React & Die or Innovate To Thrive

The best innovation companies should adopt should be to become Truly Human Companies.

I recently had to think a lot about why some business thrives while others struggle in the same industry, serving the same market segment. I don’t believe there is magic to business success. It’s a simple fact that fortunes favor the bold and opportunities come to those who are prepared.

I learned a great deal from Bob Chapman, the Chairman, and CEO of Barry-Wehmiller. He made me understand that every business needs to stand on three key pillars. When I developed the concept of the Truly Human Company (available on amazon.com), I assigned to it seven pillars. However, four of those pillars stand on a tripod.

When analyzing a company to know how human it is, I always look at these three pillars. They give direction to why the company exists, what it does, and where it is going. The three must be together to create a company that is a force for good in the world. This means a company that wants to contribute to building a better world needs to have the three in place.

Firstly, you need to understand that a Truly Human Company produces human and economic value in tandem. This means people are its product. Everything it does from start to end is to create and add value to people. It sees the production of economic value as the byproduct of creating human value or value for humans. It uses its economic value to produce human value.

Bob Chapman wrote in his well-acclaimed leadership, culture, and business strategy book, Everybody Matters:

“At Barry-Wehmiller, our primary purpose is crystal clear to us: We’re in business so that our team can have meaningful and fulfilling lives. WE do everything we can to create an environment in which our people can realize their gifts, apply and develop their talents, and feel a genuine sense of fulfilment for their contributions. In other words, Barry-Wehmiller is in business to improve lives. WE do that through the building of capital equipment and offering engineering consulting. But that’s our what, not our why. It simply provides the vehicle, the economic engine through which we can enrich the lives of our team members.”

A Truly Human Company uses its economic value to achieve its why. Their why is to produce human value. Soteria120 developed a program for companies to go through to become Truly Human Companies. Here are the three foundational Pillars of a Truly Human Company

1. Truly Human Leadership: This is a leadership that is purpose centric. Leaders focus on bringing out the best in their people and developing them into leaders. They ensure that everyone who becomes part of the company is developed into a Truly Human Leader. It is a company of leaders.

2. Truly Human Culture: This is a culture that is employee-centric and treats them as with care as humans, not as a function. It brings out the human in everyone. They feel a part of a family and work together to advance a cause that is bigger than life.

3. Truly Human Business Model: This business model is customer-centric. They care for the customer. They constantly look for ways to create value for the customer and protect them from economic forces. The way a business makes money really matters.

Everybody Matters is a company that has these three pillars. Bob Chapman used this analogy: A company is a vehicle like a Ferrari. The engine is the business model. However, the engine needs premium fuel to function optimally. The culture is the premium fuel. In order to the vehicle to move and get people to the right direction, it needs a skilled driver. The leaders are the drivers.

“We think it is far more important to have a safe bus and make sure that the person driving the bus- the leader- knows how to take people to a better place.” Bob Chapman

In our Truly Human Company program, we help companies develop these three. The goal is fulfilled employees who bring their best to the workplace each day, satisfied customers who continually bring back their business, transformed community who get impacted by the leaders produced, and happy shareholders who continually reinvest in the business. Everybody Matters.

You either resist change and die, or innovate to be a Truly Human Company and thrive.

We are organizing a Game-Changing Value Creator Coaching program. You can be part and should be part. It is for you. If you want to attain freedom and find fulfillment at work, then become a value creator.

Be part of the Game-Changer Value Creation Coaching program. You will go through the mindset required to create and the tools you need to always create value in the workplace. Are you ready for a fundamental change- a breakthrough in the way you approach your work? If you are, then you are ready for the Value Giver Coach Program. Please call +2348101671745.

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