Putting people first
Recently, we had the opportunity to travel to Silicon Valley (SV), I thought that this trip was going to teach us many things about several companies and how do they operate in their field; in other words a work trip. However, I came across an even greater learning: honestly, this trip blew my mind in a great way and, even though I still have a lot to process, I want to tell you something that changed my mind.
We live in an era where things must be done “due yesterday”, the speed in which we must live and work is extremely fast, therefore, we want to see measurable results the fastest way as possible, (ASAP according to the new generation). But, it may be that we are so focused on wanting a company or even a person to grow, develop or innovate, without giving some time to stablish solid foundations that can sustain all that desired growth.
Build such a solid base that can sustain all that potential you have.
Why is investing in a solid structure so important?
In construction, foundation may seem like a simple part of the overall construction process, but the foundation is the most important part of your entire project. Andrew Morrison says “the biggest reason for this is that any mistakes you make in the foundation will only get worse as you go up. It’s known as compounding defects and it means that mistakes grow. ”As in construction, it’s necessary for organizations to have a stable structure that allows the desired growth, in SV I learned that we should focus in these five important aspects:
- Have a clear vision of the company (not only the owner but all the people who is involved within the company).
- Have a well defined organizational culture.
- Have a stable financial structure.
- Adapt to change.
- Understand that the most important asset of the company are the employees. (Human-Centered)
If we want our company to have a healthy development and growth it is necessary to invest time and resources in our structure, it could be possible that the progress can’t be seen with the naked eyes, but as the author C. Otto Scharmer says:
“The quality of the harvest is the visible result , but it depends entirely on the quality of the soil (the invisible). ”
If we see the biggest accomplishments and successes in some organizations most of them could hugely depend of someone that is investing on his foundations.
Now, are you building a solid enough structure in your working or personal life that can afford all that potential that you carry?
