Tuesday, March 8

Loyalty

Having an interest we're passionate about is a great attribute, as it generates vitality and enhances our lives. These days I sometimes ask people "What's your passion" to find out their real interest. Recently I have been fortunate to celebrate with my work colleagues 10 years service. The company pays for the celebration to gather with a generous gift. The benefits have recently been significantly increased. Staff turnover is at an all time low with some good profit results. Is there a connection? Does loyalty shown by the Employer make good business sense?

Prior to my present position I was even more fortunate to accumulate 18 years of service with the same company. But when it ended abruptly I was devastated. Despite putting the company first it became apparent my loyalty was misplaced. It all happened subsequent to a tumultuous year which included the deaths of one of my best friends and widowed mother. Since I was an only child I had taken off suddenly from work, to look after her at home in the country. The work position had become tangled up in the process and it wasn't long after her death that I found myself looking for another position.

Looking back now is like standing on a mountain and being able to see all the detailed landscape and intricate patterns of bush and valley behind you and its purpose. I have changed my career occupation in a 360 degree turn, and after the initial difficulty, standing on the mountain and looking back it never felt better. But its been an arduous climb to get there.

I would like to know if anyone out there is passionate about "Loyalty".

Charles Kovess LL.B.(Hons), LL.M., CSP* has a point to make so I have included in full his 2nd Passion Point for 2005 "DOES LOYALTY PAY?"A Passion Point to Ponder 1 March 2005 Welcome to the 2nd Passion Point for 2005.Our goal this year with these Passion Points is to provoke you so that your business, and the rest of your life, become filled with more passion, performance, and improved balance of mental, physical, and spiritual elements.

NEWS :Charles spent five days last week with one of Australia's best retailers,Bev Marks Beds. If you want to experience great customer service with accompany that's committed to delivering great Australian bedding, go unadvised one of the five retail outlets weekend, Charles will be contributing to the celebration of Rotary's Centenary by delivering a number of presentations to a District convention's Bendigo. If you have never explored what Rotary is all about, give it a go! Even though Charles is not a member, he has given many speeches to its various Clubs over the past 12 years. Joining Rotary will expand your soul!

DOES LOYALTY PAY?""20 years ago, everybody who started working to retire after 25 years with a gold watch.Now, that's unusual." Realistic words from a Senior Vice-President of a Scandinavian temporary staffing. For those who did start work around 20 yearsago, 2008 and 2009 might have been those gold watchyears. Looking back they might wonder what was best,the loyalty of then, or the prospects--perhaps thelack of them--of today. Certainly younger workers seethings differently, and regard a change of jobs asroutine and an opportunity to retrain. They'll probably never know, or see, that golden watch ofloyalty.It's not the watch, but the loyalty it represents, that counts. To go through a working life without knowing loyalty is to have missed something; but doesloyalty pay? Only those who have experienced it are qualified to comment. Current theory suggests that today's arrangements benefit the employer and the employee, but time--and those who shared it--will be the final arbiter.Despite its current rejection, loyalty remains a value. Its lack of modern following does not diminishit; in many ways it elevates it, like a scarce resource, a diamond waiting to be discovered, it remains beyond the reach of all. When eventually rediscovered, the challenge will be to see its economic benefits. That will take time of course and, in today's time stressed world, might be difficult.The clock is still ticking and, one day, when digital watches also measure loyalty, society might be betterfor it.

QUOTES TO CONSIDER"We must have loyalty and character." Ralph WaldoEmerson (1803-1882), American writer, philosopher andpoet.Is loyalty on your "must have" list, or do you resistits character?"I'll take 50% efficiency to get 100% loyalty."Samuel Goldwyn (1882-1974), American film producer.What percent do you measure, what percent do youtreasure?"Loyalty starts with the leader, not the follower: the employer is theleader, the employee is the follower. Inspire your followers by demonstrating your loyalty!"Charles B Kovess.To your ongoing development of your passionate performance..Charles Kovess Australia's Passion Provocateur ©Copyright- Charles B. Kovess & David J. Wood of Passionate Performance.Republication welcome provided authors are acknowledged & advised at above address. If you want to see Charles on video, or listen to audio, just go http://:www.kovess.com and follow the links.For a list of keynote speech topics that Charles would love to deliver in a passionate, entertaining, provocative, and educational way to your teams,clients, or prospects, at breakfast, lunch or dinner, see below.All 128 published Passion Points to Ponder are on our website. If you wish to review them, please visit the site. If you wish to receive a list of the128 titles of the Passion Points please let us know.

