How can meaning and authenticity impact performance?

Business bookshelves are groaning under the weight of single ideas padded out to 250 pages, recycled and repackaged messages and occasionally, some ground breaking insights. I recently read a book that falls into the last category – “ Meaning Inc. – the Blueprint for Business Success in the 21st century” by Gurnek Bains. Bains is founder and CEO of YSC, a corporate psychology consultancy with global offices.

This is not another “In Search of Excellence” or “Built to Last”, books that looked back and analysed the precursors of success. Many of their successful companies floundered. Bains, using the widespread research of YSC, has delivered a concept that is enduring that is, creating meaning for employees, customers and stakeholders. His premise is that bringing meaning into the workplace is the best way to motivate staff and achieve sustainable high performance, and uses a number of corporate examples on the journey.

Bains argues that the following attributes are present in companies who create meaning:

• An invigorating sense of purpose that goes beyond business success and which makes people feel that they are changing society as opposed to servicing needs
• The courage to set extremely challenging goals and to be ground breaking in the pursuit of the core purpose
• An innovative approach to benefits and the treatment of people which makes them feel special
• A culture that allows people to be themselves and to feel that they are personally making a difference and utilizing their distinct talents
• A rigorous and at times almost aggressive approach to evaluating performance and contribution
• Clear and authentically grounded values which are lived through thick and thin
• A concern for the sider and particularly, the environmental and societal impacts of business activities
• Through all the above, an excellent reputation with consumers and other political and social stakeholders
• Excellent long term performance coupled with a preparedness to sacrifice short term gains if their achievement conflicts with the core purpose and values.

I must say that from recent experience, particularly working with people under 35, this series of prerequisites really resonates. It is all about being authentic.

I am lifted by these insights in the context of the potential contribution that Acelero can make within these prerequisites. Firstly, the Acelero approach is about tailor made alignment to the organisation’s strategies and values. So a company wanting to follow Bains insights on creating meaning, can set on the journey and measure progress. It is easy to measure behaviours and values, as well as competencies and objectives using the Acelero system. Putting the company in the wider social context is also achievable, depending on what is set up to be measured. Secondly, the “rigorous approach to evaluating performance” can’t be adequately achieved using pen and paper, spread sheets, or transactional HR systems stretched to measure performance  – ones that the majority of corporate Australia currently uses.

Measuring performance effectively provides the mechanism for people to have an impact through agreed goals.

Of course, a clear sense of purpose and the leadership vision to set a course based on Bains approach very much depends on the CEO and her executive team, but once established has a much better chance of success if reinforced through measurement, something which will, in its own right, make a significant contribution to productivity and performance.