People who are passionate about running businesses often talk about money or people—but not both.
Imagine, a chief operating officer at an oil company who doesn’t listen to any ideas that won’t result in more barrels or more money, right now. Many of us in the oil and gas industry know what it feels like to work in that organization.
Or the human resources leader that puts together an offsite meeting with personality tests, teambuilding exercises, and some “feel-good” work that has nothing to do with the actual work of the company.
Both examples have their place and their value, but they never work well together. It’s one or the other.
This is because of a widespread belief that what is right for a business and what is right for the people that work within one are inherently in conflict with each other.
At best, people view them as opposing forces to balance. At worst, they’re seen as incompatible ideas and there’s no town big enough for the both of them.
I call nonsense.
What’s Good for People? Elimination of Frustration
Whether it’s the fabled “TPS Reports,” jammed printers, or (multiple) inept bosses, we all have things at work that make our days worse.
