Everybody Matters - Bob Chapman, Raj Sisodia

"Without the help of everyone, we could never achieve our goals." "People are our company's greatest asset." "We care about our people."

You've probably heard many leaders say similar phrases. However, there is a fundamental difference between understanding the value of people within an organization and actually making decisions regarding their needs.

In this summary, Bob Chapman and Raj Sisodia explain the advantages and practices of a company that thinks on the human side in the first place.

Want to understand more? Stay with me!

The book “​​​​​​​Everybody Matters”

Published in 2015 in the United States, "Everybody Matters" is the result of Bob Chapman's experience as Barry-Wehmiller CEO and researcher Raj Sisodia.

Divided into two parts, the book presents the ideals to be followed in an organization that values? people first. In addition, it shows how a humanized company works in practice, using examples experienced in Chapman's company.

The preface to the book is a contribution by Simon Sinek, author of "Start with Why". In addition, in the back cover are arranged the comments and recommendations of several CEOs and renowned authors.

Who are Bob Chapman and Raj Sisodia?

Bob Chapman is president and CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, a global provider of manufacturing technology and services. Its revenue for the year 2015 was $ 2.4 billion.

Raj Sisodia is an author, corporate consultant, and speaker. He is a Professor of Global Business at Babson College. In addition, he co-authored the book "Conscious Capitalism" in partnership with John Mackey (CEO of Whole Foods Market).

Who should read this book?

"Everybody Matters'" ideas are useful for entrepreneurs seeking to inspire their employees to share their vision of the company's future.

In addition, the approach suggests significant improvements in leaders' relationships with teams, increasing cohesion, trust, and morale within the organization.

Which are the main ideas of the book "Everybody Matters"?

• Seven out of eight people believe that the company they work in does not care about them;
• Everyone should have the opportunity to use their talents toward a shared vision within the organization;
• People should not just be a means to the financial success of the company;
• People want to be led, not managed;
• Everyone wants to return home after work with a sense of pleasure and fulfillment.

In this summary, let's take a closer look at the main points of each part of the book. Let's go? Stay with me!

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What is the journey of leadership?

In the first part of the book, Bob and Raj explain that everything begins with leaders. From the attitudes and speeches of the management, a culture of appreciation of the human side within the organization is created. This process of transformation is called by the authors of the "journey of leadership."

According to the authors, leaders should be able to lead rather than just manage people. But what do they mean by that? What's the difference?

When a leader takes real leadership attitudes, he or she can inspire employees and from there develop a strong corporate culture within the company.

The authors punctuate the various benefits of well-developed leadership within the organization:

• It creates an environment based on trust;
• Celebrate and expose the greatest talents and strengths of each collaborator;
• It makes employees realize that they have a significant role;
• It inspires a sense of pride;
• It stimulates sound competition and challenges employees to take on higher flights.

Bob and Raj point out that not every company is a family business, but it is possible to create a "family" within any company with love and unconditional encouragement.

Leaders are responsible for establishing this kind of environment. To do this, they suggest some guidelines:

• Treat each employee the way you would like your child to be treated at work;
• See your company as your home, a place where people feel like visiting every day;
• Encourage and insist that each member of the family (collaborator) strive for their strengths, so they can become excellent at what they do best;
• Respect and celebrate the differences of each individual;
• Be patient with low performers. Talk to them and try to understand the root cause of the problem;
• Be authentically human.

True leaders must continually study to develop and develop those around them so that they also become excellent leaders who believe and value people.

In addition, employees should be encouraged to innovate and try new things, even if they fail. This makes them realize that managers have full confidence in their potential and their work. In the book, this practice is called "responsible freedom."

The authors believe that leaders need to have a deep sense of responsibility for the lives they manage. Therefore, the recognition and appreciation of the team is treated as "emotional investment" in those who support the growth of the company.

