Enterprise performance and success has many facets. We have seen focus on leadership and treating employees as most important assets.  Many Business books and Gurus have written about these topics and provided advice. However, what is fundamental to success is clear articulation and creation of the company DNA. Here is our attempt to create such a DNA.

Commandment 1. : We like coming to work because we are curious and want to take on new challenges; we do not feel that coming to work is a chore.  If and when we lose interest in our work and we are only motivated by a pay cheque, we need to have a courageous discussion with our manager about the root cause, see if it can be acted on and if not, it is time to move on.

Observable Behavior: We have taken on new challenges in a positive manner and more importantly, we have identified and asked for new challenges.

Commandment 2: We are encouraged to take on new challenges, take risks, have fun, be innovative and think of new ways to solve problems.

Observable Behavior: at the end of the year, we are able to point some examples of ways we have been innovative.

Commandment 3: As an enterprise, we exist to exceed client expectations. Clients drive our work and our solutions.  This is the nature of our business at its core and we must embrace it.

Observable Behavior: We are helping clients see beyond the day to day and we deliver beyond their expectations.

Commandment 4: We must strive for excellence which requires us to embrace a life-long learning philosophy; learning is not limited to the hours between 9 AM and 5 PM.

Observable Behavior: We find time to read the latest business and technical books and articles allowing us to be current and relevant. We discuss what we read in meetings with colleagues with the specific purpose to improve our work practices.

Commandment 5: Time is our scarcest commodity. While work should not become life, there will be some days when we are expected to work more than a typical 9 AM to 5 PM day.  We all have a joint responsibility to ensure that no one individual is overstretched and that our lives outside of the organization are not impacted negatively.

Observable Behavior: We show up to do the work and work the necessary hours to accomplish our goals.    We do not worry about how productive others are; we just manage our selves. We respect that office is a place of work and not a place where we go mainly to socialize.

Commandment 6: We succeed as a team and we help others, are part of the team, share our experiences and avoid passing work off to others when we are capable of doing it. When the team succeeds, all team members succeed. Our work ethics and behavior are noticed and our attitude impacts others, either positively or negatively.

Observable Behavior:  We mentor each other, share, and work together, and we volunteer to pick up the slack when our colleagues are busy. We are honest and ethical in all of our business dealings.

Commandment 7: We always come to work with a positive attitude. Being negative and complaining about trivial matters without solutions is not a good practice.

Observable Behavior: We bring positive attitude to our workplace; we identify a problem, and we come up with a workable solution. If we are feeling negative we should stay home.  Otherwise we will only bring others down with our negativity. If and when we have a legitimate reason to be negative, we are encouraged to discuss the matter with our manager.

Just imagine if you are working in a company where you have everybody that has this DNA and how productive and happy you would be and how successful your company would be.

Does your company have a distinct DNA?  If not, create it now or perish!

About Dr. Vijay Jog

Vijay Jog_jpgVijay Jog Ph.D. is the Founder and President of Corporate Renaissance Group (CRGroup) – a global firm that specializes in improving enterprise performance through innovative technology driven solutions. He is also a Chancellor Professor at Carleton University where he teaches at the Sprott School of Business. This article is based on his 25 years of experience in dealing with technology and his interactions with CEOs, CFOS, CIOs and CTOs.

 

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