Lots of things go into making an organization successful. Having a quality product or service is just the beginning. We know that successful teams, no matter the industry, all share some common behaviors. If we examine these behaviors and traits and find ways to implement them into our own organizations our likelihood of success, however we measure it, is likely to go up. Let us take a look at the top 5 things successful organizations do.
Open & Honest Communication
They communicate honestly, openly, professionally and often. When business have great communication throughout their organization they find that performance improves at all levels. We need to remember that a big part of communication involves listening and that communication is a two way street. Plus don’t forget that quality communication goes beyond internal communication within your own team. Having the same level of quality communication with your clients, suppliers, partners and others will also have a positive impact on your success.
Employee Development Programs
Successful organizations train their teams and actively support employee development. In today’s complex business environment winning organizations realize that investing in employee development is essential to employee engagement, performance, and longevity. Smart organizations know that employee training and development is not just an investment in the individual employee, but is an investment in the entire organization. Whether we look at top performing businesses, championship sports teams, or elite military and public safety units we can easily see the positive impact training and employee development has.
Encourage Innovation
Successful organizations innovate and actively seek new ideas and new ways of doing things. Winning organizations know that the old saying “That is how we have always done it” really are the eight most dangerous words in the English Language. Smart teams know that in today’s technology driven fast paced world there is only one constant….CHANGE!
Trust
Successful organizations know that in order to win they must have solid relationships with; their team, their customers, their suppliers, their partners and others. Organizations that consistently win build strong relationships with others using trust. Saying what you mean and doing what you say really is vital to long-term success. Keep in mind that solid relationships can only be built with others that have integrity, so choose your relationships wisely.
Great Decision-Making Ability
Successful teams know that in order to remain successful they must make decisions; even if they are not always 100% sure they are making the correct ones. Successful organizations know when to take smart calculated risks. They understand that to often indecision leads to failure. Successful organizations will occasionally throw the proverbial “Hail Mary” or will occasionally “swing for the fences.” Winning teams are not reckless, but they do not live in fear either. They know that “paralysis of the analysis” is a real thing and has caused many a business to miss opportunities and eventually fail. Truly successful teams are smart enough to measure their results and evaluate the choices that they have made. This allows them to go back and make adjustments as necessary.
Please take the five tips and implement them into your own organization. You will be glad that you did!