http://www.kovess.com

KEY NOTE SPEECH TOPICS1 PASSIONATE PERFORMANCE: YOUR KEYS TO MENTAL, PHYSICAL & SPIRITUALWELLBEING IN BUSINESS.2 THE POWER OF VISIONARY LEADERSHIP 3. THE 7 KEY STEPS TO CREATE OUTSTANDING TEAMS.4 HOW TO RETAIN THE BEST PEOPLE IN YOUR ORGANISATION.5 PASSION: THE KEY TO YOUR SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN THE 21STCENTURY.6 HIGH PERFORMANCE BUSINESS LEADERSHIP IN THE KNOWLEDGE AGE. 7 CHANGE: MAKE IT AN INSPIRATIONAL GAME! 8 A PASSION FOR LIFE, AND LIVING IT! 9 KEY PRINCIPLES OF PERSONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.10 7 STRATEGIES THAT GUARANTEE LOYALTY FROM EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS.

best regards from Australia's Passion Provocateur (copyright) Charles Kovess LL.B.(Hons), LL.M., CSP*National PresidentNational Speakers' Association of Australia(*CSP means Certified Speaking Professional, the highest possible international qualification and accreditation for professional speakers.There are only 464 CSP's in the world, of whom only 52 are in Australasia.)

4 comments:

lindsaylobe said...

Divided loyalty

Jesus needed to make a choice, loyalty to his immeadiate family, followers and their families or to the wider community, not unlike the choices we all face to day.

Our priorities would generally dictate a loyalty to family over community.

But these were desperate times or so it seemed. There was widespread acceptance that the kingdom was soon to be revealed as part of the messianic Jewish end of the world expectation.Jesus would have accepted this 'world view" that permeated jewish thinking at the time.His loyalty was to the world at large so that preparations could begin.Therfore Jesus has no hesitation asking his disciples to leave everything, follow him, and sends them out into the country.

Matthew 10/16 speaks of violent persecutions-perhaps Jesus does not even expect to see them again,except in the new supernatural kingdom. Interestingly the remaining portion of Matthews’s gospel remains silent on theses expected outcomes. Why is this?

Well that’s another explanation entirely but it does entail ultimately the conclusion that Jesus changed his mind and realises his ultimate loyalty is to all mankind through his impending death.

In Luke 15/11 we read of the lost Son. A less publicised interpretation of this parable is the elder son represents the Jewish people,the chosen people of god,whilst the lost son represents the gentiles.(us) The celebration and feast is for all of us who now share in the kingdom. A divided loyalty to the chosen Jewish people is superseded by a loyalty to all mnakind ny virtue of the kingdom through Christ.

Of course there any number of other interpretations and or broadening out of thoughts arising from this famous parable.

Anonymous said...

I think loyalty is a two way way event being in some ways derived of selfish motives such as suiting our comfort zones, for example we are loyal to our employer all the while he looks after us, pays well etc, when this ceases we lose that loyalty and understandably so. If we all place our loyalties in the higher aspects of ethics, learning , improving, helping others, advancing good in the world Whow here I go dreaming again

lindsaylobe said...

Thanks for your comments Mindwhich

Do you have a blog-leave us your address if you would like me to visit or an e mail


Best wishes

Anonymous said...

Hi Lindsay,
That is a great article on loyalty, and well documented.
I think the minute we ask ourselves: 'does loyalty pay?', we are not talking about loyalty anymore, but probably about something else. Of course, as you and your commentators write loyalty should be a two-way process. It becomes very difficult to remain loyal to, say, a community if that community rejects the person fully.
I think there are very many different concepts about loyalty.
For example, being paid by a Company to do a certain job, would, I would think, implicitly or explicitly presume that the employee is loyal to that Company, e.g. not placing an advertisment in the national newspaper rejecting/accusing etc etc that Company. To me that would not constitute loyalty. It is not so much the pay, but the implicit 'contract' between the employee and the employer that both will look after each other and not harm each other as long as the 'contract' lasts.
On the other hand, a person looking after a friend/family when they are in trouble or very ill etc etc. is a loyalty of an other kind, I thought. Here a bond, not a contract, has been established over many years I presume,which cannot be cut on the say-so of either partner. For example, if a person is loyal to his friend (I use the example of a friend rather than that of man/wife, as the latter brings in far more other constrictions), then even if the friend says that he no longer requires the attention/assistance etc etc of that person, it may not not extinguish loyalty.
What I am trying to say is that loyalty in an employment situation should not be the sole identification of loyalty.
Does that help?
John