We can do with Einstein values – for Success
Over the decades, Albert Einstein’s name has become synonymous with wit and intelligence, such that if you espouse some above-par excellence, you are often denoted to be an Einstein of sorts.
Einstein developed the special and general theories of relativity and in 1921 won the Nobel Prize for physics for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
However, despite the immense success Einstein attained, the pioneer was more concerned with values.
Why would Einstein consider values of more importance than success?
Values are, by mere definition, a set of things that really matter to us. They espouse the ideals or beliefs we hold as critical.
In a workplace environment, values remain of fundamental importance. While we may be successful at what we do, with a core set of values we may be successful at doing the wrong things.
Values influence the nature of decisions taken. It becomes a hollow solution if ethics and values sound good on paper yet are not implemented and owned by employees within an organisation.
The integration of ethics and values at every level helps to ensure that the message from the top of the organisation transcends to the lower levels. This is determined by the important role that leadership plays in the implementation – integration and embeddedness of high standard of ethics and values. When alignment between employees and the organisation occurs, employees understand each other, everyone is focused on doing the right things for the right reasons and allows for the whole organisation to focus on the core mission. The ethics and values of an organisation live vicariously through its employees.
The impact of a high standard of ethics and values within an organisation is substantiated with the following:
- Employers expect personnel to behave in a manner consistent with the company’s mission and goals. By establishing standards for business conduct, company executives set expectations about acceptable behaviour. A positive attitude towards maintaining high standards for work ethics usually creates a productive environment in which people take pride in the work, customers and partners.
- Employee’s decision to work for and continue to work for an organisation has been attributed to the organisational ethics and values. According to recent research in America, 33% of employees have admitted to vacating their jobs due to disagreements with the company’s business ethics. This study indicates that there is evidence linking an organisation’s ability to create an ethical corporate culture with an increased ability to attract, retain and ensure productivity among employees. This is substantiated to the extent that employees would prefer to be paid less and work for an ethical organisation than receive higher pay at an organisation with questionable ethics.
- Organisations with a high standard of ethics and shared value have shown to outperform their counterparts who do not share the same standard of ethical behaviours.
- Customers are increasingly favouring providers and suppliers who demonstrate responsibility and ethical practices.Failure to do so means lost market share, and shrinking popularity, which reduces revenues, profits, or whatever other results the organisation seeks to achieve.
- It takes years or decades to build organisational reputation – but only one scandal to destroy it.
Ethically responsible organisations are far less prone to scandals and disasters. And if one does occur, an ethical responsible organisation will automatically know how to deal with it quickly, openly and honestly. People tend to forgive organisations who are genuinely trying to do the right thing. On the other hand, they do not forgive and are actually deeply insulted by organisations who fail and then fail again by not addressing the problem and the root cause.
To leave you with a concluding remark. It is important to consider and remember the words of the late Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple Computer: “The only thing that works is management by values. Find people who are competent and really bright, but more importantly, people who care exactly about the same thing you care about.”
Core values and ethics drive productivity. A man considered the most influential physicist of the 20th century, Einstein once said: “Try not to become men of success, rather become men of values.”
Bongani Coka is the CEO of Productivity SA.