What is “GBS Capital”?

This was a random thought early one morning, which I can’t shake off . . 😉

You can apply this question to any organization unit, leadership or individual role.

What is MY personal “capital”.

Without capital, the world of business does not operate.

Without capital, Global Business Services (GBS) cannot operate effectively.

What is “GBS Capital”?

We deploy and manage “Financial Capital”;

• the money to build, run, or grow the business to operate effectively and provide our services.

Economists talk about “Human Capital”;

• the knowledge, skills, habits, social and personality attributes required to get the work done to produce the desired business outcome. Maybe that is just the human joy of working with a great team and making things happen you weren’t sure could be done.

Crucially, we develop “Political Capital”;

• the goodwill, endorsement and support earned (or loaned) from our stakeholders and colleagues. 

This is a form of “Social Capital”;

• the trust, rapport, credibility, humility, reliability, attitude, mindset, and humour, in the eyes of our personal and social relationships. This reminds me of Charles H. Green’s “Trust Equation” from the book “The Trusted Advisor”.    

So maybe “GBS Capital” is the sum of all these “assets”?

Our “currency” for getting things done, to ”win hearts and minds” and to influence and mobilize support to deliver genuine economic, business outcomes. 

These assets are sometimes earned but often “loaned”.

Confusing the two can seriously affect one’s quality of life! 😉

Stakeholders and colleagues observe our results, through their own lens, and evaluate their own investments of time and trust accordingly. This defines the “term” of our loan!

To maximise this we need to deliver results and genuine impact, through their lens. Fast!

Not KPI readouts.

It seems to me that “GBS Capital” = Results + Trust.

Charles H. Green’s equation defines “Trust” as the sum of credibility (we know what we are doing) + reliability (we do what we say and deliver results) + rapport/intimacy (emotional intelligence), ALL divided by self-interest (our selfishness).

“GBS Capital” is the momentum that binds every one of us to work together more effectively, more honestly, more fearlessly to deliver business outcomes that our customers and stakeholders celebrate. 

At speed.

Because GBS delivering real outcomes matters.

• Sustaining annual cost efficiencies in GBS beyond labor arbitrage
• Enhancing customer/stakeholder perception of, and satisfaction with, the value that GBS is delivering
• Delivering transformational business impact beyond GBS operating cost

Results + Trust.

You can read an executive summary of “The Trusted Advisor” by David H. Maister, Robert Galford and Charles H. Green here . . . 

You can get the book here . . . 

What do YOU think are the key constituents of “GBS Capital”?

Thanks for reading . . .