Grabbing an idea from Seth Godin (who else??) about this same subject, infrastructure is often demise in face of other urgent premises, like to have a business plan in place, hire the necessary people, etc, etc…
When I mention infrastructure, as Seth also pointed out, it’s not only about get an office and build a proper store or business. It’s more about the bases as a company and specially the culture which will drive a business to a sustainable growth.
I guess most businesses don’t take care of this subject as it should. I’m also to blame in some of my companies since this was not taken care of and eventually it failed or we needed to make a revolution in order to get things straight again.
Here’s some of the points that I totally agree with Seth’s vision:
“Expectation: When people wake up in the morning expecting good things to happen, believing that things are possible, open to new ideas–those beliefs become self-fulfilling. We expect that it’s possible to travel somewhere safely, and we expect that speaking up about a new idea won’t lead us to get fired. People in trauma can’t learn or leap or produce very much.
Education: When we are surrounded by people who are skilled, smart and confident, far more gets done. When we learn something new, our productivity goes up.
Civility: Not just table manners, but an environment without bullying, without bribery, without coercion. Clean air, not just to breathe, but to speak in.”
Having a great work environment where people can speak freely but with proper manners which means not bullying others, make lobby against each others or coercion is essential. To keep everyone on this path while the business is growing and we’re bringing new people into the team is difficult, but not impossible when this is perceived as vital for the company.
Always learning and keep your people up to date with the best practices around is imperative.
I just wanted to bring your attention to this article which it’s pure gold.
Leave a Reply