Business Head's Mindset for Sustainable Growth

In any business, there are peak and valley in terms of sales growth and profitability. However, a few organizations thrive well all the cycles and been in the business for a longer time, some organizations exist even beyond the third generation. 

When I observe those organizations, when I deal with them as a consultant and coach, there are some typical patterns among the founders or the business heads. I can call those patterns as the mindset of the founder or the business head, which makes the business to manage through all the struggles and sustaining the growth.

I can classify the mindset into three areas

1. Mindset towards the Business

2. Mindset towards the People or Employees

3. Mindset towards the Customer

1. Mindset towards the Business:

In a sustainable business, the business head looks at the business with a larger purpose than just survival alone. He/ she is looking at the business as a means to maximize all the stakeholder's interests or expectations. The stakeholder could be financial institutions, employees, customers, even the promoters, suppliers, government, and the society in which business is operating. It does not mean that profit motive is absolutely absent, they also realize that rich cash reserve only will do all the activities to maximize the stakeholder's expectation. The point is they look at the business more than themselves. Their thought process, behaviors and decision making are all pointed towards meeting or maximizing the stakeholder's interest.

2. Mindset towards the People or Employees:

In a sustainable business, the business head always looks at the employees as an Asset rather than Commodity. This mindset is essential in making decisions on development, training, allowing the people to experiment, taking the risk, empowering people to make decisions, and providing an opportunity for learning and to grow along with the organization. Alternatively, if the business head looks at the people as a commodity, he treats them also in a low-level dignity, because he believes that there is abundance in people resources, even if x leaves the organization, Y can be recruited quickly from the market. With the mindset, no effort would be taken towards people's development and engagement aspects. 

I know in one of the organizations, the CEO looks at each people as an asset, and some of the people are staying in the organization for more than 30 years and also had grown along with the organization by developing themselves and contributing to the organizational growth.

3. Mindset towards Customer:

In a sustainable business, the business head looks at each customer from a long term perspective even though there is a loss of monetary benefit in the short term. The focus of the business head would be meeting or exceeding the customer's expectation, maintaining a cordial relationship with the customer irrespective of the customer's representative that is changing at the customer's end.

As stated above organization, the business head works with only a few customers for more than 25 years and grown along with the customer. Even when the business head expands his business beyond the old customers, the customer is keen to work with the organization. The relationship is based on the long term, and the bonding helps both of them in terms of mutual growth.

The point is the business head's mindset towards business, customers, people make a significant impact on the sustainability of the business!

Change Environment and Trigger Positive behaviour in organization

when I asked the following question  in my management seminar, the response would be as follows

"Imagine you are in an airport. You eat the chocolate and search a dustbin to put the wrapper. However, you do not find a dustbin in a nearby area also you hear the announcement for boarding into flight. What will you do with the chocolate wrapper?"

In almost the session, to my surprise, people responded honestly as follows 

In case of  AIRPORT1, I will through  the wrapper in the corner and move on, even though it is embarrassed me, 

Whereas in case of AIRPORT 2, I will keep the wrapper in my pant pocket to find a dustbin later and dispose of it. 


What does this behavior or response indicate? 

As a human being, we create a perception about the place based on its environment ( how it is organized, cleaned, lighting, visuals, and  visibility). When the environment is more appealing, positive, conducive, it triggers positive behavior on the people.

Alternatively, when the environment is not conducive or less positive ( with things are not organized properly, low lit level, dust, dull appearance, no visuals), it triggers negative behavior on the people.


It holds good for the organizational environment as well. When the internal organization is organized neatly, it triggers positive behavior in the people, and it would get demonstrated with timely communication, care for the people, product, and equipment, . When the workplace is not organized correctly, people working in that environment also behave negatively as not caring anything and adding further chaos in the system.

Hence,
Change Environment ----Change perception ----Trigger Positive behavior

How will you create a positive environment in the workplace?

Workplace organization is based on the popular 5S principles 

1.Remove unwanted items 
2.Provide Location for each wanted items
3.Provide Identification 
4.Clean regularly 
5.Ensure the sustenance through Visual Management Systems

Keeping the workplace organized is the responsibility of all the people, and it is a way of life. It is an attitude toward the work .some organization make it as a habit, and it brings positive culture in the organization. The positive culture is being demonstrated through

1.Respecting each other
2.Transparency in communication
3.Care about people, product, and  facilities
4.Focus on continuous improvement on a daily basis
5.Recognition  of talent
6.Celebration of  work 

Even though it is organization-wide participation and continuous improvement by all employees, primarily creating a positive environment and facilitation starts from the business head or senior leadership team! 

It is an attitude towards work and life!

Why sustenance is important in workplace?

In most of the organizations, we can hear one common phrase “we have already implemented this initiative, but not continued or this will not work here”

Why do people come to conclusion as “no initiative will work in their workplace?". The reason is lack of consistency in implementation. 

In today’s internet world, there is not much ignorance of knowledge and know-how; it is only lack of consistency in implementation.

How this inconsistency will affect individual & Team?

When you implement some initiatives, not consistently follow it and eventually drop it, you are giving a subconscious message to yourself and team that you are not sensitive to results or incapable of execution. This inconsistency will impact the confidence of the leader at an individual level and encourage mediocre performance at the team level. The next time when you think of new initiative, old memory reinforces you about failure or low confidence pulls you down from taking action.The root cause for all consequence is inconsistency in implementation.

 So, in personal and organizational level, if you take any initiative, be sure that you are consistent in your implementation even though you are relatively slow in taking a decision. Ultimately your consistent actions push up your confidence and your consistent actions inspire others to follow. This is one of the traits of leadership, i.e. consistency in thinking; talking and doing.You are meant to be a leader for others!!!!