We are constantly challenged to wake up to new realities. This year more than ever. As I listen to people – and myself – there is a sense of breathlessness as we try to keep up with the pace and challenges of change.
Can we escape it? Not if we want to live.
We have to become fitter and better at what we do, particularly at work. The constant changes compel us to think outside of the box.
If we think about our work as merely working in a system, we leave the responsibility for meaningful change to others and thus paint ourselves as victims.
Democracy, empowerment and the pursuit of progress imply we must be willing to work on the system – where all members are stakeholders. This means we take the responsibility for thinking about and contributing towards the systems we are part of: constantly asking: How can we do this better? How can I help next time? What if we improved this step?
More collaborative organisations are emerging from the shadows of command and control legacies. The business of how organisations grow or die is everyone’s business. By working on the system, there is a collaborative effort for business excellence sustainability. Learn more about the nine principles of business excellence sustainability.
Business is beginning to accept that prosperity, profitability and shareholder value alone do not represent the value of the company. The ability to grow and to improve continuously is also determined by its social competences, ethical responsibility and environmental contributions – it is also everyone’s business.
Dr Gerhard van Rensburg