Participatory leadership. Co-leadership. It's a new paradigm that has the potential to change the world entirely. As you may have noticed, our whole system of living (at least here in the U.S.) has already turned rather upside down with this economy, and perhaps that's a sign that our whole system of organization.needs an overhaul.
There are signs of a bleeding change already. Many work teams already have a pretty lateral hierachical structure, in which decisions are made collectively and openly by the whole, or at least those who are invested in the decisions, otherwise known as stakeholders. However, some of these teams are still often affected by top-down decisions that come from the above, or from outside. Life is so complex these days that the ones who are "in the trenches" are the ones with the most information at their fingertips about their own tasks. Decisions and proclamations made from an "ivory tower" above may be removed and uninformed, and therefore disastrous in that they can make or break your business.
The best way to rework your organization may be extremely effective and transformative in the long run, but it's not for the faint of heart. You have to start at the very beginning, and question everything. Your values as a group. Problems. Strengths individually and as an organization. "Why are we here? What's our mission? What are the obstacles we are facing?" This may turn your stomach to think about thinking that way. Business in general, for good reason, is known as a bastion of conservatism, averse to risk-taking, in order to please the shareholders, investors, and the leadership. But this inflexibility translates to unresponsiveness to market conditions, and insensitivity to the morphing, mutating needs and wants of consumers. These are radical times, with an extremely rapid pace of change, which call for flexible and adaptable learning organizations.
The idea of rethinking your organization is not an assignment to be given out by the CEO for everyone to email in, and then have their feedback ignored or tabled for a few months while more "important", immediate issues are dealt with. "Visioning" is vastly more important than many of the fires you may put out every day; though you may not be able to see it. In the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey makes the distinction between tasks that are "important", and those that are "urgent". Redrawing your company vision is important, as well as being urgent!
The "Great Rethinking" is a series of conversations that needs to take place in-person and not rushed; with as much of the group as possible, and given enough time, credibility, energy, and effort for real solutions and ideas to develop. As a society, we are suffering from an extreme dearth of creativity currently, due to burnout, tiredness, lack of responsibility in our positions. Have you ever noticed that most positions don't allow people the full range of their skills and personalities? We only use a relatively small percentage of our abilities, no matter what position we have - clerk to Senior Vice President.
One thing that has been missing in business has been honesty, respect, and trust. You say, "I can't be honest with my boss". You're scared that you might get fired, or that you'll turn things upside down. Well, aren't things already kind of upside down at the moment? We don't know what's coming next, what business will be like in three months, and what products and services will be in demand. In other words, what people will be buying. When people are honest with each other, that creates trust, which is one sort of certainty. In that way, you tap into the true power of synergy. On the other hand, when people constantly lie and "fake it" with each other, you are hiding your opinions, and therefore the power of who you are, thus limiting the power and potential of the organization as a whole.
It's not always so much that we are dishonest people. We are scared. We are scared of people's angry, defensive reactions to what we say. Maybe they'll blame us; or blow up at us. But I'll go out on a limb here, and say that people are craving honesty, and they are desperate to trust each other. No one wants to be an island anymore, in these scary and bizarre times. This goes for life in general, in addition to work life. When people are unafraid to be who they are with each other, you get a lot more respect in return -because they know that you are on the level with them, and that, at least by trying to make things work, you show your value for the relationship.
Bosses have a special dispensation here. You already know that, along with your power, comes responsiblity. What you may not know is that you INCREASE your power, both as a supervisor AND a person, by becoming a better listener, a better communicator, more courageous, more empathic. In other words, "soft skills" and people skills are more important than ever. You can be loved as a manager and leader, and probably want to strive for that -- but that's not to be confused with being popular, or being liked all the time. Being respected - using your power wisely, pulling as part of the team, listening to your team, and being there for them - is that secret, hidden, extra social glue - or lubricant - that gets tasks done faster and more efficiently.
You doubt this? Tell me what is the biggest motivator for people. It's not money these days. It has something more to do with job satisfaction at a deeper level -- having one's voice heard, having a say in how one does your job; enjoying what you do, and being part of a well-functioning team. And an organization that is a "lean and mean fighting machine" is even more important in these economically uncertain days.
It's time to see time spent together, communicating, as an organizational whole as an investment. No more hours of wasted meeting time. Often, meetings just follow the same routine: everyone shows up late, in dribs and drabs, and then they proceed to "space out" and "check out". And sometimes, like in school, one or two vocalizers drone on and on without addressing the issues that raise themselves in invisible question marks over everyone else's heads and hearts. What would a day of real conversation be worth to you and your company? What about half a day? Two days? Three days? A week. Donate as much time as you can. Discuss options for the future. How do we want to communicate as an organization? Do we want to keep doing meetings the same way we have been?
How much unused time do you have at work? How much spare time does everyone else have? Most firms in most industries have some "down" time, while others have none at all. How can you manage your time flow better, so that people are working steadily, but not hectically? A steady work pace is conducive to people functioning at peak performance, and adapting to changes better. People who are suffering from a change or decline in their amount of work can change their behavior to hostile, grumpy, and resentful, which can sometimes appear akin to insubordination or a downturn in productivity.
One way to cut down on squandered time is to foster a climate of dialogue - where talking to each other in the halls, the kitchen, the lunchroom, -- wherever, even the restroom -- is considered a viable and important use of time. "Shooting the s***" is often a great way to exchange valuable information about trends in life and in the nation, though the roundabout, leisurely, time-consuming way of coming to the subject matter can often make it appear otherwise. That's why small talk can benefit from being encouraged, even unofficially, if not officially sanctioned.
When people feel included and part of team, they want to work. There has to be thisY culture of people wanting to work, in order for them to go looking for more for work to do when things are slow. ou need folks who are aligned with the company mission- in other words, an organizational mission that gets them going, and resonates with their passion. In this time, it is a fact that people are demanding more from their lives, and from their jobs. You may see an exodus of staff, as your top seller may decide he wants to sell handknit sweaters from New Zealand; or your top seamstress may decide that she wants to open a winery in Santa Rosa and take care of her grandchildren. This means that your clients' needs may also be changing rapidly and significantly, and therefore, your business may be transforming rapidly as well. That's why constant and productive communication is more key than ever - because then, you'll be in the loop - if not ahead of the game.
Recommended reading:
Built to Last, by Jerry Porras and James Collins
http://snurl.com/gvndd [books_google_com]
http://snurl.com/gw0ni [www_amazon_com]
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Steven Covey
http://snurl.com/gw0ju [www_amazon_com]
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