This works because the best companies have employees who
trust management. Risk-taking employees understand ideas better
the company and may create new opportunities for themselves
within another department or a new job that takes advantage of
their expertise.
In his book, Ideas Are Free, Dr. Alan G. Robinson’s overarching
point is that the company must have a culture where ideas flow
freely in order for the company to perform as well as possible. At
Northeast Delta Dental, our idea program flourishes because
those who do the work submit their suggestions for
improvements. Management quickly responds back to the idea
person either with approval for implementation of the idea, a
reward or an explanation why we cannot implement the idea (for
example, until the NEDD Board provides approval for an
expenditure related to the idea). Sometimes we simply cannot
implement an idea, but the submitter receives an explanation as
to why not. The keys are that employees know we want ideas to
flow freely and that we know and trust them to do their jobs. The
parallel to sports is that companies with the right players in the
right positions have men and women who are confident enough
to be team players.
Every human being wants to be the best he or she can be. The
responsibility of your organization is to be sure that each person
is filling a position for which he or she is qualified and for which
he or she has passion. If leadership is committed to the notion
that every position is equally important and slots employees in
the right seat on the bus, the organization will flourish. It is also
the responsibility of the employees to recognize what they can do
better than anyone else can and to leverage those unique skill sets.
As employees, we have to figure out how are we unique. What
sets us apart? As the company, we have to create a culture where
employees are poised for success by developing opportunities in
which they share a stake in the outcome.
It is impossible for any one person in the company to do every
job in the company, just as it was impossible for Dave Cowens or
Larry Bird to play all five positions on the basketball team. But
Dave’s or Larry’s coach, like a CEO or management team, should
be able to bring out the best in their individual players by
fostering a team culture. Keeping this type of person on your
sports team or in your corporation is paramount to establishing a
winning team that will sustain its winning record.
THE BIG RED FACTOR
As a business leader, I have learned it is
better to have no one in the job than to
have the wrong person in the job. As Jim
Collins discovered when researching his
book Good to Great, “when in doubt,
don’t hire – keep looking.” We look for
peopl e with the skills we need, and we
prepare them to be able to offer their best
performance. We want them to want to
come to work every day. We want them to
enjoy their positions and make use of their
strengths with confidence. We want them
to feel that they are an important part of a
winning team. And we want them to feel
comfortable enough to offer ideas for how
the team can become even stronger.