- \n
- I need to get approval to do (or say) that.<\/em><\/li>\n
- I need to clear this through compliance.<\/em><\/li>\n
- I need permission before you can quote me.<\/em><\/li>\n
- I can\u2019t help you without approval.<\/em><\/li>\n
- I\u2019m just following the rules.<\/em><\/li>\n
- I apologize for your frustration.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Perhaps it\u2019s time for business leaders to take a few minutes to understand the relationship between trust and approval.<\/strong><\/p>\n
Merriam-Webster provides the following definitions of approval:<\/p>\n
Definition #1: The belief that something or someone is good or acceptable: a good opinion of someone or something.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n
Definition #2:\u00a0<\/em> Permission to do something: acceptance of an idea, action, plan, etc.<\/em><\/p>\n
Focusing now on Definition #2, how many employees are constrained by \u201cpermission\u201d in your organization? Have you considered how this impacts:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Speed of innovation<\/li>\n
- Decision-making<\/li>\n
- Employee engagement<\/li>\n
- Cost<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Every time an employee needs approval to say or do something, the \u201capproval\u201d process impedes the outcome. In fact, the process may be so daunting, that employees choose to take the \u201ceasy\u201d road, never creating anything new or suggesting a novel idea; \u00a0or as in the story above, checking with someone else when they clearly do not understand the company’s daunting \u201crules.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a business leader, have you considered how your customers are impacted by the \u201capproval process\u201d in your organization, or how the company\u2019s actions:<\/strong><\/p>\n
- \n
- Waste customer AND employee time<\/li>\n
- Create hard feelings<\/li>\n
- Lower customer retention<\/li>\n
- Damage reputation and elevate risk<\/li>\n
- Raise costs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
As a business leader, what if your focus shifted from “approval” or rule enforcement to elevating stakeholder trust?<\/strong><\/p>\n
The most progressive and successful CEOs and their Boards have redirected their attention to crafting long-term vision and values statements and\/or Codes of Conduct, not driven by legal and compliance, but by their two most important stakeholders, their employees and their customers. (The \u201ccredo\u201d etched into the wall at corporate headquarters does not even begin to satisfy this requirement.) The entire staff, beginning with the Board and CEO, must vow to live their values every day, and ensure that employees understand that any \u201cvalues violation\u201d will result in immediate termination. Just imagine the innovation, speed of decision-making and empowerment that would result from this cultural transformation, not to mention the ultimate cost savings and impact on profitability.<\/p>\n
During the editing process of our book\u00a0Trust Inc.<\/a> I reviewed the websites of many large public companies with the goal of including an Appendix brimming over with examples of well-crafted vision statements. This became a difficult and disappointing task as the handful identified could not be included in the book without \u201capproval\u201d from the respective company’s legal department, which would have meant a lengthy delay of the book\u2019s publication. Instead, I created a “work around” by eliminating the company name. What a lost opportunity for all!<\/p>\n
If organizations spent more time building values instead of layers of legal teams and compliance departments, the word \u201capproval\u201d would start to look more like Merriam-Webster\u2019s first definition:<\/p>\n
The belief that something or someone is good or acceptable: a good opinion of someone or something.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n
And “approval” would be replaced with trust.<\/p>\n
The most progressive business leaders have joined our Trust Alliance<\/a> to ensure that they never miss an opportunity to learn about elevating organizational trust.<\/p>\n
Barbara Brooks Kimmel\u00a0is the CEO and Cofounder of\u00a0Trust Across America-Trust Around the World<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She also runs the world’s largest global\u00a0Trust Alliance<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and is the editor of the award- winning\u00a0TRUST INC.<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0book series. In 2017 she was named a Fellow of the Governance & Accountability Institute, and in 2012 she was recognized as one of \u201c25 Women who are Changing the World\u201d by Good Business International.\u00a0<\/em>She holds a BA in International Affairs from Lafayette College and an MBA from Baruch at the City University of NY.<\/em><\/p>\n
For more information visit our website at www.trustacrossamerica.com<\/a> or contact Barbara Brooks Kimmel, CEO and Cofounder<\/p>\n
Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com<\/a><\/p>\n
You may also join our Constant Contact mailing list<\/a>\u00a0for updates on our progress.<\/p>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nPurchase our books at this link<\/a><\/p>\n
Copyright 2017, Next Decade, Inc.<\/p>\n
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- I need to clear this through compliance.<\/em><\/li>\n