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Harvey Mackay
Column
For the week
of August 9, 2010
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Try Ubuntu for
a Winning Team
When competition gets in the
way of achieving goals, companies need to evaluate their procedures
and perhaps re-evaluate their priorities. I am not referring
to outside competition -- rather, the competition among co-workers.
All the cogs in the machinery
have to be working in concert to maintain productivity. When
the human cogs go out of sync, the machine groans and sputters.
Regardless of their individual strengths, all the parts must
coordinate for peak performance.
Teamwork takes on a much bigger
role in tough times. When the team shrinks and fewer players
are responsible for results, one under-performer can have a huge
impact.
For example, Joanne retires
and management decides not to replace her. Her job is split
between Andrew and Heather, who are promoted and assume those
new responsibilities in addition to those already in their job
descriptions. But Heather doesn't do things quite like Joanne
did, and Andrew didn't anticipate that he'd have to work so much
harder. So folks who used to depend on Joanne's cheerful efficiency
try to work around the new arrangement, but the results are disappointing. |
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This scenario has repeated itself
in companies across the country. National hiring statistics
indicate that job creation is proceeding at a snail's pace.
People with jobs, even jobs they don't love, don't want to be
the next to be downsized. If they are reluctant to look for
another job, they must learn how to adapt and work together.
In preparation for a family
trip to South Africa, I previewed a fascinating new book. "Ubuntu!"addresses
the importance of teamwork, based on Ubuntu -- the African tradition
of teamwork and collaboration. I highly recommend this book,
written by Stephen Lundin, co-author of the bestseller "Fish,"
and Bob Nelson, author of another bestseller, "1001 Ways
to Reward Employees." These men are authorities on employee
attitudes and performance, and I value their insight.
According to the authors, "Ubuntu
is a philosophy that considers the success of the group above
that of the individual." This concept is told in a fable
about a workplace where a newly-promoted manager cannot find
a way to get his team to work together, and often ends up trying
to cover their mistakes himself.
One day, the manager's boss
comes to him in frustration about the performance of his department,
and explains how their customers are being affected. She is
very clear about her expectations for improvement. His job is
in jeopardy because his management style is allowing too many
mistakes.
One of his employees, Simon,
is an African M.B.A. candidate who works at the company while
he finishes his degree. Simon is a stellar employee whose work
is exceptional. He offers to help the manager catch up, and
then explains the Ubuntu philosophy to him. The manager is intrigued
enough by what he has learned that he shares it with his boss.
Among those lessons:
- Ubuntu does not mean respecting
bad work; it does mean respecting the person who does the work.
- Ubuntu is a compassionate philosophy,
but it is not soft. When the group is threatened by an individual's
behavior, that person must be challenged.
- Expect the best from others,
and you're likely to get it.
- There are two levels of recognition
in Ubuntu. The first is to value others simply for what they
are. The second is to value others for what they achieve.
- As long as there are employees
who think of themselves as "little people," the work
of Ubuntu is not finished.
Of course, there is a little twist to the story: the manager
learns that Simon was a respected businessman, and Ubuntu practitioner,
in Africa before he came to study in America. As his American
manager puts this philosophy into practice, results improve dramatically
as does employee satisfaction.
As
companies have to do more and more with less and less, it makes
sense to pay attention to the people who are asked to take on
new or expanded duties. I've heard so many stories from people
who have "job jitters" while researching my last book
and on my book tour.
Effective teamwork soothes those
fears and makes the workplace more conducive to increased productivity.
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Mackay's Moral: |
There is no "I" in team,
but you will find "us" in success. |
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The Author  |
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Harvey Mackay is a nationally
syndicated columnist for United Feature Syndicate. His weekly
articles appear in 52 newspapers around the country, including
the Chicago Sun Times, Rocky Mountain News, Orange County Register,
Minneapolis Star Tribune and Arizona Republic.
http://www.mackay.com/
Copyright, Harvey Mackay. All rights reserved. |
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