eNews Mar 2010

Going for Gold in Business
"The glass ceiling will go away when women help other women break through that ceiling."

Indra Nooyi

CEO, PepsiCo. Ltd

Like many of you, I spent a good deal of the last couple of weeks caught up in Olympic fever, watching the events and cheering as our athletes completed for gold. Being in Vancouver, I was literally in the middle of the action so to speak.

During the games I came across quote above and it got me thinking about the factors that contribute to success - specifically the relationship between support and success. While many of us might agree with the theoretical notion that employees that are supported do better than those that don’t, how many organizations recognize and acknowledge the relationship between support and bottom line success in business?

How many organizations make strategic decisions to ensure that supporting

others for success becomes a cultural norm?

In my experience, not many. Ms. Nooyi’s business philosophy of creating a workplace community at PepsiCo where employees feel valued and supported to succeed is still very much the exception rather than the rule. However, if PepsiCo’s recently released results are any indication, this is an idea whose time has come.

The traditional business model flows from the foundation of competitive capitalism. It is fundamentally a win/lose model, which is focused on the individual. I am focused on my success. I use power to support my success. I do whatever it takes to get to the top, regardless of who or what I might destroy along the way. Once I am there, I use my power to make sure I stay there. More for me means less for you and vice versa. A decision to support others will be detrimental to my success.

I am not alone in concluding that this is a business model that has outlived its usefulness. We have only to look at the recent global economic meltdown to see the effects of competitive capitalism run amuck. Promoting one’s own interest at the expense of others does not promote long term success. Innovative business leaders, Ms. Nooyi among them, are adopting new business models, values based models, and many are shifting from competitive capitalism to conscious capitalism.

Conscious capitalism is capitalism that recognizes the power of purpose and the principle of interdependence. It is a business model that shares the philosophy of Me to We, the movement started by Canadian Craig Kielburger – the notion that our own lives improve when we focus on improving the lives of others.

This is a fundamentally respectful business model, one that requires a shift in the way we think about and manifest power in organizations. It is about consciously using our power to support and empower others, a core principle of respectful leadership I describe in Road to Respect.

Certainly PepsiCo has competition within the marketplace and like most companies, its goal is to be number 1, to win the gold so to speak. Ms. Nooyi’s leadership style is intended to create a community of employees and leaders that are willing and interested in working together, in supporting each other, to accomplish that goal. Her business philosophy is intended to eradicate destructive competition between employees, which diminishes relationship and destroys teams.

The expression “healthy competition” comes to mind. Competition, like power or conflict, is not in and of itself a good or a bad thing. It all depends upon the choices we make relative to such concepts, and how those choices are aligned with our values and purpose. If, for example, the goal of a team is to deliver exceptional customer service, or develop new and innovative products, we can harness healthy competition to inspire everyone to do better, to exceed expectations and produce truly superior business outcomes.

I believe that we witnessed a stunning example of this concept during the ice dancing competition of the Olympic Winter Games that have just concluded here in Vancouver. A Canadian pair won the gold metal. A US pair won the silver medal. Both teams delivered spectacular performances, personal bests in terms of scores.

These two teams have a very unique and interesting competitive relationship. They train together and have the same coaches. Judging by the performances of these athletes, those coaches are doing a number of things right.

In one interview after winning the gold medal, Canadian Scott Moir was asked if he was surprised at how well the US silver medalists did. He replied that he and his partner Tessa had known for months that the US pair would “bring it.” As a result of working and practicing together, each pair knew just how good they would have to be to win gold. Working with their competition on a daily basis inspired both pairs to improve their performance.

There is no doubt that these athletes are rivals in the traditional sense of the word. And yet, witnessing their interactions during and after the competition, hearing their comments during the interviews, it was obvious that while both were going for gold, they were not interested in doing so at the other’s expense. They wanted their rivals to do well.

Each pair seemed genuinely happy to celebrate each other‘s success.

In the close up shot of the final pose in their gold medal winning performance, one could see Scott Moir say Thank You to his partner Tessa Virtue. His first thought, his first action was to acknowledge her performance and express his gratitude to her. An authentic comment that I believe illustrates the kind of working relationship they have, based upon mutual respect, trust, and support.

These medal winning ice dancers demonstrate the philosophy espoused in Ms. Nooyi's quote. When we support each other to succeed we can break through that “glass ceiling” that seems to be holding us back. When we work together in an open and trusting environment, we can access our collective power to conquer challenges and problems.

Organizations that aspire to achieve gold medal results should start the shift to a respectful

workplace culture where the relationship between support and success is recognized and nurtured.

"In her book, Erica provides a wake-up call for employers by detailing why respect, as a core value, is so imperative. She then provides a persuasive argument why organizations should embark on the road map to respect. Particularly compelling are her personal workplace anecdotes as well as the case studies featuring some of the largest companies in Canada, who are getting respect right."

Melanie Sklarz
Diversity and Respect Coordinator
Edge Learning of Ohio RespectfulWorkplace.com

Contact

Don’t let the cost of disrespect threaten your business. Call Erica and build a respectful workplace culture to ensure your business survives and thrives.

Erica Pinsky, M.Sc, CHRP, is an engaging and inspirational speaker, author and consultant working with organizations to build respectful and inclusive workplace cultures that attract and retain quality employees. Erica’s book, "Road to Respect: Path to Profit" gives companies a road map to success in today’s challenging business climate. It offers engaging stories, powerful insights and concrete strategies to guide businesses on the Path to Profit. Erica has been featured in the Globe and Mail, Business In Vancouver and Canadian Retailer Magazine.

Erica welcomes feedback on her eNewsletters. Please contact her at erica@ericapinskyinc.ca. An archive of the eNewsletters is available on the website.

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