As it happened, my grandpa only played one match for them before injury put paid to his rugby career. That was in 1921, but he wore this affiliation like a badge of honor right up until his death at the age of 99.  

The All Blacks were revered a hundred years ago, and they still are. This makes them a perfect case study for Professor Alex Hill, co-founder and director of the Centre for High Performance, a collaboration between Kingston University London, Duke University, London Business School, and the University of Oxford. 

Building Centennial Organizations

For more than a decade, he’s researched organizations that have outperformed their peers for over 100 years. In addition to the New Zealand All Blacks, he’s studied NASA, Eton College and the Royal Shakespeare Company, among other household names. 

Hill has identified 12 habits they share, looking at how they analyze success and failure, recruit great talent, and create new products and ideas. He lays these out in his new book, “Centennials,” and offers advice for others who aspire to such longevity today. 

In this clip from our Expert Interview, Hill reflects on how corporate behavior can embed itself from generation to generation. (You can stream the audio clip below or read a transcript here.)

The How and Why of Centennial Organizations

Hill acknowledges that not all organizations are in it for the long haul. Some don’t want to last 100 years, so for them, a focus on short-term returns is appropriate. 

“A lot of management thinking comes from business, and actually those principles and ideas are great if you want to burn bright, but then disappear,” he says. “But if you don’t want to do that and you want to build something that’s going to last, then you have to think in a very different way.” 

And this is a worthy goal, he believes, as “centennial” organizations deliver benefits for communities and society as a whole, as well as for themselves. 

“They help us solve bigger, more complex questions, things like climate change or poverty or health or education, where actually you’re building a collective knowledge in an institution that is growing over time. And you’re solving a problem which can’t just be solved quickly, where actually it might take many decades or many generations to actually work out how to fix it,” he explains. 

The 12 habits in Hill’s book provide a framework for organizations with such ambitions. The first six help to build a stable core, identifying a strong purpose for the work, developing stewardship, and fostering an open attitude toward the world. The last six focus on what he calls the “disruptive edge.” These habits encourage new ideas that propel organizations forward. 

The Power of Performing in Public

I was particularly struck by habit five, “perform in public,” about harnessing the power of strangers. Within an organization, it’s hard to see what you’re doing well – or not so well. Whereas, if you perform to a trusted stranger, you can learn a lot from their feedback, which may include fresh ideas from the outside, too. And of course, when we’re being watched, we almost always raise our game. 

“They’ve done lots of different studies around this, [and] they found that if you have a stranger present in a group, the group feels that they need to perform better,” says Hill. “So they will often be more rigorous in their discussion or their debates, they will explain things more clearly, they make [fewer] mistakes, and they often perform at a higher level because of that.”  

As a freelance producer, I’ve seen this firsthand. Often, I’m the stranger, going into organizations to record a podcast or interview employees. In these situations, I’ve noticed that people do tend to make an effort to act as professionally as they can. 

A few years ago, I produced a series of educational podcasts for a U.K.-based university. Each episode consisted of a roundtable discussion between academics teaching on a particular degree course. As soon as the microphones were set up, all the participants switched into “performance” mode. 

They listened attentively to one another, articulated their views with clarity and verve, and sometimes asked to redo something if they felt it could have been expressed better. If I hadn’t been there, the discussion may have been a bit more relaxed. But it might not have been as useful for the audience of students. 

Outside Observation Brings Centennial Results

Hill says he’s seen performance work in all sorts of situations. 

“You start to realize that every high-performing organization has a performance, and sometimes it happens very naturally, like an Olympic Games or a World Cup or a moon landing – this moment where they have to really perform,” he says.  

“But other organizations where it doesn’t happen naturally will artificially create it. So, like the Royal College of Art has open studios, where strangers can walk through, or they’ll get students to do shows where people can come.” 

It’s an effective way for organizations to practice the mindset they need to last for 100 years. 

The post The Centennial Mindset: My Expert Interview With Alex Hill appeared first on Mind Tools.

Ethical organizations can play a huge part in helping look after our planet and giving back to our local communities. But some more cynical CEOs might ask "what's in it for me?" Well, it turns out living ethically isn't just good for the environment, it's good for business. Research from the University of Notre Dame finds that ethical business operations are highly important to success, while unethical behavior can negatively impact a business's prospects. 

Our article on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) covers three key areas where businesses can make a real impact – the environment, ethics and philanthropy. So, based on these, what exactly makes an ethical business?

The Environment

Environmental CSR examines how businesses can reduce their carbon footprints while working. Whether organizations are looking to reduce their energy use or improve their recycling efforts, even simple acts like turning off lights and equipment in the office when they're not in use can make a big difference in protecting our planet.

Looking at the products that companies produce can also help them to reduce their environmental impact. They can reduce the amount of energy used in manufacturing, or switching to more environmentally friendly packaging. This can help with brand perception as well. Consumers are becoming a lot more socially conscious, and they'll be more inclined to purchase again from an environmentally conscious organization.

