A GPS for business?
No, we’re not talking about a Global Positioning System for your car. But it is a similar principle. Many organisations and business leaders are arranging their organisation around GPS, or Guidance and Positioning Statements. Like a GPS in your car, an organisational GPS will guide your organisation to a chosen destination, providing clear directions and guidance along the way to shape the culture of the organisation. These statements can also be referred to as mission statements, values statements or charters.
An effective GPS is a key tool in fostering employee engagement.
A number of successful and high profile organisations understand this. BHP Billiton refers to their GPS (called a charter on their website) as the “single most important means by which we communicate who we are, what we do, and what we stand for as an organisation, and it is the basis for our decision-making”. Their Charter has existed for over 10 years with only minor modifications being made over that time.
Building a GPS is a team effort
If a GPS only reflects the executive’s vision and values it is unlikely to be meaningful to the rest of the organisation. While involving all employees (or a representative sample) in developing the GPS takes more time and energy, it is a valuable investment and likely to reap significant rewards. Employees who have been involved in developing the GPS are much more likely to be engaged and to want to see the vision become reality.
The ultimate aim is to embed the GPS into the organisation’s culture. To have employees use it to guide their everyday decision making and to refer to it when in doubt about their behaviour. This requires communication, consultation and a willingness to be open to input from all levels of the organisation.
Surveys = invaluable GPS building tools
Talking to each and every employee in order to get their input into the GPS building process is unfortunately not realistic. A good alternative to this is to undertake an organisational survey. Surveys are time and resource efficient ways to gather opinions from all or a high proportion of employees.
And with an organisation who specialises in developing, administering and interpreting surveys to help you it couldn’t be easier!
RightPeople has a team of psychologists and academic researchers who are recognised for their expertise in constructing attitudinal and behavioural questionnaires/surveys. PeopleMetrics Surveyor (our survey business product) can deliver a survey in less time, with less disruption, whilst avoiding the common pitfalls of do-it-yourself surveys.
Our surveys can gather information about:
- Employee values
- Employee perception of organisational values
- Employee Commitment
- Personal/Organisational values Fit
- Job satisfaction
- Work-related stress and burnout
- Leadership styles
- Organisational climate/culture
- Organisational subculture(s)
- Trust in the organisation/management
- Interpersonal trust
- Perceptions of organizational support
- Communication satisfaction
To name just some of the concepts relevant to GPS building and to employee engagement.
Let us help you take the first step in building a the guiding principles for your organisation. Contact us today.
