When Tom Peters published his 3 x 50 list books in 1999, he talked about this as his “Work Matters Movement”. The premise is that if everyone can be doing work that matters to them, their customers, their employers, other stakeholders, a virtuous circle can be set up which ends up being good for everyone. But the onus is on the organisation to set up the context in which that work can matter. Even before the recession, this was a mighty challenge, but in these straightened time it is even more the case.

Although I have been much heartened by the fact that employers have been slower to lay off employees than in previous recessions, it has yet to be seen whether that employee focus will continue into changed behaviour in the recovery.

Hopefully this cohort of Excellence Audit trainees can track down and offer help to a few of those enlightened leaders who know that creating great places to work for their people is not only nice to do it will enable them to be Winners;-)

Madeleine