Finally, Raj Sisodia and Bob Chapman formulated a checklist to be followed so that you can be a leader focused on the human side:

• Indicate safety and well-being through words and actions;
• Inspire passion, optimism, and purpose;
• Communicate in a way that cultivates satisfying relationships;
• Nurturing a community within the company that is committed to each other in pursuit of a common goal;
• To exercise a kind of "responsible freedom" in the organization, empowering each collaborator to reach his potential;
• To proactively engage in the personal growth of the team;
• Facilitate meaningful group interactions;
• Establish metrics that define progress;
• Recognize and celebrate the excellence of people;
• Commit to continuous improvement.

How to apply this in my company?

In the second part of "Everybody Matters", Chapman demonstrates how this whole theory of leadership is applied in practice in your company.

Initially, it suggests some guidelines to be followed in companies that are experiencing difficulty. According to Bob, these methods helped him relive the various companies that were acquired throughout his journey.

• Communicate a message of hope, patience, and affection: usually a company in difficulty is dominated by uncertainty and fear. As a leader, it is your duty to express optimism and belief in company values;
• Take immediate action: solve the most latent problems and remove the clearer bottlenecks. Initiatives that form the basis for growth must be prioritized. Listen to the whole team and give it the responsible freedom to act in a way that directs the company according to the established vision;
• Build teamwork and a sense of unity: put an end to dysfunctional practices that make two sectors get in the way. Set up daily meetings to maintain team alignment and improve relationship, cohesion and efficiency within the company;
• Note the people doing good things: connect with the teams, share and value their good initiatives, and always celebrate any kind of progress.

What is the 7S Method?

The authors developed how processes work in a humanized enterprise. The Japanese tool 5S is a method focused on eliminating waste along with the processes, achieving greater efficiency.

According to Barry-Wehmiller, this tool has been expanded from "5S" to "7S", adding "safety" and "satisfaction" to align this method with the predominant human vision in the company.

By establishing these changes, the following benefits of the 7S philosophy can be verified:

• Helps employees analyze the work environment in accordance with continuous improvement guidelines;
• It allows people to see real changes in work in a short period of time;
• Establish a pace and discipline for improvement, with constant evaluation.

Chapman says that when he decided to implement Lean tools in his company, many managers were skeptical that the process would work according to the human vision preached by Bob.

However, the approach has some differences from "traditional Lean". These differences are summarized in the chart on page 164 of the book:

Which are the Ten Commandments?

Raj Sisodia and Bob Chapman believe that people, even if they are not brilliant, can achieve extraordinary things within a well-established culture in a sustainable business model.

A shared vision of the company's successful future coupled with the freedom to act to achieve this vision inspires greater enthusiasm, creativity, and accountability.

As a way of applying all of this, the authors formulated ten practices to be followed, called "The Ten Commandments of Truly Human Leadership":

1. Begin every day focusing on the lives you touch;
2. Know that leadership is the administration of the lives entrusted to you;
3. Adopt leadership practices that make people come home every day in safety, health, and fulfillment;
4. Align all actions to an inspiring vision of a better future;
5. Trust is the foundation of all relationships. Act accordingly;
6. Realize people's strengths and celebrate them daily;
7. Do not demand more or less from anyone than you would require of your own child;
8. Lead with a clear sense of optimism;
9. Recognize and flexible the uniqueness of all employees;
10. Always measure success by the way you touch people.

Books about business and management

In their research, authors Jim Collins and Jerry Porras, of the book "Built to Last", discovered that the majority of the visionary business did not start with a revolutionary idea. The truth is they began slowly and, as time passed, they have dominated their market.

In "Traction", author Gino Wickman explores how successful entrepreneurs have an attractive and well-defined vision for their business. Besides that, they know how to communicate these messages to collaborators.

Ed Catmull, author of the book "Creativity S. A." advises: ever prefer people over ideas, because creative people create good ideas, but good ideas can be destroyed by bad teams.

So, how can I transform my business?

In the second part of "Everybody Matters", the authors suggest several practices that can be followed in the real world, aiming at the more humanized functioning of a company's processes.

Treating your employees as a family will not only transform your own business but also your life.

By releasing them from oppressive rules and regularly celebrating their progress, you can generate a positive feeling around the organization, which will work to its fullest potential.

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