One of the themes of our work is the simplification of complex ideas, distilling them into easy to understand and apply processes. We have found that nothing gets done if people can’t understand how to do it – no matter how brilliant the suggested solution might be
I recently came across a noble idea – a gathering of management thinkers and leadership gurus who pooled their brilliance to grapple with the knotty problem of “reinventing management for the 21st century”. Out of this came a report listing 25 “stretch goals“, all noble and valuable. But sometimes we have a tendency to unnecessarily complicate problems by turning the proposed solution into a pseudo-intellectual and academic puzzle. This has the effect of making the solution’s designers look very brainy, but also reducing the likelihood of meaningful action to zero.
Yes, there is a problem with the way we manage today, because we are using an antiquated model designed for the Industrial Age over 100 years ago, and which is inappropriate for today’s environment, people, values and our quest for meaning and fulfillment.
But do we need a list of 25 “to dos” or do we simply need to love each other, honor the sacredness of everything and tell the truth?
How would you propose that we re-write the agenda for “How to Manage Effectively in the 21st Century?” I will send an Inspire Change to the each of the 10 best ideas posted on our blog.
I’ll begin the dialog with this suggestion: remove the words “manage” and “administer from the language, as well as their various permutations (manager, administrator).
I continue to encounter the “confusion” of a “manager” must by definition (and position) be a leader when functionally those roles are worlds apart.
Let’s remove “manager” and “administrator” from all processes and position descriptions and then see how we communicate/interact when we have to find more appropriate wording that TRULY expresses what should be taking place:
[1] Employees will no longer be “managed” but become team members with leadership that supports, nurtures, grows
[2] Processes are no longer “administered” but instead become pathways to the fulfillment of growth and mastery and service
[3] Organizations do not have layers of “management” but spheres of coaches seekig to maximize the self-fulfillment of each stake holder (staff, business partners, clients)
I wonder what other words might be “removed” to our benefit.
Namaste!
David Long
The story of the Nordstrom’s employee handbook, often quoted by speakers in the leadership world, is very applicable here. Nordstrom has only one rule governing customer service – “Use good judgment in all situations.”
How empowering must it be to work in an environment where every customer interaction is governed by just that one rule? It seems that this idea could be extended to apply to more areas of management – with the right team of people and a leader who is willing to trust their team.
The so called animating beliefs “adaptable, more innovative and more inspiring places to work — that will, in short, make them as human as the individuals who work within them.” in 25 Stretch Goals for Management are very important.
In my opinion, among these 3, inspiring ranks the first. What inspires me to work within an organization? It is firstly the match of my personal values with that of the company’s. It is manager’s/leader’s duty to care for this match; that is to note this match and help to preserve this match. This will be the driving force for my presence over there. Secondly, As said by Frederick Herzberg: “A managerÃs mission is not to set on the motivation fire but to create such an environment to allow the motivation spark strike within oneself” So, I should find an inner motivation to work there. And as long as I can strike my own motivation spark, I can continue to work there. It is manager’s function to discover my inner motivation and help to live with it. If these 2 are present, I may well start adapting to every job and being innovative.
Ferhat Esemen
To manage effectively in the 21st Century you must first choose to be the person inside yourself that is transparent, honest and full of love for the world and those who inhabit it. Second, you must help those around you do the same by being an example, a teacher and a coach; helping others to discover the joy and success of living honest, loving and fulfilling lives.
The foundation of business needs to change from GREEDERSHIP
to true LEADERSHIP that uplifts, empowers and engages everyone
on a sustainable basis for the greater good of us all.
Namaste’
Tony Dovale
http://www.tony-dovale.com
My solution to 21st century management is simple in theory…it amounts to using imagination and visualization in conjunction with the application of the Golden Rule. Each time you open your mouth to speak to another, simply imagine that you are looking in a mirror and speaking directly to yourself, rather than seeing the person(s) you are actually speaking to. Since that is what we are mostly doing anyway when we speak to another (projecting ourselves onto them), this visualization process attempts to show us how we treat ourselves, and then decide whether we like this treatment or not, and what we will do about how we are treating ourselves.
