2019 was an incredible year, and with each one that ticks by, we become more globalised and yet paradoxically more disconnected and polarised at the same time. It’s really been a year, if not a decade, of polarity management for us all.
Over the last year, I’ve been involved in several experiments into the future of work, agile transformation and new ways of working. Here are 10 anti-patterns I’ve observed over the last couple of years that constantly disempower and disable just about all organisations’ journey towards the so-called future of work …
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Firstly, I love my work, and most of the time, I get to walk with extraordinary individuals, those rare few that dare to lead and embody the work of modern leadership pioneers, like Brene Brown. What I am still surprised about is, how rare this mindset is amongst our leaders and more importantly, our Human Resource and learning and development communities.
Recently, I gave a talk on the future of Organisational Development and Organisational Design to a group of Human Resource professionals. The session focused on progressive approaches to the two organisational domains mentioned above. About mid-way through, I presented eight questions that were in a form of litmus test, for the participants to self-measure their progressions toward modern and contemporary approaches being modelled in some of the most progressive organisations.
Here are the eight questions:
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This is the first in a series of blogs about winning the war on talent in the new world of work, ensuring your organisation is #FitfortheFuture.
There is a healthy consensus that the level of complexity in organisational life is increasing, and many organisations are currently struggling to meet the demands of this increasing level of complexity.
Let’s be honest, navigating constantly increasing change is challenging, and it’s becoming more so every day.
Some organisations that have a more progressive approach, Netflix, Google, Burtzorg and Haier for example, are confronting this inherent challenge by choosing to pursue alternative ways of working, to address organisational performance in today’s ever-changing world.
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Many of us are aware of the 70/20/10 methodology, for a long time now it’s been the gold standard in learning and leadership training approaches. For many It's been the go-to model for many human resource and learning and development professionals.
In my experience, we spend far too much time developing our leaders in a classroom context with the expectation that they can convert ‘theory’ back in the workplace. A workplace which is often more complex and fraught with numerous ‘operational variables’ unique to their environment and far more multifaceted than the case study examples provided in a text book.
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You don’t have to look too far to realise that the world of work has become more complex in the last 10 years than it has ever been. The last 5 years has been a bumpy ride, as we all struggle to keep up with the effects of digital disruption and a globally connected workspace.
Our timelines are shorter and the expectations placed upon our organisations/customers, are greater than we ever imagined. The pace of every aspect of business and organisational life has reached fever pitch and it’s becoming all too obvious that we are struggling.
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If you have a look around the current business environment, it doesn't take long to see how technology has affected not only our lives, but also the way we work. Now more than ever the way we work is impacted by forces that are less tangible and controllable.
The ways in which we previously run our businesses and the processes that control them have not really changed despite the fact that the very nature of how we work in many roles is fundamentally different. So what do I mean by this?
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Waves are one of the most dynamic and constantly changing contexts you will ever find. They remain relatively static for large lengths of time as they cross the vast stretches of ocean, before finally building their momentum and exploding onto the shores.
Occasionally we are placed in the right place at the right time to harness and use their energy in creative and beneficial ways, not unlike surfing. At other times we can be quite unprepared for their aggressive arrival, as they rear up out of the depths and break upon us, while causing a great deal of stress and discomfort.
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Everywhere I go at the moment risk is floating in the winds, like an eagle telescopically focused on its next potential prey. The more I’m exposed to it, the less I see it as a genuine strategic problem mitigation mechanism, and more as an excuse. But an excuse for what? This is the twenty million dollar question.
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Have you ever wondered why all of a sudden collaboration is so important?
As the rate of change has increased dramatically over the last 20 years, so has the complexity of nearly all leadership and management roles and their associated task demands. Managers and leaders now have more moving parts than ever. Put simply complexity breed’s vulnerability.
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We all have our opinions about what good leaders are and how they should perform. My vocation allows me to explore these preconceptions more than most.
Here’s the dilemma:
During the last few years I have begun to notice a trend. One where the opinions about the performance of the leaders in their business and the execution of their organisation's strategy just don't align.
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Every so often a book comes along that changes the way you think about a certain subject. I've encountered a couple in my life, the first of which was Ken Wilber's Sex, Ecology and Spirituality. It contained ideas that were so revolutionary about the integration of mind, body and soul that I could literally feel my consciousness expanding with every turn of the page. It also made me ask the question "Is this actually possible?" Ken Wilber’s book was about the evolution of the personal domain. Reinventing Organisations is about the paradigm shifting evolution of the business domain.
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Are you walking into the future looking backwards?
I have the conversation about strategic thinking a couple of times a week, and every time the first question I have is:
"Tell me what you mean by Strategic?"
The response is nearly always the same, a list of activities or a ‘To Do’ list that is either operational or tactical, and not really strategic as all. At best I would estimate that less than 5% of conversations actually refer to true strategic thinking,
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