Enable success
Simon says that too many businesses today are driven by the bottom line, to the point that the CEO worries more about keeping the
finances healthy over keeping the culture healthy.
While you have to make money to stay in business, the only way
you are going to have a truly healthy business is to strengthen the
link between your people and your culture and values.
“I am not a short-term person,” Simon says. “I am a long-term strategy person. Everyone looks at budgets; everything is about budgets.
Leaders of businesses spend 50 percent of their time on their budgets.
But the budget is only numbers that you put into a computer, so you
know that you can spend this much or that much.
“If people see the long-term strategy, it will pay off. People need to
see that you are willing to give them the tools to succeed, that you are
willing to give them the education and training, that you want to work
with them and care about them.”
Employers want employees who are willing to embrace the long-term vision and core values of the company. Simon says employees
want employers who will give them the resources to not only do their
jobs well but also further their careers in the process. That means
management must enable success by backing employees with the
best tools of their trade — and ongoing training.
“There is an investment in everything you do, so I am a big believer in investing in people,” he says. “When people see that you are
willing to take them to the next level, that is my biggest success.
When I see our team of people and how they have grown through
the company, that is what makes me smile. They did it, and I gave
them the tools and the opportunities to do it.”
Success isn’t just material or monetary. Simon says you must
remember that true success to many people includes personal
enrichment and professional achievement.
“Success doesn’t just mean more money in their pockets and a bigger house,” he says. “Success means they become better people, they
got more out of their careers than when they first arrived here. That
is really what success is.”