Organizations need to be wary, though. Although your brand perception can improve by making environmental improvements, many organizations have been accused of greenwashing. One report recently found that 59 percent of green claims made by fashion brands are misleading. Tricking consumers into believing that a product is environmentally friendly is a sure-fire way to lose customers. Businesses can avoid this by making sure they're developing genuine and authentic CSR initiatives that are aligned to their own values, vision and operational activities.

For more on corporate ethics and responsibility, read our article, Jenning's Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse.

Ethics

Another good way to spot an ethical organization is to examine its corporate policies and what employee benefits they offer. Don't let the breakfast bars and ping-pong tables in the office fool you! A fun office doesn't mean your company will speak out against social injustices or treat its employees fairly.

An ethical business will provide an environment where employees feel safe from discrimination, and where their wellbeing is valued and looked after. If a company includes benefits such as flexible working hours and generous parental leave, that's usually a good sign that they're ethically sound.

It's also a good idea to look at what suppliers a company uses. They might claim to be ethical but it doesn't bode well if their suppliers aren't also ethically, environmentally and socially responsible.

Philanthropy

Giving back is another great way that organizations can score some ethical brownie points. And there are so many ways that organizations can do some good! Does your company donate to local causes, arrange volunteering days, or run a charitable trust?

The problem is, it can sometimes be difficult for organizations to know where to focus their charitable efforts. Choose the right nonprofit or charity to support, to ensure that your contributions have as much impact as possible.

Do you work for an ethical organization? What other things can companies do to become more sociably responsible? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The post Do You Work for an Ethical Business? appeared first on Mind Tools.

"When people say to me, 'Would you rather be thought of as a funny man or a great boss?' my answer's always the same: to me, they're not mutually exclusive."
– David Brent, philosopher, philanthropist and motivational speaker (BBC TV's "The Office")

A horse walks into a bar… Anyone concerned that the punchline might be inappropriate, embarrassing or offensive? No? Good, because none of the resolutions to this classic one-liner are.

But what if I start with "Three Orthodox Jews walk into a bar…"? Who's a little uneasy now? The vast majority, no doubt, as this is not the type of content you expect from Mind Tools. It would be wholly inappropriate for our website and our audience.

Successful Humor in the Workplace

Herein lies the essence of using comedy and laughter at work: judging your audience, assessing the culture, and reading the mood.

Types of humor and comedy vary from workplace to workplace, and they very much depend on the culture. In my experience (working in almost every work environment, from small startups to giant corporations) the less hierarchical the company is, the more willing people are to crack jokes and push a few boundaries.

It's all a matter of understanding what's acceptable.

Humor usually has a bit of an edge to it (often, that's what makes it funny), but in an office environment, always err on the side of caution. If you're not sure the joke will 'land,' it's probably safer not to say it. The words of Laura Vanderkam, author of What the Most Successful People Do at Work, spring to mind: "Humor is hard to do well and easy to do badly."

Humor in the Workplace: Good For Your Career

There's pretty good evidence that injecting a little comedy into the workplace is good for your career. In a 2017 survey by Robert Half, almost 80 percent of senior executives said that an employee's sense of humor plays an important role in how well they fit the corporate culture.

Another recent study indicated that funny people are viewed as more competent than their more serious colleagues, with the "successful use of humor increasing status in both new and existing relationships."

If you can inject some comedy into your working day, people will likely enjoy working with you. You'll have lower stress levels, higher morale, and you'll be able to build trust among your colleagues, as comedy can offer a view of the "real" you.

Always Remember Where You Are

However, always keep in mind that workplaces aren't nightclubs, bars or social events, where the rules of what can be said (and, more importantly, what’s expected to be said) are vastly different. The people in your office are there to do their jobs, hopefully in a stable and safe environment.

If they can have a laugh in the process, all the better. But their sense of humor could be different to yours. Or, they may not understand your references. Maybe they're really busy. Or, they may just not be in the mood for giant belly laughs.

David Brent: The Unintentional Boss of Comedy Bosses

We all know someone who's always got a ready quip at hand, or can perk everyone up with a funny comment. These are the people who are, to coin a phrase, "naturally funny," and can judge whether something will get a chuckle.

None of this applies to David Brent, the hapless and mildly delusional comedy creation of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Here is an office manager whose inability to read the mood of a room, suppress inappropriate comments, and make people laugh (intentionally, anyway) borders on the legendary.

Just take a peek at "The Office" (U.K. version), Season 2, Episode 1, for a demonstration of the dangers of misplaced humor. After about 10 minutes, the slow-motion comedy car crash begins. David Brent gives a welcome speech to several new employees, following the merger of two branches.

To call the humor misplaced would be a monumental understatement. Every joke falls flat, is badly timed, offensive, or just massively unfunny.

How to Alienate Colleagues and Annoy People

He starts with an improvised homophobic slur. Then, he quickly runs through a series of childish jokes, followed by a raft of bad impressions. Finally, there's a verbal attack on his audience for not understanding his comedy. Oh, and a bit later he tries a racist joke, in a desperate attempt to rescue his credibility. And then all is quiet.

