Expand the performance and objectives of internal training courses
The senior backbone members participating in the Beijing expansion training often discuss such a topic: the growth of corporate performance and the decision-making direction of leaders are complementary. That is to say, whether the goals between the leadership and the execution level are consistent. If there is a deviation in between, it means that the company's interests will decrease, the employees' performance will also show a downward trend, and the development of the enterprise will be hindered.
There is a classic example in the expansion course that can vividly illustrate the importance of this point of view. This is a historical example where the direction of the leader and the actions of the executor were not unified, resulting in completely different outcomes. The event went like this: at the end of the 18th century, the British government decided to move criminals to Europe to create value for the country there. At that time, the ships transporting these prisoners were contracted by many private ship merchants, and the British government paid based on the number of people transported. As a result, in order to make more money from the British government, the contractors tried to put as many people as possible on the same ship, often overloading them. These prisoner transport ships were all modified from cargo ships, with poor conditions on board, rudimentary facilities, no medical supplies, and no doctors. In order to seek huge profits, the shipowners expanded their operations and tried to accommodate as many people as possible, making the conditions on the ship extremely harsh. Once the ship left the shore, the shipowner received the money from the government based on the number of people, and did not care whether these people could survive the long journey to Australia. Some shipowners even deliberately cut off water and food to reduce costs. Three years later, the British government found out: the death rate of prisoners transported to Australia was as high as 12%, and on one of the most serious ships, 158 out of 424 prisoners died, with a death rate as high as 37%. The British government spent a large amount of funds but failed to achieve the purpose of mass immigration.
The British government thought of many ways. An official was dispatched to each ship for supervision, along with a doctor responsible for the health and hygiene of the prisoners, and rigid regulations were set for the living standards of the prisoners on board. However, the death rate did not decrease, and some supervisory officials and doctors on some ships even mysteriously died. It turned out that some shipowners bribed the officials, and if the officials did not collude with them, they would be thrown into the sea to feed the fish. The government spent money on supervision, but people still died regularly.
The government then adopted a new method, gathering all the shipowners for education and training, educating them to cherish life and understand that developing in Australia was for the long-term plan of Britain, and not to value money more than life. But the situation did not improve, and the death rate remained stubbornly high.
A British MP believed that the private shipowners had exploited loopholes in the system. The flaw in the system lay in the fact that the government paid the shipowners based on the number of people boarding the ship. He proposed starting by changing the system: the government would calculate payment based on the number of people who landed in Australia, regardless of how many people boarded the ship in the UK, and only pay after counting the number of people who landed in Australia.
The problem was solved effortlessly. Shipowners voluntarily asked doctors to accompany the ships, prepared medicines on board, improved living conditions, and tried to ensure that every person who boarded the ship arrived in Australia in good health. One person meant one income.
Since the implementation of the disembarkation counting method, the death rate on board has dropped to less than 1%. Some ships carrying hundreds of people have completed months-long voyages without a single death.
This story confirms one point: the leadership goal of the leader and the performance of the executor are complementary. The orientation of the leader determines the behavior pattern of the executor. If the leader uses performance evaluation as a measure to punish employees, then the employees' approach will be to avoid making mistakes, thereby eliminating creative thinking, and thus unable to bring greater profits to the enterprise. As a result, the enterprise's goals cannot be achieved. On the contrary, if the leader uses the achievement of the enterprise's goals as a method to evaluate performance, then the employees will try every means to take the evaluation goal as guidance. Employees' behaviors will align with the enterprise's goals, fully utilizing their intelligence and wisdom under the premise of consistency with the enterprise's goals, recognizing the enterprise's goals, uniting and collaborating, formulating effective solutions, continuously innovating towards the realization of the enterprise's goals, and striving to fulfill their duties. It can be seen that the enterprise's goals will be achieved as soon as possible, and at the same time, the employees' performance capabilities will also improve. We hope that our enterprise leaders clearly define the ultimate results of the goals when assigning tasks, do a good job of supervision during the employees' execution process, strive to achieve the goals set in different periods, and let the enterprise's development enter a virtuous cycle state!
Article reprinted from: http://www.blwh.cn/rz_more.asp?id=348
