The March of Folly

Think of the number of crazy things we have done to ourselves over the past 20 years. At various times we have committed ourselves whole-heartedly to improving organisational effectiveness through Reengineering, Reorganization and Right-sizing. On yet other occasions, we have religiously tightened our focus on our manufacturing plants and processes through GMP, ISO and SOP. When it comes to people, we have faithfully followed whatever the latest "guru" told us was necessary in order to "leverage our human capital" through improved Performance Management, Succession Planning and Talent Mapping processes.

We have done a lot and yet accomplished so little!

Mindset and Attitude

You would have thought, by now, with all of these s regulating, aligning and efficiency initiatives firmly in place, success stories about well oiled and thriving businesses would be dime a dozen. The reality? They are not. It just doesn't seem to be the case. You may very well think this a gloom and doom scenario but everyday, more and more companies are fading further and further into the background, while others are paying a very great price for trying, sometimes in vain, to wiggle free from their current state.

What causes this situation?

Well, as with everything in life, there could be a million different reasons but the bottom line is really pretty simple. The world of business and business leadership has changed and, in the time it takes you to read this sentence, it will have changed again. This is the new reality.

Your choice as a leader is clear, you either build an organisation to withstand the typhoon or build an organisation that can bend with the wind. Process and procedure are important but without the right mindset and attitude you get a rigid, inflexible structure that will have a hard time capitalising on shifts in the environment. If you are a "fast company", the good news is you can capitalize on a rapidly changing environment. The bad news is, if you are not – then your choice is to hold on tight and hope!

Hogwash you Say?

We don't think so. Why don't you organise a "field trip" to a company where these kinds of attitudes prevail. Why not spend a day at Harley-Davidson's production centre, or stroll down the path at Microsoft's main campus, or stop in to play with the design team at Pixar, or even sit down and take a few calls at ING's call centre.

The point is, at great companies people are not "stuck".

They never allow themselves to feel "stuck".

They would never work somewhere where they were allowed to be "stuck".

They feel a "rush" every day at work; not because management tells them they have to and not because they are just so darn excited about Policy Manual #231 or Operating Procedure # 456. No, they just have the right mindset and attitude to begin with. They have chosen to be "unstuck".

Organisational Branding

Dealing with a change and/or improvement to your corporate culture can be one of the most overplayed, over hyped and most frustrating "corporate initiatives" you might ever launch. Leaders try to modify the organisational DNA in all sorts of interesting ways – most of which end in failure. The naive thought that a clear, crisp new Strategic Plan or a bouncy new, well-crafted Mission Statement will do the job is sort of delusional.

Organizations would be better off realizing there are no shortcuts or advertising slogans that will magically increase the value of their "organisational brand". It is hard work and it has to engage the "right brain" more so than the left. Truly connecting and leveraging the people within an organization is a challenging proposition. Your job is converting them from assets to investors. To solicit a deep sense of ownership that causes people to want to invest more of themselves into the success of the business. The mindset, attitude and level of enthusiasm of your people – your investors – is what will truly drive your competitive advantage and your bottom line.

Getting into Motion

We all know that disengaged or "stuck" employees operate at a sub-par level and tend to drag others down with them. We all know that our premium performers operate in a different way and that we know it when we see it. Today, organizational 'horsepower' (measured as the level of employee investment) has to become one of the key predictive measures that will determine your organization's long-term prospects for survival. So here is a way to begin.


Find a Direction - Find ANY direction; most are better than where you are. Find even the most miniscule aspect of your business that makes it exciting, and live through it.

Overcome Resistance – People don't fear change, they fear being changed. Therefore, you must motivate all people to join your crusade to a better, more dynamic work environment. You want a team of believers; do whatever it takes to make that a reality.

Flaunt it – To your employees, divisions, customers, and suppliers. There is strength in numbers, and the more people you get to share your enthusiasm the better. Why can't they have fun, too?

Realize what you've started – This is an exciting proposition, and you have to sit back and look at what you've started. That will help you take pride in your accomplishment. All good artists stand back and admire their work when it's done. (Hint: Most of them pick up a new canvas and do it all over again, that's how they become masters)

Our Monthly Rant…
What to do with an Ostrich

How often do you find yourself in a situation where everyone in your organization is working hard to avoid the big grey elephant sitting in the middle of the room? You know the one, the one not being acknowledged. The one everyone knows about but no body talks about while it kills the enthusiasm, passion and speed of your organization?

Everyone is afraid to speak up first. Everyone is afraid to have the wrong answer.

GET THIS: ANY ANSWER IS BETTER THAN NO ANSWER!

If nothing else, at least it will breathe fresh air into the stagnant environment in your organization. Here are some ways to deal with it.

Step 1 – Find an employee with their head in the sand, refusing to acknowledge the fact that their organization is in serious need of a kick into gear.

Step 2 – Add cement and water to the sand, to create concrete.

Step 3 – Wait until the concrete hardens, and build your new, dynamic organization on the new concrete foundation.

The most important decision you will make today is to decide whether or not you are going become "unstuck". Great organisations know there is a very specific point in time at which they just "decided to go". What about you?

Contact us today to learn more about how your organization can get to into gear, with The Beacon Group's unique approach to Leadership Development, and Organizational Effectiveness.