Pt. 6 of 18. Solving internal problems, leadership lessons from organised crime

For the good of society - 18 leadership lessons from organised crime

Preface

In Part 1, "Ambition" we set the scene.

According to Interpol, the UN and WTO the organised crime industry is one of the worlds largest with quantifiable revenues of at least $3 Trillion per year and despite trillions of dollars worth of investment to counter act their growth the industry is growing faster than ever leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.

In a world first we reveal how Syndicates, some of whose annual revenues top $200 Billion use influence, resources, technology and vision to build global empires and translate it into a business language that philanthropists can use to build prosperous companies that can help repair some of the societal damage by creating new jobs, simplifying international expansion, building engaged workforces and creating new, selfless collaborative cultures.

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During our investigation we uncovered 18 categories, to read them just click on the link below:

1. Ambition
2. Customer Service
3. Bribery and Corruption
4. Devolved decision making
5. External Problem Resolution
6. Internal Problem Resolution
7. Local Touch
8. The Lean Team
9. Consistency
10. Loyalty
11. Perks
12. Disruptive Innovation
13. The Flight to Favourable Jurisdictions
14. React to Real Time Events
15. Process as the Enemy
16. Spying on the Competition
17. Emigres Clusters
18. Trust, Faith and Openness

(6) Internal Problem Resolution

What this means to the Shadow Industry

Like any organisation the shadow industry has its fair share of disgruntled employees, rebels and worriers all of whom could turn to the competition - or worse the security agencies to air their grievances and swap allegiances. The shadow industry is renowned for its propensity for violence and conflict so there is always the constant, pervasive threat that people will collapse under the intense pressure of operating within a no holds barred industry that has no boundaries and few ethics any one of which could undermine, derail and devalue the organisations initiatives, brand and reputation.

Our studies found that many of the syndicates underpin their mature human resource procedures with an invested, alert, family centered and caring employee culture which helps them identify, understand and resolve issues that affect morale and work performance quickly and efficiently. This is a world everyone is acutely aware of the dire personal downstream consequences that a demoralized colleague can have on their families, their life styles and their freedoms so everyone makes it their personal responsibility to watch out and care for each other. Collectively these initiatives unify the organisation creating tighter bonds and greater degrees of trust which make the organisations stronger and more impregnable.

What this means to legitimate industries

One of the most important, but most overlooked benefits of a harmonious organisation is the fact that the absence of conflict allows everyone to focus on their work and progress the objectives of the organisation but unfortunately problems are often inevitable.

Internal problems come in many shapes and sizes – from people who complain that the canteen has run out of their favorite sandwich all the way through to competing directors who can end up tearing the organisation apart. Today, however, far too many executives are externally focused and we can understand the reasons why – it’s your organisations battle ground where your customers and your competition live but a failure to listen to and look after the wellbeing of your own employees can have a dramatic ripple effect across the organisation which if left unchecked can land you in Chapter 11.

There are many ways to spot and identify problems and every organisation should make it every employee’s responsibility to look out for them and help resolve them where they can. Many executives like to try to keep their finger on the pulse and sporadically take the temperature of the organisation by rolling out annual employee surveys but while these surveys can act as an accurate barometer of the feeling within an organisation the negative results are all too often neglected and glossed over which is the worst thing that your organisation can do. Not only do your employees now know that you know how irked off they are but they now also know that you don’t care enough to address the issues they raised so disenchantment rises and morale falls even further and once these two get hold of your organisation you’ll find revenues start collapsing and have little option but to watch as your employees beat a speedy path to the exit.

It’s no coincidence that the organisations who constructively listen to their employees and take tangible steps to address their problems them are not only the most admired but they are also often the fastest growing.

Takeaway

Every organisation needs its employees to be focused and firing on all cylinders but internal problems can distract and demoralize your employees and derail your strategy.

The key takeaways are:

• Put systems in place that let employees confidentially air their grievances
• Listen to employee feedback and ensure you resolve negative issues
• Assign Ambassadors to identify and resolve internal issues
• Make it everyone’s job to look out for and resolve conflicts