On Thursday 1 September in Brisbane, Worrells held an excellent conference for business professionals. One particularly instructive keynote speaker was Ivor Worrell who presented “Lessons Learnt Over the Past 40 Years”. My favourite three points from his speech were about integrity, consensual decision-making and perseverance.
Lesson #1 Integrity In All Things
I liked that this was his first point.
We’ve all seen news articles about companies or professionals acting unethically through embezzlement or dishonest practices. Sure, it’s all hush hush for a while, but these scandals can go viral across social media (remember the Volkswagen case?).
The consequences can be dire. Unethical activities can lead to downgraded personal and corporate reputations, bankrupt businesses and ruined professional and personal relationships.
It was encouraging that a large firm like Worrells values integrity as a top priority in business.
Lesson #2 Go For Consensus Not Majority Rule
Majority voting is a common practice in organisations. If, for example, 75% of people agree on the change and the act is passed, you’re left with 25% of people unhappy or unconvinced. They may become demotivated, resentful or in extreme circumstances, they may walk away from the venture.
At Worrells, they won’t pass a resolution unless there is 100% agreement. Obviously this is harder to achieve in large organisations; you’d be lucky to get, say, 1000 people in 100% agreement. However, it’s certainly a good thing to aim for. If a little extra time needs to be spent reiterating the benefits of the change or answering questions or concerns, this can not only convince the unconvinced, it can also cement the conviction of everyone else. Allowing everyone to get involved in the discussion will send the message that all stakeholders are valued and included in key decisions.
This is excellent for motivation.
Whatever voting method works for your business, Mr Worrell recommends that the process is documented in your policy and is clearly communicated to all relevant people.
Lesson #3 When You Fall, Get Back Up
The lesson of perseverance isn’t new, but it’s vital to remember. By and large, our society fears failure and hates making mistakes. Mr Worrell reminds us that not only are mistakes inevitable, they are essential for growth. Corporate giants such as Richard Branson, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs have failed monumentally. They have liquidated businesses, lost billions of dollars or essentially made an arse of themselves (literally– see Mr Branson’s building jump incident).
What did they do next? Did they curl into the foetal position and never leave their beds? Maybe for a day…but then they picked themselves up and LEARNT FROM THEIR MISTAKES. They analysed what happened and asked the question: ‘What can I learn from this?’
When they tried again, they entered the situation with a little more wisdom.
Overnight successes and flukes are mainly reserved for heirs or lottery winners. Most of the business people you look up to have made their way through with perseverance and constant learning.
Thanks to Ivor Worrell who presented “Lessons Learnt Over the Past 40 Years”. Integrity, consensus decision-making and perseverance are three vital aspects to be aware of in business. By learning from successful professionals such as Mr Worrell, we can make more informed decisions and avoid unnecessary mistakes. (For all other kinds of mistakes, go ahead!)
