I've had the opportunity to be a part of something great...a major revolution at our company to blow up our annual review process and transform the culture to be a place where people can do and be their best through open, frequent dialogue.
Over the last few weeks, I've been sharing that journey with some industry leaders who are all contemplating how to embark on a similar path of leaving the old behind and creating a new future. Reflecting on these conversations, what I have come to realize is there are a few key elements required to spark revolutions and while all of us want them, we also fear them. The power lies in the platform to share vision, build courage, and have open conversations that promote change.
We saw that clearly with the Arab spring in 2012 and its dramatic impact on that region of the world. Social media has accelerated the power of that conversation and the ability to share a vision more broadly and quickly. One man or woman's vision paired with this social platform to engage other dissenters in shaping the future has truly changed our world. Vision catches fire, courage is gained as others voice their support, and the conversations flow that lead to action.
So if we all see how powerful this is, why are not willing to engage the population we need to have these discussions with, employees? I think we fear losing power by doing so; however I believe our greatest power is actually in unleashing these conversations, entering the danger, and helping co-create a new future. Charlene Li, author of Open Leadership, came in to our HR team a few years before our own revolution and challenged us to engage in the conversation with employees to have open and transparent leadership in changing things. While all of us had some trepidation in doing it, we did end up opening the conversation with the employees globally, crowd sourced solutions to our annual review, asked for the good, the bad, and the ugly feedback and I'm convinced that it was a huge part of why it succeeded.
Employees want to shape the future, we need to give their voice a place to be heard and united with others vision so we don't become irrelevant. Revolutions are burgeoning below the surface of our companies as people are realizing the power they have to create the future. We can either sit in our ivory towers and watch them fall, or join the flow of the conversation and be forever transformed by it.
Well put, Ellie, could not agree more.
ReplyDeleteAs the change agents like yourself gave the employees a stake in the outcome, it enhanced the engagement and participation of employees!
Hi Ellie,
ReplyDeleteThis article and case study may also support your focus on joining in on the flow of employee conversations. It's a fascinating look at a self-managing organization:
Harvard Business Review Article
First, Let's Fire All the Managers
by Gary Hamel
Source: Harvard Business Review
13 pages. Publication Date: Dec 01, 2011. Prod. #: R1112B-PDF-ENG
Synopsis:
Executives don't realize it, but a hierarchy of managers exacts a hefty tax on any organization: Managers are expensive, increase the risk of bad decisions, disenfranchise employees, and slow progress. In fact, management may be the least efficient activity in any company. Yet it's clear that market mechanisms alone can't provide the degree of coordination and control that many companies require. Is there any way to get the flexibility of a market system and the discipline of a tightly knit hierarchy--without a management superstructure? Morning Star, the global market leader in tomato processing, proves there is. Morning Star, which has seen double-digit growth for the past 20 years, has no managers. That's right--no bosses, no titles, no promotions. Its employees essentially manage themselves. Workers negotiate responsibilities with peers, anyone can issue a purchase order, and each person is responsible for acquiring the tools needed to do his or her work. Compensation decisions are handled by local committees elected by the employees, and pay reflects the contributions that people make--not their status. And if staffers find themselves overloaded or spot a new role that needs filling, they simply go ahead and initiate the hiring process. Morning Star's self-management model has two cornerstones: the personal mission statement, and the Colleague Letter of Understanding, or CLOU. In a personal mission statement, each employee outlines how he or she will help the company achieve its goals. The CLOU, which must be hammered out every year with colleagues, is an operating plan for fulfilling it. A CLOU covers as many as 30 activity areas and spells out relevant performance metrics. The system isn't without its challenges, and it isn't for everyone. But it has produced a dedicated workforce with exceptional initiative and expertise. And its success shows that it's possible for organizations to transcend the seemingly intractable trade-off of freedom versus control.