Some companies always just seem to win. However, organizations that seem to “think” differently share a few common traits:
1. They go beyond what is predictable and expected.
This is harder than it sounds. At Insigniam, we recently worked with a healthcare company that was making plenty of money. Revenues were increasing. Profits were solid. But the company reorganized itself anyway because its leaders decided that a stronger emphasis on patient care was the best path for future success. It was a change that the financial statements didn’t insist they make, but it was the right move.
2. They know themselves.
Companies that have defined their values and their organizational goals often get the best results. That makes sense. If a company doesn’t know exactly what it wants to achieve, how is it supposed to get anywhere? Conversely, a company that has defined its mission can move with clarity toward the future. That healthcare company mentioned above? One of the biggest things they did in overhauling their organization was to draft a new mission statement, a statement of values, and a statement of organizational goals. Want to know the organization’s priorities? It’s all on paper now.
3. They stay true to themselves.
Once the organization has set goals and defined its values, it has to stick to those goals and values. Wavering from them will make them meaningless. At Insigniam, we recently worked with a consumer goods company whose organizational goal is to turn out new products faster than their competitors. Everything they do is aligned to that goal, and that’s why it works. The commitment to speed never wavers.
4. They believe in each other.
One of the hardest things for a business to develop is a shared mindset among workers and leaders. But it’s also one of the most powerful tools in business. An organization where colleagues can trust each other, individually, to stay true to the organization’s goals and values, even when they’re working on innovational products or processes, is an organization that’s hard to stop.
