Repairing A Major Breach of trust
Repairing A Major Breach of Trust There are repercussions to a major breach of trust that damage the collective good of society. Being treated in an unfair manner diminishes our willingness to trust, as you would assume, but it also decreases our willingness to demonstrate trustworthy behaviour. This is a sad and unhealthy consequence of […]
A Story Worth Telling
A Story Worth Telling PURPOSE – A Journey of Discovery While consulting with Logico (a transport and Logistics business) last week I was told a story that gave me goosebumps. This simple story connected me with the deeper meaning of what Logico really does. The story retells a conversation between a “gogo” deep in a […]
Quattro : The Journey Thus Far
Detecting a shift in culture due to rapid growth.
If you keep what you should discard you will lose your relevance. If you discard what you should keep, you will lose your identity.
As a business leader rapid growth in personnel, specialized skills, clients, revenue and profit is an idyllic situation to be in. However, leading a large team of successful, confident and diverse people with varying skill sets and deep specialization is extraordinarily complex. Managing the growth is a full-time job and if you are not finely tuned to the rich culture evident in Quattro’s early years it would have been impossible to have missed the subtle, yet certain shifts away from its origins. To bring culture back on path firstly takes identifying that it has shifted in a direction you don’t recognize or like and then the courage and vulnerability to ask yourself as leaders “What could we have done better?” Vulnerability is a key component of trust as it allows you to acknowledge that just because you are a leader you don’t know all the answers. Without trust your culture will be toxic. That’s just how it is!
At Quattro culture was organic. It was a living thing and was naturally spread to employees and they lived the culture. However, we quickly recognized that when you 10X your staff it is simply not possible to leave culture to itself. You must cultivate it. Fortunately for Quattro they had very solid ground beneath them with four strong values guiding them from inception: friendship, trust, loyalty and integrity. We needed to go back to basics and unearth Quattro’s identity, articulate it and then communicate it repetitively so that it was again part of everyone’s DNA. This is not an intervention, it’s a process. Below is the QFG identity statement:
Birthed out of adversity and united by deeply embedded friendships, loyalty and trust this union of talent are proud ambassadors of a noble profession who strive with integrity to safeguard generations of lives. Not many organizations know their identity so they are unaware of what has shaped them, defined them and what they should hold near and dear. This is vital when making decisions about the future.
Repositioning the Group for the Future
Once we have bedded down identity, we spent many hours on redefining the group’s purpose. What difference does Quattro want to make in the world? This was a great launch pad to communicate the vision and positioning strategy for the group. I think one of the biggest concerns of business is that they wake up one day to find all they have ever learned prepares them for a world that no longer exists. This is where QFG has carved out a unique market in the complexity space. Quattro will solve complexity with empathy and understanding. They will use technology as a servant to their vision and purpose to make their client engagements more effective. Quattro know exactly where they are going, and exactly why they are going there which means whatever they do from here on in will be aligned with their future vision. There is little in business that is more powerful than common purpose and through the continuous process of communication and participation Quattro’s purpose will be written on the hearts of all their people.
My 8-month consultancy journey with the Quattro Finance Group (QFG) has been gratifying, full of purpose, invigorating and happy. To say that I have been a consultant to QFG will give you, the reader the wrong impression. The group, it’s two directors and staff have embraced me as one of their own. Friendship is not just a value on the Quattro boardroom wall, it really is alive. I look forward to so much more with this dynamic group next year.
Can unifying vulnerability rebuild the twin towers of trust and respect?
Can unifying vulnerability rebuild the twin towers of trust and respect? Does it take the type of outrage, disbelief, horror and widespread media coverage of an event like 9/11 to awaken our consciousness to the trust deficit? If so, we have it. A new global threat is engraving a tattoo on the chest of humanity. […]
Navigating Through Uncertainty
Navigating Through Uncertainty If you are a leader and are returning to a business today I wanted to say…Congratulations! You have something to return to, don’t discount how meaningful that is. The business you temporarily vacated may not perfectly resemble the one you arrive back at but that is a natural consequence of intentionally putting […]
Upcoming Interviews – May 2020
Upcoming Interviews – May 2020 The IDthree philosophy has always been to get change makers to see what others can’t see so they can go where others can’t go. This will differentiate them, spark innovation and propel them toward a better tomorrow. As part of this process we need to educate people. In light of […]
Standing On Trust
Standing On Trust Mmm, can I trust…. you complete the question. It’s a question that we ask often. The answer is pretty complicated though. Trust is more than a feeling. Relying on intuition and a warm and fuzzy feeling inside us will often let us down. Trust stands firmly on two legs : Integrity and […]
Alan Grey – Future Changemakers
Alan Gray – Future Changemakers Last week I was invited by Alison Godenir to do a video clip for the respected Allan Gray Orbis Foundation 2020 Entrepeneur Project. The audience is the candidate Fellows who have completed a 3-5 year degree as well as the entrepreneur programme. Allan Gray remain loyal to their slogan “ […]
Can you trust yourself?
Can you trust yourself? Today will be the first in a series of trust broadcasts which is my central theme and the yeast that runs through all that I, Shane Ward, and IDthree am about. Although my focus will be trust in the commercial space, it is impossible to separate human trust from commercial trust. […]
Where is your mind?
Where is Your Mind? Thinking Intentionally Look at what you are wearing. You selected your outfit from an array of clothing available to you in your wardrobe this morning. For some, this may have been an easy selection process. Others may have piles of discarded clothes scattered on their bed after eliminating combinations and eventually […]