Opinion
View from the Top
When leaders and staff share common values and principles, this creates better team work and allows a business to achieve more, says Phil Jones
I am constantly amazed by the heightened state of motivation that our employees operate at and how this is demonstrated in their everyday lives. The following is an example of what I mean: For the past three years ISS has been working with the charity Gardening Leave, which provides horticultural therapy for ex-armed forces personnel. Gardening Leave focuses on the mental health of its veterans, using horticultural therapy to reduce social isolation, improve fi ne motor skills, improve memory and concentration, increase mobility, reduce anxiety and stress and promote a sense of purpose and hope for the future. Much of this work is carried out in the safe environment of walled or secluded gardens. That there is a need for this type of work to
be provided by a charity suggests to me that we have, as a society, got some of our priorities round the wrong way. However that said, and as long as that requirement exists, it is a pleasure for ISS to be able to provide support for such a worthy and much needed cause. The ISS involvement came about when I
offered help to the CEO of Gardening Leave and pledged support on behalf of ISS. This support comes predominantly in the way of resources, both human and material, to construct the fabric of some of the gardens in order that they are suitable environments for the veterans to work in. My idea for our involvement was always that
ISS would provide backing for our staff, where they wanted to become involved, and that their contributions would not only bring benefi ts to our veterans, but that the exercise would heighten awareness amongst our workforce of the problems our armed forces veterans face. This, I envisaged, would create the opportunity for our people to, put frankly, help if they wanted to but not be under any pressure to work alongside our
www.prolandscapermagazine.com partners at Gardening Leave.
The response from ISS staff to the needs of Gardening Leave has been overwhelming, with individuals also giving up their own time to help. A response I relied upon when I made our initial commitment.
An offi cer leading his
troops instinctively knows his company are right behind him in the charge
be it business orientated or a great cause such as Gardening Leave, and to know that those whose responsibility it is to ‘make it work’ will share that common belief that it is a good thing to do and do it. The opposite effect would be like an offi cer leading his troops into battle and having to keep looking behind to check if they are following! He instinctively knows his company will be right behind him in the charge. In ISS we describe this as sharing common values
and principles, upon which is based our business life. This means that beyond the common beliefs and thought mechanisms, people will ‘just do it’ because it feels right. Having the confi dence to be able to rely on this instinct is one of the benefi ts of a great team. It provides motivation and a sense of pride in shared values, elements of our working and personal lives that are essential for success.
www.gardeningleave.org
How could I know I would get the reaction
required? Well, of course I couldn’t actually know! However, what has built up over the years within our business, based on the reaction and commitment of our staff on every occasion, is the confi dence I have in them to be able to make that commitment.
Motivation is not a one way street. We all, as
leaders, need the response from our teams that show we exist for a common cause. We could see our role purely as providing motivation ‘one way’, when in fact, every day I get huge amounts of inspiration to do my job purely from the way in which my team behaves. In the example above, the real measure of common motivation and confi dence is being able to commit the business to a particular project,
ABOUT PHIL JONES
Phil Jones is Managing Director of ISS Facility Services
Landscaping and is based at the company’s head offi ce in Woking, Surrey. He gained an HND in landscape construction and moved into grounds maintenance early on in his career, further
gaining an MBA. He has been with the company since 1987 and as well as running the landscaping business he also sits on the UK operational management board of ISS Facility Services.
www.isslandscaping.co.uk Follow Phil Jones @philjonesISS Follow ISS Landscaping @ISSLandscaping
August 2013 17
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