What Businesses Can Learn From Our Veterans
Last week we observed Memorial Day, a day to remember and honor our veterans, alive and deceased. A day to give thanks to them for fighting for our freedom.
As I sat sipping my coffee that morning, I listened to the local radio station’s special program on our vets. One story hit home and got me thinking…
It was a story about a young Marine who loaded a wounded team member onto his back. He zigzagged through an alley while insurgents shot at him as he was running to get the injured soldier to the Medevac helicopter.
What made him do that? He could have protected himself. Why would he put himself at risk?
It’s simple. These guys have it drilled into them from the very beginning that they’re a team. And if they want to survive, they have to depend on each other, trust each other and expect everyone on their team will have their back. They work as one.
What has this got to do with business?
Businesses are either healthy or unhealthy.
The healthy businesses run themselves as a team. Everyone has a role to play as an individual, but as a group, they have the health and welfare of the company in mind as well as the corporate goal or vision.
They know that they and their co-workers will benefit if the company is prosperous. They know they play an integral role. They also take pride in what they do and what their co-workers do. There is trust.
And they’re successful. Just like the Marines.
The unhealthy companies have employees who are constantly infighting. Whether within the departments or inter-departmental, it doesn’t matter. They don’t know what the corporate vision or goal is. They’re only looking out for themselves.
Companies are in a type of war with their competition. Everyone is competing for the same dollars.
If there’s infighting and discord, how can your company grow and prosper? If you’re constantly dealing with unhappy, distrustful employees, how can you concentrate on fighting the real war, competing in the market place?
Take a minute and look at your own company. Are you and your employees part of a team like the Marines or are you fighting an internal battle?
If you are fighting an internal battle, the first step to correct it is to begin building trust among your people in each department, inter-departmentally and from the top down.
To learn more about Organizational Health, you should read Patrick Lencioni’s “The Advantage”.
- The Importance of Team Building — June 2, 2014