Once we see who WE really are–by imagining that it is US we are always talking to–we are positioned to change our perspective on ourselves–which amounts to directly changing our perspective on others–which amounts to enlightened understanding of how to conduct business. This is the only way anything in this world can be changed–including outdated management concepts, processes and decisions. External change ONLY happens as a result of enough individuals changing themselves and their perspectives. As we practice this way of communicating, we will begin to see the obvious changes that are personally needed.
If, as a manager, I tell customer that I cannot do anything about his problem because I don’t have the authority–what I am really saying is that I personally don’t feel empowered as a manager or as a human being. When I imply to an employee that his ideas are not trustworthy, I am exposing that I don’t trust my own ideas. Etc, etc. When I use a visualization process to imagine that the customer/employee I am talking to is ME, then I am positioned to “hear” this truth that I am telling myself when I say these words to the other. As I see and admit to myself that I don’t feel empowered or trustworthy, I now face the challenge of whether I will do something about this or go back to pretending I don’t see it and projecting it onto others instead.
Simple to explain and understand…difficult to do, especially in a business setting where we are all subtly and deeply programmed in the win/lose mentality…a mentality that we can turn to again and again, as a means of avoiding our own calling to personal change and growth, while simultaneously feeling like we “are winning” in our interactions with others. Our society’s obsession with sports greatly exacerbates this problem…after all, in a sports contest, the goal is clearly NOT win/win…there must always be a loser. In my view, our extreme obsession with sports and our incredibly strong loyalties to our own teams is evidence of just how prevalent this unhealthy mentality is in our culture. I don’t think it is a coincidence that I am personally surrounded by people who naturally maintain a win/win mindset at all times, and who happen to also be people who do not connect with the sports mentality.
I challenge your readers to open their inner eye fully and begin noticing these things. If they do, they will discover that “winning” actually consists of changing ones self and ones perspective at every opportunity.
A business environment is nothing more than a collection of people focused on similar endeavors. Changing the business environment cannot be done without the individuals involved agreeing to change themselves. The management layer can only serve as role models, by learning to honor THEMSELVES, love THEMSELVES, hold THEMSELVES sacred, and tell the truth to THEMSELVES. If this single reality magically appeared, a company would find its business practices and results transformed instantaneously. Such is the power of this way of being!
Lance, It all begins with one’s own self. In order to lead many, you ought to lead one and that one is your own self. If one cannot deal with one own’s self, than we cannot lead others. As you rightly said, there are too many complicated theories sprouted all round. We need to look at some of the authentic leaders who have walked on this it, be it Jesus or Gandhi or Mandela and learn from them. There are essentially two things that I would learn from these folks:
First, to be authentic and to be true to one’s own self and second, to put other’s first. Moving away from what’s in it for me to what can I do for you.
Lance and all other that send a post, I find this inspiring yet hard to achieve. I try to be the leader of my very small organization, but I found it difficult, especially because many of the management practice of western world fits hard on the 50yers background of communist past.(Romania). I think the 21Century management has to be adapted to local specific in order to work.
Be the change. Be the love, the seeing of all as sacred. Like minded people will attract to us and we can encourage each other along the way. Those who prefer the outdated management style will eventually see the light and change themselves. It takes time. Be patient and we will see this in the workplace.
I have been doing this for many years and I am seeing the change happen.
Being the change, we ìlead the horse to waterî and over time, he/she will take a drink.
Dear Mr Secretan, I wanted to let you know that I got the “Inspire Change” coin yesterday. Thanks a lot.
Regards,
Raj
So glad you received it Raj, and I hope you are able to inspire someone else with it in due course. Thanks for your excellent contribution – and thanks to everyone who shared your interesting ideas.