Have you heard of Ray Dalio? He’s founder and president of Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s largest hedge funds with over 75 billion under management. Not only has he been hugely successful with his investment strategies but he has written a set of principles to guide his company.
His 295 principles are enshrined in an 83 page book that all employees receive. His theory is that brutal honesty yields the best results. Hence, Hyper-Realism.
All employees know exactly what the company culture is…being truthful no matter how uncomfortable. If you want to work there, great. If not, better you know before you join.
Is this culture for everyone? Nope. But that’s okay with Dalio. If the idea of operating in a totally open and honest way isn’t for you, look elsewhere for employment.
Interestingly, this principle of open and honest is one of the basic premises of EOS that drew me to this methodology of running your business. Improvement comes through open and honest discussion of what works…and what doesn’t, even if what doesn’t work is what you’re doing. It’s not personal, it’s based on factual information about results.
If you want your organization to operate at maximum potential, you need to create a culture that values open discussion where all are working to continuously improve…and are willing to discuss the issues and accept the critique.
Of course, you don’t have to operate this way. Lots of companies slog along hiding issues, afraid to discuss shortcomings, in fear of open and honest discourse. Some of them even are profitable.
Ray Dalio
Feel free to reach out if you’d like to talk about open and honest or my thinking on the keys to successful business:
Pay Attention, Add Value, Have Fun