"In the best of times Ive seen our profits soar and our goal numbers shattered in excess. In the worst of times Ive seen our accounts frozen in the red and breaches of policy so severe they threatened our future existence. But in it all Ive seen us, because in the end that ownership is what makes the organization work. Its not a brand name or a process; its the individuals. Ive never felt more alive than in those moments I feel I can change the world through my organization. Those are the moments that fuel me through the good and bad; and the ownership that keeps me coming back for more.
Our organization performs well because the members are passionate. We believe in the mission and believe we are making a difference. People are drawn to us because we create a dynamic environment where everyone is connected and there is a sense of community. We feel we are working toward a common goal, and self-motivation is key. Each person is able to take on more responsibility and express his views while developing his work plan toward our goals.
We aim to deliver high-quality performance in everything we do, and through creativity and innovation seek to continuously improve. We must be consistent and transparent in all actions and decisions, making the basis for those decisions and their effects available on an organization-wide basis because it affects everyone. Good recruitment is essential. We look for people that will work well in our organization and will be dedicated to our reality. With that, we realize that it is important to effectively transition people in and out of our organization, to maintain sustainability and orientation of our members.
Our process is sustainable. We have spent countless hours collaborating in great efforts to ensure we are productive toward our vision and can be sustained in years to come. We consistently review and reflect on our design to ensure it is the best possible structure to encourage our mission and the participation of our members. Once we have agreed on effective measures to reach our goals, we must define the qualifiers that show our progress: numbers, percentages, etc. We concentrate on effective division of laborwith people assigned to teams we work together toward our goal while respecting our strengths and weaknesses. We consistently trouble-shoot and solve possible hang-ups. Our strong IT system keeps our information centralized and easily accessible. Financial stability is a must. We painstakingly ensure we spend economically and maintain a fiscal balance sufficient to fund our progress. Money can make or break our organization, and respect for its power is essential.
We realize our actions affect our performance on the local, national, and international levels of our organization. We feel a responsibility to these relationships and respect the fact that only by working together can move forward. Cooperation between these entities is essentialwe consistently give feedback and best case practices through our information systems. Everyone is connected and has a sounding board in their search for improvement. Reputation is always a concern. We are an international brand, and what we do locally speaks for our entire organization. We realize the necessity of supporting one brand, one voice, and within that viewpoint we recognize the need of taking responsibility for our actions. We are the microcosm that the community identifies with our organization in its entirety.
We recognize our strong market position and the demand/supply relationship that must be met. Therefore, we must work with other organizations in local, national, and global networks, and we consistently seek to form and strengthen these relationships. We recognize our legal responsibilities as well as responsibilities to our contracts. We deliver on what we contract for, and breaches of any process or policy are not accepted. We rely on our integrity for our organization to run smoothly. Finally, we understand that our organization and the world in which it works are constantly changing. Transition to these new parameters is essential to help us stay alive and effective throughout the coming years. We are capable of change and modification, and consistently seek to improve."
I was recently asked to answer the above question in a single-spaced, one-page response. It was hard to do. I spent a long time really reviewing what organizations need to focus on in order to perform well, and to remain sustainable. Of course, I took AIESEC as the example. I've never seen the inner-workings of any other organization so clearly, and even though I don't mention the brand name above, I think most of us know who I'm talking about. But I firmly believe in this statement. It might be choppy, and cram alot of grandiose gestures into one space, but when I read it again and again I still think these are the main steps an organization has to take. I know it speaks to my passion and belief in org. structure--if it didn't completely convey that, I never would have written it.
