As 2010 swings into full gear, many of us are in the process of establishing goals for the year, whether privately or as part of procedures put in place by our employers. At the same time, we are looking back at goals for 2009 to assess where we were successful and where we fell short. But stepping back, the most critical factor in shaping your goals and your success in achieving them is the set of principles that guide yourself and / or your employer.
Last year, in my wonderings around the used bookstores of Melbourne, I came across an excellent book published in 1997 called"True Professionalism." The book, written by David H. Maister, starts off by articulating the "power of principles." Geared more towards the workplace, Mr. Maister does an excellent job of getting straight to the point:
"Professional firms expend immense efforts trying to get their people to do the "right" things through systems, structures and monetary incentives. Not only have all of these frequently failed to create excellence, but they also leave a bad taste in the mouth. "Do it and we'll pay you" smacks more of prostitution than professionalism...When something is presented as a management tactic, it is easy to argue with and dismiss. It is harder to argue with a matter of principle...Successful firms are not differentiated by their different goals, clever strategies, or special managerial tactics--these are all remarkably similar worldwide. Successful firms are clearly differentiated by a strict adherence to values, i.e. professionalism."
Mr. Maister further makes a clear distinction that "individuals and firms must recognize that there is a difference between "espoused values" (what they say they believe in) and "values-in-action" (how they actually live their professional lives)." The key is in aligning the two. Once a set of values has been defined, the next step is to "design systems which provide "consequences for noncompliance."" All of us have probably experience some point in our lives where what we or our employers espouse is not often reflected in our actions.
By this, Mr. Maister describes what needs to happen as follows:
""Consequences for noncompliance" need not be, and should not be, punitive. Professionals must live by the slogan "You're allowed to fail, you're not allowed to not try." If someone is exhibiting difficulties in achieving excellence in teamwork or project supervision or client service (or any of the firm's other core values), this needs to evoke a response from the firm which is characterized by concern, support, assistance, counseling, and everything else possible to help that person become aligned with the firm's values."
As Mr. Maister finishes in his introduction, none of this was particularly new at the time the book was published. But after a year where many companies let staff go, retrenched, and focused on restructuring for a rapidly shifting bottom line and where many individuals had to also retrench and restructure their lives against a new financial position, many of us may be entering 2010 hungry for a return of attention paid to personal satisfaction and growth, rather than simply trying to "survive."
I hope that everyone is able to set some principles to follow when setting their goals for 2010 and beyond, and that you have every opportunity to learn, grow and achieve some success throughout the year.
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