes to pay lip service to these models may ensure the implementation so as to maintain the ISO certification.
The concept of behavioural uniformity need not be restricted to a person or a business organisation. It is applicable to the political organisation as well. A political party that shows steadfast faith in some political ideology will have behavioural consistency in their political functioning. Those who lack the ideology indulge in machinations like poaching the leaders from the other parties, horse-trading and so on. Whether in government or in opposition, the political stand of such parties remains uniform. They do not say one thing while in opposition but take contrary decisions once they acquire the office.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
This is in addition to what I have written above. The behavioural consistency or inconsistency also depends on one's conviction. If one's actions or decisions are strongly rooted in ideals or some principles, it brings consistency. If there is no unwavering or unflinching faith in the ideals then it is bound to bring inconsistency. However, this is not just applicable to one's decisions or actions in a personal capacity. An organisation's top leadership must demonstrate unflinching faith in a business model or the management model. For example, imagine a business leader with a strong faith in models of quality philosophy like ISO 9000 or Total Quality Management (TQM) etc. Such leaders ensure that the quality philosophy percolates to the grassroots level. In contrast, the business leader who wishes to pay lip service to these models may ensure the implementation so as to maintain the ISO certification.
The concept of behavioural uniformity need not be restricted to a person or a business organisation. It is applicable to the political organisation as well. A political party that shows steadfast faith in some political ideology will have behavioural consistency in their political functioning. Those who lack the ideology indulge in machinations like poaching the leaders from the other parties, horse-trading and so on. Whether in government or in opposition, the political stand of such parties remains uniform. They do not say one thing while in opposition but take contrary decisions once they acquire the office.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
Your opening statement “Behaviour is basically dissimilar” though a truism, yet the variance in behaviour may not be far and wide. Take for instance a basic social unit like family or an elementary business group like partnership, you will find that almost all behave alike and in similar situations the patterns of behaviour are repeated. This is because of the socialisation one goes in the family or one learns in the organisation as one gets inducted, as a member of the group one is clear what is allowed and what is not allowed.
How we will try to ensure uniformity in behaviour towards achieving conformity with organizational goals?
The process of induction in any organisation has to be designed to instill the organisational culture and it should not be limited to mere repetition of Dos and Don'ts. What are the values the organisation stands for, its vision, mission statement are not the mere signboards of the organisation but their meaning and relevance has to be demonstrated. In deed periodical success stories as well as deterrent actions taken should also be publicized in sufficient detail to make it a living reality in the organisation. There are various organisations that have very strong value commitment and they are successful too!!!!
Any misfit in the system has to be identified and corrective action including weeding them out has also a place.
From India, Mumbai
How we will try to ensure uniformity in behaviour towards achieving conformity with organizational goals?
The process of induction in any organisation has to be designed to instill the organisational culture and it should not be limited to mere repetition of Dos and Don'ts. What are the values the organisation stands for, its vision, mission statement are not the mere signboards of the organisation but their meaning and relevance has to be demonstrated. In deed periodical success stories as well as deterrent actions taken should also be publicized in sufficient detail to make it a living reality in the organisation. There are various organisations that have very strong value commitment and they are successful too!!!!
Any misfit in the system has to be identified and corrective action including weeding them out has also a place.
From India, Mumbai
Behaviour of people cannot be uniform in any organization. If we subject employees to behavioural assessment their behavioural style will be dissimilar. According to psychologists, the workplace behaviour depends on the nature of work, the individuals' role and the work environment. It is evident from the results of DISC profiling which well validated behavioural assessment.
To ensure uniformity of actions towards achieving organizational goals, core values of the organization and organizational health and collaborative efforts of employees are essential in my view.
From India, Bengaluru
To ensure uniformity of actions towards achieving organizational goals, core values of the organization and organizational health and collaborative efforts of employees are essential in my view.
From India, Bengaluru
Dear Mr. Balasubramanian,
In my opinion, it's not possible to have uniformity in behaviour but possible to have uniformity in efforts to achieve common Organisational goals because there is a lot of difference in the behaviour of even twin siblings then how can we expect it to be similar for different people who do not have any blood relation.
From India, Ludhiana
In my opinion, it's not possible to have uniformity in behaviour but possible to have uniformity in efforts to achieve common Organisational goals because there is a lot of difference in the behaviour of even twin siblings then how can we expect it to be similar for different people who do not have any blood relation.
From India, Ludhiana
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