I was recently asked the following question, “What are the three most important things for any organization to succeed?”
For most people the obvious answers are money, product and customers. Great answers but not the answers I gave.
I answered, “Leadership, Communication, and Feedback.”
Leadership.
Great leadership at the begets Greater leadership at the mid-level and when that happens from the top down, the front-lines can only be a place where magic happens. I say this because if an organization has Great Leaders at the top, Greater Leaders at the mid-level then it should comes as no surprise that those on the front-line want to do better than those above them. That is because the corporate culture does not demand it, it inspires it.
Communication.
Communication is based on dialogue. Dialogue among all members of the organization. Monologue has a place in every organization yet in limited quantities. Communication is necessary when it comes to organizational success. The success occurs when the entire organization (top down) encourages and expects open communication. Failing to deliver that expectation then the organization gets what it deserves. What it gets is NOT a great organization. Avoiding this fate is easy, so long as everyone buys into wanting to and communicating to every stakeholder in and out of the organization. Yes, it is that simple.
Feedback.
Everyone in the organization must demand, expect, solicit, and most of all, ACCEPT feedback. A corporate culture that actually expects complete and honest feedback is one that values the input of everyone not just from those at the top. Unfortunately, for far too long the ONLY feedback available came in the form of the Annual Performance Review, a top down cluster of unwarranted, useless feel good words and a very INACCURATE picture of what was truly going on. The 360° degree Feedback has to come from ALL directions; top-down, bottom-up, sideways, laterally, inside-out, and outside-in. Seriously, for all this to work FEEDBACK must come from all directions and go in all directions.
Sure you can have all the financing you need, just the right product and all the customers you could ever want but without Leadership, Communication, and Feedback what do you have? You got nothing. If you think I am wrong then prove me wrong.
Thanks,
David Guerra, MBA
Do you agree or disagree with this list? Let me know either by
Twitter @daveguerra or by email [email protected] or both.