How to Release the Genius of the Organization?

 

Global engagement scores suck – everybody knows it. Despite the best efforts of Boards, HR professionals, consultants and the threat of AI, people don’t put their hearts into their work. For some reason, we just don’t care enough about the mission & purpose of our organization. And yet, people have never been more capable. What’s going on & how do we fix it?

What’s going on?

Why this mass disengagement?  Dr. Gary Hamel provides a compelling answer in his HBR articles. “Insipid, incremental, inertial” – that’s the modern corporation, he tells us. Despite some shining examples to the contrary, most people would agree with him. The root causes are many and include strategic issues such as an inability to articulate Mission & Values in compelling ways, incentive structures, bureaucracy, structural complexity, a feudal mindset, and tactical issues like the absence of Visual management & related methods that make both Purpose & Current Condition visible, thereby creating a recurrent ‘pull’. 

In a struggling company, there is an absence of ‘nudges’, those small encouragements from the culture & its core processes.  In a great company, by contrast, team members sense that “I’m expected to try stuff, to solve problems, and to propose ideas.” 

How Do We Fix It? 

To what purpose do we engage people?

1.     To protect our core business by solving thorny problems & thereby reducing cost & hassle, and

2.     To ignite new Growth using our marvelous modern technologies including AI, drones, Data Analytics, Robotics, Blockchain, VR, AR, and their permutations

And how do we provide the ‘nudges’ that encourage ‘Total Involvement’?

The Shark Tank & Centre of Excellence

As a mentor, my approach is to help provide:

·       The core skills in the form of ‘Learn by Doing’ curriculum developed & managed by the Centre of Excellence, and the

·       Forum & Showcase in which your best & brightest can shine, which we sometimes call the ‘Shark Tank,’ after the popular TV show which features young entrepreneurs pitching to grizzled business touts.

To start we focus on ‘Protecting the Core’ through root cause problem solving.  Over time we build toward ‘Igniting New Growth’ through the disciplines of Growth Hacking. Our Shark Tank is, in effect, a Talent Show, wherein our best & brightest can shine. We engage HR & the Board to ensure that proper recognition & rewards accrue to our stars. Our ‘Sharks’ comprise respected senior leaders, and it’s a ‘show’ in the best sense of the word.

In my experience, the Shark Tank is an excellent way of kickstarting a culture.  Sustaining a 'Total Involvement' culture is the next challenge, and the topic of future articles, blogs, and books.

Best wishes,

Pascal Dennis         E: pascal.dennis@leansystems.org