Monday 25 August 2014

Do your PPPPS's make it simple for people to bring their best to their work?


I wrote this in a coffee shop with a client alongside. We were discussing the policies, procedures, practices, processes, and systems (I call them PPPPS's) of his organisation and how even at a glance it's obvious they're not always good for people.

How is it at your place? Do your PPPPS's make it simple for people to bring their best to their work?

PPPPS's are the stuff of management which I define as "the practice of ensuring it's simple for people to deliver value."

Good PPPPS's mean people do things right.

As I scribbled this in my notebook I became conscious of the recent passing of one of my heroes Warren Bennis (8/3/1925 - 31/7/2014) the often called 'father of leadership'. Warren believed leadership to be about doing the right thing and management to be about doing things right. I agree.

I define leadership as "the art of inspiring people feel valued."

If your PPPPS's are in the way of people bringing their best to their work every day you need to check the vital signs of your leadership. Are you doing the right thing?

When leaders do the right thing we inspire and influence people to do things right.

A good test as to whether your PPPPS's are by the people and for the people is to observe how easy (or not) that it is for your employees to solve problems for themselves and your customers/clients at all the transaction and interaction points of your business without having to refer to anyone else.

Be the difference you want to see in the world.
Ian

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