NEXT PLEASE
Simon Wolfson's six rules --
1.?Take decisions and make things happen.?Colleagues do not need permission to take decisions, taking sensible decisions is a requirement of their job. We do not take minutes at our meetings, we only take action points. Whatever is said at a meeting, all that matters is what happens as a result. If there were no actions, the chances are it was a wasted meeting. You will be judged by the things you make happen, not by the infographics you put in a ‘deck.'
2. Change is everyone’s job. This follows on from taking decisions. Managing change is part of everyone’s job; we do not have a ‘change’ department or a ‘transformation’ director, nor do we have a battalion of business project managers operating outside business as usual. Change and transformation are part of all of our work; we all take on new projects; there is no ‘business as usual’ because our business constantly changes.
3. Create value and make profit. We do not make ‘strategic’ investments, we invest for a return on our shareholders’ money. All our activities, in one way or another, must work towards that goal.
4. Keep it simple and speak in plain English; you will achieve so much more. Business jargon is so unhelpful because it makes simple things sound complicated. It also excludes people who are unfamiliar with this insider language. And if we use clear, easily understood language, everyone can contribute and make our actions more effective.
5. Be open, honest and considerate in your dealings with others. Life is too short to spend it with people who are unpleasant, and teams that get on well together are more likely to achieve their aims. So treat those around you well. Remember, you are not competing with the other people in Next. They are on your side, and if you are not on their side you are doing something wrong.
6. Be demanding but never nasty. There is a world of difference between being demanding and being nasty. Whatever your job, you will likely need to give people uncomfortable feedback, occasionally very uncomfortable. At Next we are demanding but also considerate and polite. You do not need to be nasty to succeed: leadership in business does not require you to act like a monster or scramble over those around you; in our experience, quite the reverse.
Of course, many of us (including me), on occasion deviate from these ideals, particularly when we get frustrated, but our aspirations are very clear.
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