|
The Legend of Inukshuk :
The Legend of the Inukshuk Lives on at Ford ..
The Inukshuk (pronounced ee-nook-shook)? a stone monument erected by the Inuit, the first people to inhabit portions of Alaska, Arctic Canada and Greenland, for the purpose of providing direction or communicating a message to help guide, lead and share knowledge that will make the way safer and easier for those who follow.
Every Inukshuk is as unique as the individual stones from which it is built. These stone figures can be small or large, a single rock put in place, several rocks balanced on top of each other, boulders placed in a pile, or flat stones stacked. Each rock that forms the Inukshuk is dependent upon the one above and below it for the meaning it provides.
A bit of interesting folklore of a primitive people, from a time long past, in a land far away? Yes, unless you work for The Ford Motor Company. In that case, the object is an award that embodies the essence of what it takes to excel in the marketplace today, that is, a culture of people that constantly develop its people and publicly recognizes and learns from those who are committed to developing others.
This award, which any peer, employee, supervisor, mentor or mentee can be nominated for by anyone else in the organization (either known or anonymous), seeks to capture the spirit of those that are always there for others. Individuals that are nurturing and honest, yet kind and enthusiastic; people who are approachable and trusting, yet proactive and consistent; individuals that exert a positive influence over others, serving as role models in demonstrating the guiding principles and enlightening behaviors that make the workplace better for everyone.
Quote .. "It's amazing how a simple award can come to mean so much to people," says Allen Wolf, Employee & Organization Development Manager for Marketing, Sales and Service at Ford. Recipients report a deep feeling of appreciation or even awe at receiving the honour. "Yet, at the same time it makes sense, given the thought and care that has gone into the shaping of this honour and every nomination along the way." (Wolf)
The unique award, one of many forms of recognition used at Ford, is now three years old and its reputation is spreading with its use. It can come from anyone and be given to anyone. One manager was nominated in the same year by her vice president and then again by her administrative assistant, demonstrating that trust, nurturing and respect can occur in any relationship in any direction in the organization.
The abstract quality of the Inukshuk continues to be refined by each additional nominee; in fact, a requirement of every nomination is a story about the nominee to help discover the "hidden" knowledge of the best people developers in the organization. "Stories provide a picture of not only what the nominee did for the nominator, but also how he or she did it," says Wolf. "The ongoing awards process reveals important lessons over time that will grow into a valuable source of insight and wisdom for the organization and the ongoing development of leaders at Ford."
It is a process that both honours those individuals that serve to help develop and inspire others as well provides a vehicle for long-term culture change, encouraging the development of people as a norm of leadership at every level of the organization.
Ask About Our Inukshuk Awards!!
| 
