It was said that the company’s greatest asset is its human resources – people. Then we are also advised that if you take care of your people they will take care of you and your company. And I had an interesting conversation with a co-op manager regarding this observation.
Talking with co-op leaders and managers when I have the opportunity is what I usually do. But for me, it is more like an interview rather than a lecture or try to present myself as an expert. I try as much as possible to elicit their ideas, knowledge and wisdom. I prefer it that way. In other words, I listen. It is very educational in such a way that I get to learn about them, their co-op and more importantly, the lessons that made them successful.
This particular conversation happened while on travel to attend a co-op event. We covered several topics on the first hour and there was a discussion, I forgot what it was, where he gratefully acknowledged, appreciated and commended his employees. Without them, he said, the co-op would not have reached their present level of success. He simply said, he was just lucky to have people who are dedicated and committed to the co-op. They earned his trust and proven their worth through the years in such a way that the co-op will be in good hands when he eventually retires.
Not all co-ops succeed. That is a fact. It’s just the way it is. And the Co-operative Development Authority cannot be at fault for such failure. It is not even the fault of management as I previously believe. Because there are co-ops that, despite the presence of competent managers, they still don’t make it to the next level. Several factors can be attributed to why co-ops fail and close shop.
Out of this conversation I distilled one important lesson. I came to the realization that the employees can make or break the organization. The hardworking, loyal and trustworthy people can make the co-op. The unmotivated people, whose only philosophy is what can they get from the co-op instead of what they can do to help the co-op grow and prosper, can break it.
The selfless people in a co-op, those who see the business as their own, can make the co-op vibrant that is responsive to the needs of clients and has the potential to succeed down the road. These people care about their source of livelihood and see to it that the co-op they work for will not go bankrupt so that they will not go hungry. Their success as individuals depends on the success of the co-op and vice-versa. Selfish employees have that “Me first” attitude and doesn’t care whether the co-op can sustain its operation long-term or not.
The problem is we do not find these good people at any time. They are a rare species. So if you find one, never let them go. Train them, invest in them. Nurture and mentor them in such a way that they will return the favor in the future. This was the reason why we recruited one of the On the Job Trainees (OJT) in our office, right after his graduation, who has shown the qualities I have just described.