Life in all aspects, from business, society and even relationships has a set of rules that we are all expected to play by. Some are spoken and others are unspoken and these rules apply at various levels of society. Some are set by governments (such as law and order), whilst others are set by community leaders, business leaders and religious leaders.
I want to bring your attention to the rarely discussed but very important rules that exist in the business world, which in western societies impacts the vast majority of us as employees or employers.
Some of the fundamental rules of success of the “New” business world have changed significantly from the rules that applied in the “Old” business world.
3 of these significant yet unspoken rules of change include:
Old world rule number 1: The responsibility principle
Employees were given tasks and if they performed the allocated tasks, and each member of the team performed their allocated tasks then success would follow
New world rule number 1: The accountability principle
Unlike the responsibility principle where people were measured by inputs, employees in the 21st century are measured by accountability for outputs. In the modern world, where things change rapidly, employees must act quickly and are required to take pro-active measures to achieve outcomes. This means employees are required to extend themselves and do a little bit extra to get the result.
Tip 1:
Look for ways to add additional value to others whenever an opportunity arises
Old world rule number 2: The efficiency principle
The paradigm preached that business success was predicated on efficiently using resources efficiently. Employee were required to support this principle
New world rule number 2: The Innovation principle
The exponential changing new world means that businesses have to keep reinventing themselves to stay relevant and competitive. For employees this means that they need to continue to up skill and stay relevant in their skill sets. In fact, the currency of employment in the 21t century is one’s desire and capacity to upskill in order to stay relevant and employable
Tip 2:
Opportunities are all around us. Stay open to doing things differently and pursue opportunities to grow and improve
Old world rule number 3: “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” principle
The old world was littered with examples of people who bent the established rules to gain a benefit. Such practices were accepted within many levels of society where people simply turned their head and ignored the manipulation of the rules
New world rule number 3: The Transparency principle
In our modern high technology world where instant communication is a natural part of life, news travels quickly through such mediums as social media and the internet. This has served to obstruct those who previously relied on manipulating the system under a cone of silence as the new world ushered in an age of transparency. In such an environment, many institutions have been able to expose those who bent the rules and manipulated a previously lethargic set of “old world” rules. At a very senior level, examples include royal commissions into Institutional child abuse, the NSW and Queensland Police force and Trade union governance and corruption just to name a few. Increased transparency and scrutiny has significantly increased pressure on people to adhere to accepted standards in all facets of society. This affects everyone with a profile including politicians, business people, pop celebrities and even sports stars.
The new world of “phone camera” transparency means that each of us needs to be more conscious of how we behave and live our lives through improved self-leadership or risk being held tom account for our actions.
Tip 3:
Stay mindful and conscious of your actions at all times whilst acknowledging your intuitive knowing. This allows us to truly enjoy our journey of life in the context of our authentic life purpose.
Wayne