First of all, we need to ask: What is a Code?
A Code is a rule for converting a piece of
information from one form to another. A code is also a defined structure or
framework for achieving a purpose.
The reason why organizations use codes is because
they want to influence common practice so as to establish a positive
organization culture that aligns with corporate identity.
An organization without codes will become a place
where “anything goes”. This will in turn become its identity in no time.
Common practice refers to behavioral pattern
common to members of an organization.
The importance of common practice can be seen in
situations in which an employee who was taught the ideals of customer
interaction and customer service becoming a poor, impolite staff after few
months of working.
What happens, in most cases, is that, when a new
employee starts working (after the New Employee Orientation programme) he sees
a particular behaviour from staff on ground. For example, he was taught never
to be impolite with customers but he sees other “more experienced” staff doing
so and getting away with it. In little time he will dump all the ideals he was
taught and start acting in the same poor way as the “more experienced” staff. This
is the influence that common practice can have on staff and, eventually, on
organizational culture.
One of the ways, common practice can be
influenced is by coding.
For example, when Management observes that some
members of staff are fond of leaving work before official closing hours or are
always coming to the office or to meetings late, and this is fast becoming a
trend, they come up with a Code of Conduct.
Another example is when Management observes that
some staff put on all manner of clothes, jeans, polo T-shirts when coming to
work even on Mondays; they develop a Dress Code.
Below is the right way of influencing organizational
culture:
In the same vein we have building codes. This can
be seen in situations where one can perfectly predict the organization that
owns an uncompleted building structure just by looking at the design.
Today, there is a common trend in professional
offices where poor, uncustomer-centric expressions are being used while
interacting with customers. The 13 Codes of
Customer-centric expressions is the answer. It defines how you should
construct your sentences and expressions while interacting with customers.
It is an all-inclusive list of all you need to
totally eliminate un-customer-centric expressions in a professional
environment.
When these codes are implemented, they influence
common practice which in turn will become the organizational culture.
Management must step in before it turns into a clog in the wheel of
organizational progress.
Project Alpha is the innovation
tool box that will take care of both errors of conduct and communication as
regards Customer interaction.