Nope, I’m not talking about negotiating on price – although that still would apply. I’m talking about your most important asset, your people. You must stop negotiating with attitudes and behaviors at your organization and you must have core principles that everyone agrees to follow. John DiJulius, author of What’s The Secret calls these your organization’s non-negotiables, and they transcend job descriptions.
Before I explain in more detail, here is the list I created for my builder’s marketing, online sales, and design studio group:
S.P.I.R.I.T.
SERVICE: We are all here to serve others, not to be served.
PROBLEMS: Never share your problems without also sharing a potential solution.
INFLUENCE: Develop relationships that allow you to get things done because of who knows you, not what your title is.
RISK: Taking risks is not optional; it is required to invent something better – for change to occur.
IMPROVEMENT: Improvement in yourself and your work must be a daily goal.
TIME: Put in the time needed to get the job done – including the extra 15 minutes to make it great.
Job descriptions do serve a purpose in describing the deliverable expectations of a position, but they often ignore the importance of how you arrive at those deliverables. Do you have an employee who consistent produces good work, but leaves bodies in their wake? Do you have a sales person who always hits their goal for the month, but is always complaining to everyone they interact with? Are you nervous to have conversations with people about their behavior or attitudes because you’re not sure how to have them without making it feel like a personal attack?
By publishing this list and making all new hires agree to follow them, you now have something to reference and hold people accountable to and in time it will have an enormous impact on your corporate culture. I’m not sure what should be on your list, but you do. Resist the temptation to re-use someone else’s – it has to be something you own and individual to your goals. Finally, remember that you can’t hold anyone accountable to something you don’t hold yourself accountable too as well.
What would be on your non-negotiable list? Share in the comments below.
The message on this billboard is not a new one in any industry. It attempts to gain awareness by saying your product is the most affordable and deserves consideration. Let me start off by saying that it is a legitimate strategy – IF you are dedicated to it no matter the cost (pun not intended – but I’ll take it). Once you lead with low price it is more likely that your business will no longer be in business than to later successfully change that strategy.
What kind of person would offer new recruits $2,000 to quit before training classes were over? Or encourage his employees to help customers order a pizza at 2am? A successful entrepreneur and customer service and company culture visionary – 
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