Should you ever need to annoy and alienate your team members, and ensure that you lose all their respect, this is the instructional video for you!

Leaders Don’t Have to Be Funny, Just Lead

David Brent is probably right when he states that being a great boss and being funny aren’t mutually exclusive. But Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, or Sir Alan Sugar have never come across as particularly funny. They’re just great at what they do.

Former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership.” But it shouldn’t be the central theme of your leadership – leading should be.

So, for those of you who are thinking about cracking out Jackie Mason's Big Book of After-Dinner Jokes and letting rip, please, please, please be careful. You need to know your audience, understand what’s acceptable in today’s working environment, and keep it light.

And in Conclusion…

The barman said, "Why the long face?" The barman then confused an idiom with a joke, and offered the horse some water. But he couldn’t make him drink. Now that's funny!

The post Humor in the Workplace: Not a Laughing Matter! appeared first on Mind Tools.

Corporate social responsibility has gone through a quiet evolution in the past decade, and that's a good thing. You may remember when it meant spending a Friday afternoon planting trees at a local school. Or maybe doing a charity fun run. While such activities still take place, the idea of businesses "doing good" has broadened.

The Growing Importance of CSR

As a brand strategist and researcher, Anne Bahr Thompson has watched this development take shape. In simple terms, corporate social responsibility today is more than just a line on the balance sheet.

"Doing good is not a cost of doing business," she says. "It's an investment into your reputation. It's an investment into your brand. What those investments get you is more loyal customers and more loyal employees. Ultimately, greater loyalty leads to greater profits."

The Moral Dissonance of Doing Good

This idea may feel a little uncomfortable. Our traditions tell us that doing good should be altruistic. We shouldn't get something for it – because, if we do, how can that be "good" in the purest sense? In our Expert Interview podcast, Bahr Thompson confronts this moral dissonance head-on.

"[Doing good] is not about becoming a nonprofit. We’re in a new time in society. There are new demands being made on everybody, and there's no reason businesses shouldn't respond to that," she says.

In other words, businesses need to step up to do their bit for society, and if they benefit from that, so much the better. Everyone's a winner.

The Five Steps to Brand Citizenship

This approach is reflected in the title of her new book, "Do Good: Embracing Brand Citizenship to Fuel Both Purpose and Profit." It's based on in-depth research by Bahr Thompson that looked at what people think about companies as corporate citizens.

Out of this research came Bahr Thompson's five steps to "brand citizenship" – a framework built on what she found, but also a call to action.

"Brand citizenship runs across something I call the 'me-to-we continuum,'" she explains. "It's a call for companies to break down silos and start behaving in a more integrative manner across departments, to co-create and collaborate with their customers and their employees, and join things up.

Moving From "We" to "Me"

"It's about moving in an honest and sincere manner from a higher purpose. But not a higher purpose that's altruistic; a higher purpose that's related to what your business is about and how your business serves both its customers and society," she continues.

The "me-to-we continuum" pinpoints how corporate social responsibility has changed. CSR used to be based on "we" – society or the community. Today, it's still about "we," but it starts with "me" – the customer or employee.

Trust, Enrichment, Responsibility

So, it follows that the first step toward brand citizenship is trust, squarely in the "me" zone. For Bahr Thompson, this is about "hard work, diligence, constantly listening, and being willing to take a risk and make a mistake."

Importantly, this applies internally as well as externally – you need to build trust with employees as well as customers.

The second step is enrichment, again focused on "me." Bahr Thompson cites Apple as a brand that enriches people's lives, by putting communication and entertainment at their fingertips.

Third is responsibility, the "pivot point between being a 'me' brand and being given permission to become a 'we' brand," she says. Companies must show responsibility to their employees, for example through fair wages, and also responsibility to society.

Good Work in the Community

Indeed, community is the fourth step along the me-to-we continuum. Here, Bahr Thompson talks about companies that have successfully built real communities around their brands, and not just online – for example, the garden days run by cleaning brand Mrs. Meyer's.

With the final step, contribution, we arrive at the "we" end of the continuum. This is about enriching the world, not just our own individual experiences. An example of this is the coffee brand Kenco, which helps young men in Honduras to escape a life of gangs and drugs, bettering society as well as the beneficiaries of the scheme.

The Journey of Brand Citizenship

Brand citizenship is a journey, Bahr Thompson concedes, but "society is changing the dynamic and raising the bar every day." Organizations of all sizes need to think about this and start experimenting.

She admits that this may sound daunting, but says, "Inside yourselves you know it's right, and I challenge you to take a risk. Do it one day and then do it again the next day, and then little by little, you'll change your culture." And hopefully, the world.

In this audio clip, from our Expert Interview podcast, Bahr Thompson tells us more about the research that lies behind her book, and its five-step journey to brand citizenship.

Listen to the full 30-minute interview in the Mind Tools Club.

What are your top tips for doing good – for yourself, your company, and your community? Join the discussion, below!

The post Brand Citizenship: What Does "Doing Good" Actually Mean? appeared first on Mind Tools.