The nation just celebrated Malaysia Day.
It came to my mind that we all have one home, and that we need to be grateful, and look after our country. What is profoundly evident is that we need "togetherness" to achieve this.
Polarising behaviour and efforts to divide the nation through schisms of race, colour and creed, will ultimately break us. I reckon all Malaysians have similar aspirations for harmony, freedom, security, and a clear path to happiness.
For this to happen, Malaysians need to come together and stand united.
At modern workplaces, this is exactly what is necessary too.
Whenever people come together, they will naturally organise themselves. Some will set the tone and lead, while others will follow. Hierarchical structures form, and traditionally this is how organisations evolve. You probably work in this type of environment right now.
However, through my work with high performing start-ups and progressive corporate entities, in today's world everyone wants to make their own decisions. There is a demand for more autonomy, inclusiveness in decision making, buy-in from everyone in a company, and clear vision.
I can attest that when companies get this right, their entire operations become incredibly efficient, they experience exponential growth, and frequently surpass targets.
Isn't this what we want for Malaysia, too?
You begin approaching "togetherness" at your workplace by open and honest communication. This increases transparency and internal equity. At core, it is the hallmark of a great place to work. When a person I conduct leadership coaching for, has a problem, invariably it always boils down to a lack of transparency or a feeling of injustice at the workplace.
In our nation, this is what divides us. When there a trust deficiency, the country loses efficiency and our competitive edge. When people feel like they have been unfairly treated they lose buoyancy and drive.
At offices the world over, a new work culture is being formed.
Just following the "alpha male" is quickly getting out of fashion. Every employee is being valued for their own strengths. The aim is to establish cooperation at a level of parity. Many companies are realising that classic forms of hierarchy are becoming redundant. Millennials are leaving for jobs in organisations that have a flat reporting structure.
So fundamentally, leaders have to reevaluate and rethink their purpose and role.
It is clear that people who define themselves through their position or the title that has been given to them, do not necessarily command the leadership respect they need to direct a group of people.
Leaders who are successful, focus on individual employees and work at assisting them to increase their strengths. This job is independent of any hierarchical structure. The modern world demands more flexible and agile workers. And, every employee becomes a leader, even without a title.
You know that work processes are growing in complexity, and collaboration is the only way forward. This is why you need togetherness; to perform tasks well, and to deal with challenges.
What is changing is ultimately the understanding of leadership.
A few strong people ordering the rest of the pack is eventually not conducive to achieve organisational goals, because it ignores the strengths, and also the needs of each individual.
Corporations are understanding this, and most Malaysians are also waking up to this reality in our county.
Organisations need to structure themselves in a way that allows their employees to act autonomously. This enables happy team members who function well together. And in turn, this significantly boosts the efficiency and cohesion of the work they do.
Every business owner wants their staff to be happy from the start, but that's often not the case. Different personalities, levels of experience, or length of time in the company, can all impact the dynamic.
Togetherness requires conscious and sustained effort.
Things that may have been insignificant in the past, have become important now. For example, the way an office is laid out can really affect the sense of togetherness within a team. Offices that make everyone feel like part of one big team achieve better consistency.
When employees from different departments see and hear what others do day-to-day, it builds more of an understanding of the business as a whole. When none of the leaders have separate plush offices, and everyone sits together, the team simply connects at a better level. This is evident in so many of the companies that I consult for.
Keeping everyone in the loop makes a dramatic difference. I know of a client who religiously holds weekly company-wide meetings where anything big going on is shared. They discuss things like product changes, monthly targets, and they have successfully created an environment where anyone can share ideas safely. The meetings ensure that everyone is on the same page and knows what's going on.
Importantly, they keep the meetings relevant, short, and fun. And everyone from the CEO to the cleaner turns up, and is held accountable.
How do you approach "togetherness" in your workplace and in our country?
Shankar R. Santhiram is managing consultant and executive leadership coach at EQTD Consulting. He is also the author of the national bestseller "So, You Want To Get Promoted?"
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times