Like it, love it or loathe it, religion is hugely influential in all our lives and on the society in which we live.
Whether your faith is important to you or if you are entirely agnostic, we can all pause to reflect on the nature of the established religious organisations, consider how they exist as successful enduring bodies and take important lessons for our own businesses.
So, what makes a successful organisation?
Think about all the major faiths – they’ve all been around for hundreds – maybe thousands of years, so we know that they are long lasting and sustainable (both good measure of success).
They have millions of followers – another good indicator and all have strong organisational structures. So what are the 3 key things that keep these organisations so strong?
Vision:
Religious belief – vision – is at the heart of any religion. This strongly held belief about how to live your life is the cornerstone around which the religion revolves. All businesses need vision at their core.
Systems:
With most religions there is usually a book of instructions which lays out the ground rules to be followed through instructions, stories and examples. These instructions are backed up by a series of regular meetings, usually following a set agenda and format.
Leadership and Management Structures:
There are well routed, established and respected hierarchies within the major faiths – many of which have not been ‘dabbled with’ for a long time. Everyone knows their place and knows what’s expected of them. Leaders are consulted for guidance and strategy but delegation into manageable and accountable pockets is common practice.
Things to think about over the next few days:
Does my business have vision?
Do I have good systems in place?
Do I have a clear idea of who does what in my business?
And is this shared and understood by those in my business?