Let’s begin with the end because that’s what we all want to know. Right? If I do all these things, what will the end result really look like? The final pages of this book allow zero excuses to weasel out of the intent you had before you started reading. “Every project starts with a to-do list. Here’s yours:” and the authors give you the Good Comes First architecture to “Do good and Inspire Good.”
It doesn’t matter if your organization has been around since the Pony Express or if it is still cutting its teeth, the principles of establishing an organization built on one that equally values respect and results align the same. The building blocks are solid and universal: Voice for Good, Servant Purpose, Trust and Validation, Celebrating desired behaviors.
Accountability: The key to building a Good Comes First organization is a small word with a powerful influence. You either hate that word or love it, but as the authors thoroughly discuss in their book, daily accountability sets the stage for a successful transformation. But they don’t throw you out of the boat and dare you to sink or swim. Not at all. Babbitt and Edmonds have given you the blueprint for implementing the components of a Good Comes First environment with guidance that flexes with your specific enterprise be it retail, technical, medical, or any other flavor or institution.
The most intriguing highlights I want to cover here are simplistic yet the most dynamic catalysts for change and those are items intertwined in the Accountability Model.
>Model desired behaviors and performance / Model desired process and outcomes
>Coach desired behaviors and performance / Coach desired process and outcomes
>Measure desired behaviors and performance / Measure desired process and outcomes
>Celebrate desired behaviors and performance / Celebrate desired process and outcomes
>Mentor misaligned behaviors and performance / Mentor misaligned process and outcomes
What is your goal for your organization? Employee satisfaction? Customer engagement? Service ratings? Productivity? Relationships? Profitability? Revenue growth?
The truth is, doing nothing gets you what you’ve always gotten. A few simple changes and adopting what you learn in this book, Good Comes First, could be the beginning of incremental improvements. You can’t experience change unless you do something to change the experience. If this inspires you, you’ll want to get your own copy of the book.
