Do you ever have that sense of deja vu when you see a piece of headline news?
Well I’ve had one today. According to the Chartered Management Institute, “GROUND-BREAKING NEW RESEARCH FROM THE CMI REVEALS HOW MUCH GIVING OWNERSHIP TO EMPLOYEES CAN IMPROVE BUSINESS AND INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE” (their capitals). (REF: http://www.managers.org.uk/insights/news/2015/july/meet-britains-most-highly-motivated-companies)
They go on to say; “New research from the CMI, published today, reveals that employee-owned companies are more ethical, more motivated and more successful than traditional shareholder-owned companies.”
To help us relate to real world examples they offer this teaser: “John Lewis; Arup; WL Gore and Associates. These companies regularly top the lists of the most successful and respected companies in their fields, but what is the secret behind their success?”
But hang on a minute. Is this really such ground-breaking news? Didn’t Tom Peters imply as much in his seminal work with Bob Waterman, “In Search Of Excellence
And, I even seem to recall drawing the same conclusion and even perhaps mentioning those three firms in my own book, “Self Managed Team Working
Sorry guys, you really need to be a bit more on the ball with your research. What about a few more contemporary examples, like; Childbase Partnership, Gripple, Wilkin and Sons, Page / Park Architects, or CSH Surrey? You could even check out the Employee Ownership Association, where you’ll find a lot more detailed research and experience.
Cheers, Graham
