Where is the next step

We were a children once, one of the most common activities that children does is imagining things. They have such hunger for new things in their growing mind. One of the best things to do with these little minds is to fill them with insightful stories. Flashback to our own childhood memories, what is our most memorable stories that springs to mind? Some of us might refer Alice in Wonderland and her fantastic adventure. We might still remember a scene where she found herself lost in a forest where she found a branching pathway. Reluctant to make a decision, she finally asked the Cheshire Cat for an aid.

“Could you tell me which path should  I choose?” Alice asked,

“It depends on where you wanted to go” the cat replies nonchalantly,

“I do not know where to go” Alice says in confusion,

“It doesn’t matter which path you choose then” says the cat as it disappears.

This depiction reminds us that we ought to have direction or purpose in life, if not, we might as well walk in circle. This does not only apply for our life in general, but also in a corporate environment. A company also needs to have a purpose, it needs to have a future oriented vision. It needs to know what it wanted to be then, thus focusing all of its resources to fulfill that vision.

In a bigger companies, the word “vision” often lost its importance, because everything is massive, it got everything that it possibly needs, and it manages to built a “comfortable” ecosystem; thus yielding the term “an elephant (referring to the giant company) is more difficult to maneuver than a smaller company.”

When we see this vision from the perspective of the leader or the pioneer of a company, it becomes overwhelmingly clear that it is crucial to dictate the direction of the company. All of its member will always be reminded to the direction that the company or organization takes, they’re all going to work together to realize the vision.

Raison d’etre (A Reason for Being)

Each men exists for a reason, a very specific reason for that very specific individual, because the individual is a mixture of talent and passion; a mixture used to serve the needs for those around him/ her. As it is human, a company has its very own raison d’etre; with its very own added value, it serves the people with its own specific way, driven from its value. The reason that shapes a company’s existence is often called as the company’s “mission.”

Company’s value as its “vein”

A tiger left its sought after skin when it died and an elephant left its precious tusks, what about us human? Value, it is the legacy that we left when we finally met our maker. Value is closely tied to a culture, which contains other values that are accepted by many and practiced indirectly by the people. Let us take Indonesia a country famous for its barely organized chaos, as it is for the people; but if one of them moves to Singapore where control and order is within the vein of its own people; the person would naturally live in a well organized manner in a public space. Just like every Singaporeans, s/he would not litter, and will abide to any known rules and regulations. On the contrary, the same rule apply when a Singaporean moves to Indonesia, more or less, given the time, s/he will behave like Indonesian in general. Many people say that culture is insignificant, but without them noticing, a culture within an environment will affect the behavior of the people that lives in it.

Just like us people, the continuity of a company’s legacy is determined by the value practiced by the company. If the value is indeed well and thoroughly practiced by the company when making any corporate decision, then its legacy will be rest assured. Toyota for example (founded in 1937) and General Electric (founded in 1892) have stood the test of time, and have passed its legacy for generations and have become an excellent example for companies that manage to implement their values as their solid corporate foundation.

With such importance, value within a company is equal to its veins that ensures its longevity. This value shapes the culture in which the people lives in daily. Thus, a well established company culture will ensure an long term great performance from its member.

[aku]