My forthcoming book, The Bellwether Effect is due May 15^th, 2018. It is a heavily researched investigation into why there is so much dysfunction in corporate life for so many people and how to change this and regain our passion for work life. (It contains over 70 footnotes and has received more praise from corporate leaders than any of the previous 20 books I have written).

My passion for changing everything that is broken in corporate life and transforming our organizations into inspiring places for employees, customers and the world has been poured into this new book. It is the operating manual for those who wish to join a new movement (#thebellwethereffect) whose aim is to reverse the decline in the quality and enjoyment experienced by those working in Corporate America.

How dysfunctional is corporate life? Here is some data:

• 80% of the population doesn’t want to go to work on Monday morning
• Nearly 80% of employees would change their current work role if given free choice
• 75% of employees are disengaged
• One out of two employees hate their work
• 65% of employees are consistently thinking about looking for a different job
• Only 37% of the population trust CEOs
• A mere 8% of the population trust banks

What is a “movement”? And what is The Bellwether Effect? The Hollywood “star system” is an example of The Bellwether Effect. From the beginning, a powerful elite has controlled careers in film and TV, driving “Bellwether” behaviors for generations that hid sexual misconduct, to which we have turned a blind eye for more than 80 years. But this is now being called out by the #metoo movement which is shining an overdue and courageous light on this long-standing problem. Similarly, for two centuries we have been a gun-rights society, driven by powerful “Bellwether” organizations and lobby groups, creating a situation that the #neveragain movement, energized by young people, is seeking to change. The Arab Spring also showed us the potential of a youth-powered movement supported by a tech-savvy executive from Google, Wael Ghonim.

One can hope that these brave and effective activists represent a resurgence of passion and courage which is too seldom seen around these pain points. Is our society waking up to the idea that grassroots action can make a huge difference—potentially changing the world?

Along with these examples of disenchantment is another concerning condition that has been tolerated for far too long—the level of alienation and dysfunction experienced by those working in the corporate sector—a condition that continues to deteriorate as shown by the data above.

We are creating dismal and demoralizing environments in Corporate America that are causing people to abandon and distrust organizations.

There are two reasons why it’s important that we change this. The first is because it’s simply the right thing to do. But the second reason is just as important—our capitalist democracy rests on three foundations: church, government and commerce. (See this excellent article about the current risks to liberal democracies across the globe.) It can be argued that we are currently undermining all of these, but the dismal data above suggests that commerce is under siege as much, if not more, than the others. If the younger generation no longer has faith in, and is avoiding Corporate America, and the older generations are departing or retiring, then we run the risk of permanently damaging the potential of corporate life and, therefore, our liberal democratic society.

I propose that we start a new movement that will inspire people in Corporate America to make changes from within their organizations, beginning with the removal of the eight demoralizing business practices described in The Bellwether Effect. They are:

• fear-based management
• motivation (A.K.A. control and exploitation)
• separateness and silos
• employee engagement surveys
• performance appraisals
• salary grades and pay scales
• mission, vision, and values statements, and
• the use of war as a metaphor for business

The Bellwether Effect explains how some organizations (called “bellwethers”) originate many of these counterproductive business practices, subsequently popularizing and promoting them, why leaders are attracted to, and seduced by them, the process by which these ideas are (often thoughtlessly) adopted, and how they eventually become mainstream. In each case, The Bellwether Effect proposes radical and inspiring ideas that will reignite our passion for corporate life, offering concrete solutions that can be implemented immediately.

How to participate

The #bellwethereffect movement is still in its infancy, and I would like to invite you to participate and contribute your ideas and passion and help to build it. Many individuals and corporations will participate in this movement, propelled by their sense of disenchantment with work-life as it exists, and their hope and belief that we can build something better.

Importantly, major corporations have an opportunity to get behind this movement and present themselves as forward thinking corporate citizens, being part of the solution instead of the problem, and actively supporting the achievement of greater passion and inspiration in corporate life.

How this gets put together will be determined by the personal goals and passions of individual contributors to this movement, and by corporations whose strategic goals align with the aims of this movement. Thus both can support and champion a breakthrough in how we run organizations so that we inspire and reengage the hearts of employees, customers, vendors and society.

Here are some ideas to begin the conversation – and I’d love to hear more from you:

• Designing a custom, branded App (see this link www.secretan.com/bellwether).
• Purchasing books and sharing them with colleagues.
• Designing collateral materials and projects based on the guidelines within The Bellwether Effect.
• Offering products and services that support the business process changes in organizations called for in The Bellwether Effect.
• Arranging gatherings, training and events designed to educate people about how to implement the recommendations in The Bellwether Effect.
• Creating university courses based on a curriculum laid out in The Bellwether Effect.
• Using social media expertise to promote the evolution of corporate business practices, bringing them into the modern era.
• Sharing expertise, insights and advice with The Secretan Center Inc. that will advance the philosophy of restoring passion again in corporate life.

I would like to invite you to become a champion by supporting, helping to build, joining, and cheerleading this new movement. This is a movement that seeks to inspire and confidently change corporate life for the better, enabling us to become passionate and fall in love, once again, with our work life and our careers and the purpose of business. Are you ready to change the world?

Join our Facebook Group to share your thoughts and ideas!