Clear Indicators of a Healthy Business
A Healthy Business is one where every person is a contributing partner to the business. In healthy businesses, conflict is low and trust among colleagues is high. Each employee is fully engaged and understands his or her role in achieving the company mission. They take full responsibility for making decisions, solving problems, and continuously improving the quality of their work.
People are viewed as thinking and feeling human beings who bring enormous energy, creativity and talent to their work. They are encouraged to pursue meaningful opportunities that allow them the autonomy to make decisions and contribute to the company in significant ways.
In these days of talent wars, 
the best way to keep your stars is
to know them better than they
know themselves - and then use that
information to customize
the careers of their dreams.
- Harvard Business Review
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We cannot afford to pay them huge salaries,
so let’s just make them happier.
- David Neeleman, founder and CEO of JetBlue
Healthy businesses have a discrete list of core values which they live by, day in, day out. These values rarely change, if ever, and are never compromised.
Employees at every age level are respected for the work they produce, regardless of age, color, ethnicity, and gender. Noticeably absent from a healthy business is sarcasm, gossip, backstabbing, and the tearing down of others to look better. Quality of life for employees is imperative to company: employees are viewed as partners and rewards are based on contributions to team success.
To be a customer-centric business, you must first be employee-centric. - Ken Dychtwald
People don’t want to be managed – they want to be led. In the healthy business, the leadership role changes from directing and doing to developing and leading.
The leaders who unleash the full potential of their people will beat
the competition hands down. - Roger K. Allen, Ph.D.
Healthy businesses move beyond controlling people to trusting and empowering them with the resources, information, tools, skills and support to manage their work processes and create products and services of unprecedented quality.
Of all the things I’ve done, the most vital is coordinating the talents of those
who work for us and pointing them toward a certain goal. - Walt Disney
Healthy businesses grow leaders organically within the organization. They engage succession planning efficiently and provide opportunities for employees to learn and expand their skills regularly. Supportive feedback is a frequent ongoing activity and taken seriously. Training focuses on total employee development (business understanding, team work, interpersonal skills, and personal development). People are encouraged to succeed, not set up to fail, and as a result they strive to become Top Performers. Top Performers are better able to deal with the demands of the position, are comfortable with the environment and the people, enjoy the work and are motivated to do it. And Top Performers consistently outperform average employees by a ratio of 2 to 1, helping create a healthy bottom line.
“Show me an organization in which the critical focus is developing leaders . . . and I will show you and organization that is not only fully alive, but is a force field for countless extraordinary ventures that themselves will multiply and flourish.” – Michael E. Gerber, The E-Myth Manager
Healthy businesses have vision and purpose. With intention they develop a business culture that is well supported by systems, core processes, and strategies focused on producing consistently outstanding results. Client’s needs are consistently met with a goal of serving with excellence. Healthy businesses are Top Performers.
Leadership is the pivotal force behind successful organizations. To create vital
and viable organizations, leadership is necessary to develop a new vision of
what they can be, and then mobilize the organization to
change toward that vision. - Warren Bennis
For assistance in growing a healthy business, contact the BIGideas Group at 512.796.2680
This piece first appeared in the 22nd Annual San Marcos Chamber Business Expo 2007, Focus on a Healthy Business program. We frequently write and speak at industry and association conferences; if you need content for your association magazine or newsletter, contact us for access to this piece or any customized, focused content.
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