+ A
A -
Jason Pereira
Patriotism is defined as the 'devoted love, support, and defence of one's country'. Similarly, 'organisational patriotism' can best be described as an emotional attachment and sense of pride that an employee possesses towards his/her organisation. 'Organisational patriots' are therefore, inspired, devoted and loyal towards their respective organisation.
Tom Peters and Robert Waterman explained this mindset in their book In Search of Excellence where they tell the story of a Honda employee, who, on his way home after work, each day, would straighten the windshield wiper blades on any Honda vehicle he would see parked nearby. Did he get paid overtime for doing this? Was this part of his job description or responsibilities? Was his supervisor or anyone from the company monitoring him while he did this? The answer to these questions is a resounding 'No.' He did it solely because he could not bear to see a flaw in something he made.
This epitomises the mindset of an organisational patriot who feels a sense of pride and belonging not to mention a personal stake in the company's performance, be it success or failure. This creates a situation in which an employee's behaviour is now guided more by a set of values and purpose at work rather than by rules. It is these values that drive employees to go the extra mile at work and do the right thing even when 'nobody is watching'. They view the company as their own and their actions are guided by their 'patriotism' towards the company.
An organisational patriot exhibits the following traits. He/she is:
Passionate
According to Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple Inc.,"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do." Organisational patriots are insanely committed to their job because it is their passion that actually drives them and they feel highly engaged and motivated to work hard and go the extra mile. This, in turn, makes them productive, thereby driving company performance.
Responsible
Organisational patriots feel accountable and directly responsible for everything they do in their job. They put the organisation first and ahead of their own personal interest. Such employees are action-oriented, take full responsibility for their actions and decisions, and do not play the blame game. According to Lorii Myers,"The power behind taking responsibility for your actions lies in putting an end to negative thought patterns. You no longer dwell on what went wrong or focus on whom you are going to blame. You don't waste time building roadblocks to your success. Instead, you are set free and can now focus on succeeding."
Resilient
Organisational patriots have a positive attitude and do not give up despite the failures or obstacles that come across their path. They keep moving forward and eventually they succeed. According to Winston Churchill,"Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm." In her 2013 TED talk, Angela Duckworth, Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, revealed that grit is a very strong predictor of success. Duckworth defines grit as having the stamina and resilience, not just for a month, but years. Sheer persistence, determination and the willingness to work hard at something for a long time without giving up is what really matters.
There's a long list of successful individuals who failed not just once or twice but repeatedly before eventually making it big. JK Rowling's first Harry Potter manuscript was rejected by 12 publishing houses. It's also been said that the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Colonel Sanders, was rejected 1,009 times before finding a taker for his special herbs and spices recipe.
Are you passionate about your job and proud of the company where you work? Are you willing to go the extra mile for your company? Are you willing to take responsibility in times of failure and when things do not go as planned? Can you bounce back from failures and try again with enthusiasm keeping a positive attitude throughout? If the answer is 'Yes' to all these questions, then you are an organisational patriot and any organisation would be happy to have you work for them.
The author is an HR professional and former adjunct faculty of HR and Leadership, and an avid Qatar Tribune reader
