David Maister’s Passion, People and Principles

post # 161 — Monday, August 14, 2006 6:00am — a General, Strategy post

"Values in Action" - new free seminar

This week’s new (free, downloadable) strategy seminar, “Values in Action,” asks the question, “Why don’t most firms actually live up to the standards and values espoused in their mission statements?”

The answer? Values are what not what you aspire to, but what you are prepared to enforce with consequences for non-compliance. It’s one thing to say you believe in something; it’s another to be willing to be held accountable.

It takes courage to actually live by the values that you say you believe in. More than the right choice of products, services and markets, strategic success is about living up to your values.

The seminar includes:

• The right way to handle a “rogue elephant” who won’t play by the rules
• The missing business element: managerial courage
• Two effective ways to enforce organization values for long-term success
  

You can listen to this week’s seminar with the player shown just above or download this episode. You can also receive new seminars automatically every week by subscribing to my Business Masterclass podcast series with iTunes, Yahoo! Podcasts or Podcast Alley.

This episode was based on a chapter of my 1997 book, True Professionalism: The courage to care about your clients, your people and your career. The book is a call to arms, to find the strength and courage to do what we know to be right. The book’s lesson is clear: act like a true professional, aiming for true excellence, and the money will follow.

• Why Happy Staff Are The Key to Success
• The Only Competitive Advantage in Professional Services
• Culture Drives Performance: Now There’s Proof

and in these 3 previous conversations on my blog:

• Alignment and Accountability
• Creating a High-Trust Organization
• Warlords and Dickensian Factory Owners

How vigorously do you "enforce" your values? Do your people think you live up to them?