Valuing People Over Their Position.

Over the past couple of years we have implemented an Ubuntu Management Philosophy, which you can read more about at the following links:

• If You Want to Go Far, Go Together
• Ubuntu & You at Stathakis

The more we talk about and live Ubuntu, the clearer the message and its meaning become. We try really hard here at Stathakis to value People over their Position. What does that mean? Valuing a person is about seeing who they are as a human being not just viewing them based on what their occupation or position is or what you think they can do for you.

People = Who You Are
Position = What You Do

I recently met Steve Sisler at the EO Entrepreneur Masters Program, Class of 2014, at MIT in Boston. Steve wrote a great book called There’s More to Management Than a Big Desk. In his book, Steve writes at length about this same idea of the importance of individuals over their jobs. 

The bottom line is that who you are is much, much more important than what you do. Just because jobs have differing levels of pay, responsibility or authority does not mean that any one individual is less important or less critical to an organization’s success. In any organizations people have different positions, this may stem from talents, education and even early opportunities. Some positions may have more authority, which is often because they have more responsibility, but no position is more important than any other. Some positions may require specialized skills that fewer individuals have and other positions may require little more than a willingness to work hard and a good attitude, but every position is needed to keep things running.

To understand this, think of an automobile for example. A car engine is a pretty complicated and expensive part of a car and if it isn’t working properly, your car isn’t going to run. On the other hand, a disconnected hose is comparatively easy to fix and cheap too but if that hose is disconnected, you’re still not going anywhere. Neither the engine or the hose is any less important to getting that car moving.

In my own example, I am the CEO to many front-line janitors, who is more important? From an organizational standpoint, I have more reposnsibility and authority but who do you think our customers would choose if they had to? I'll give you a hint, it wouldn't be me. They would choose the person that they see everyday and who helps keep their businesses looking good and running smoothly. But the reality is, here at Stathakis, like the car, we are running a pretty complicated operation that relies on many individuals, all equally important From the CEO to the Cleaners to an Office Manager to Day Porters and so on, each person does their special part to keep the whole thing moving forward.  It's all because our people care about other people and are working together towards the common good of our customers.  Now that is PEOPLE over Position!