There Must Be a Better Way, Part III

Welcome back! You get 1 point for showing up, 1 point for reading to the end of this blog (we're on the honor system here, so be honest), and 3 bonus points if you visited a Whole Foods store during the last week. (Deduct 1 point if you don't know of what I speak.) You also get 5 bonus points if you picked the Netherlands to win it all at the beginning of the World Cup. There are probably 15 people outside of that country who qualify for these bonus points and I'm not one of them. (I was rooting first for Chile and then for Costa Rica, which didn't even qualify for the tournament.) No points for picking Spain, a pre-tournament favorite. It's my game; I make the rules.

Scoring is as follows:

6 - 10 points: You are amazing and are loved and respected by a few (I mean really, who picks the Netherlands?)

3 - 5 points: You are amazing and are loved and respected by many

1 - 2 points: You are amazing and are loved and respected by me

Here, just showing up is cool.

Speaking of another great sporting event, have you noticed how slim and fast the riders in the Tour de France look in their shorts and jerseys? I have got to get me a set like theirs. It's not the body or the athletic ability; it's the clothing.

This week, as promised, let's consider what a 21st century organization might look like. To do so, we'll first need to answer a key question:

What would an organization look like if it were designed expressly for people to excel?

Asked another way:

What would be the defining characteristics of an organization built around the needs of its workforce?

What? Are we really proposing to build an organization around people and their emotional/psychological needs?

Yes, as a matter of fact, we are. Radical to some, I know. But, hey, I grew up in Berkeley. It's expected of me.

So, let's consider the key features of an organization designed specifically to allow people to excel. An organization that will ignite passion, foster enthusiasm, promote creativity and innovation and, in the process, forge a highly-committed, dedicated, top-performing workforce capable of out-performing, out-competing, out-smarting even the most formidable marketplace competition year in and year out. It might even be a great place to work.

Maybe like what they do at Whole Foods. Or even better.

We humbly submit, then, that the successful, highly-profitable 21st century organization will be one characterized by:

• An exciting vision. It's got to be something exciting, something that gets the blood flowing, that motivates us to do the amazing. No one is interested in shooting for being 'average'. Most of us want to believe that the work we do is meaningful, that it will actually help others. The vision must communicate that. A great vision gets people jazzed. Keep in mind that most of us can see right through 'corporate-speak'. Avoid it like the plague. Shoot for the stars with honesty and compassion. If it's from the heart, people will respond.
  

• A "we're-truly-in-this-together" mentality -- and way of doing business. Humans are social animals. We're not good in cubicles. We are, though, good together in communities and especially good when we have to work together to make something amazing happen. Forming an organization around the concept of being linked by a common vision and being in this together plays well for the vast majority of us. But -- and it's an important 'but' -- the organization must demonstrate consistently that we are, indeed, truly in this together. Most say it, few do it. Remember, we know when the wool is being pulled over our eyes and we don't like it. More on this next week.
  

• The key operating unit: The team. Humans want to belong and a team is a great thing to be a part of. Teams imply unity and, importantly, competition. Teams are also dynamic and, dare we say it?, fun. 'Departments' and 'functions' are far less appealing and, truth be told, are boring. Organize teams and give each the authority to govern themselves as they see fit. This will have an important effect of allowing far more people to have a significant role in the quest for the vision. Which is good, because we all want to have a meaningful role at work.
  

• Winning is what counts. Humans enjoy competition and, especially, winning. Free each team to operate as it sees fit. Process is not nearly as important as product. (Yes, HR, it's true.) Performance -- exceeding goals -- is what counts. Let each team decide who they want on their team and how they want to work. Provide data regularly so each team knows how it's performing against its goals and against all other teams. And do not get in their way if they're successful.

• Transparency is essential. Treat people with dignity and respect -- a rather important need of all of us -- by providing key data to all employees. That includes company and team performance data. It also includes compensation data. (Hey, there are no secrets anyway.) If we're truly in this thing together, prove it by being transparent, by trusting people with important information.
  

• Technology must be the best. Most humans in the work place seek tools to make their jobs easier and to make winning more accessible. Therefore, provide the best electronic tools possible. If you want top talent, you must provide top technology, especially in the 21st century. This is not negotiable. And allow people to exploit it. If this results in a 3-day on-site 2-day off-site work week, cool. Two days on site and 3 days elsewhere might even be better. It's coming quickly, so try not to stop it. Instead, encourage it.
  

• If there's any authority beyond the team, it must be local. Hierarchies are so last century. They won't exist in this century in the same way. And, admit it, few of us like to be told what to do and when to do it. We simply don't like authority. Leadership's job in the 21st century will be to inspire, not to direct. Everyone else will be tasked with making things happen. Authority for decisions must be put in the hands of those responsible. The more local the better. Which, suggests, that many workers will have significantly more power. It also suggests that there will be far fewer people with the title 'manager' and 'supervisor'.

• A sincere interest in each of us. We humans need care and nurturing. This need is regardless of age or gender. We want and need to be shown 'the love' regularly. At work this equates to having someone genuinely interested in our well-being and in our future. In the 21st century, the care and nurturing of talent will be the single most important task of HR, as hiring, performance management and firing will be within the purview of the team. The great organizations will develop effective ways to ensure that everyone has a career path and a plan to achieve it. The great organizations will also use mentors -- whether they be peers or others -- to help each team member strive for greatness.

Have we missed anything? I hope not. I also hope you can begin to see how an organization built to harness our enthusiasm, our creativity and our passion might be an amazing place to work -- and how it could very likely be an organization capable of trouncing its competition. Year after year after year.

Next week: What such an organization might look like from the inside out.

(Give yourself a point if you've gotten this far.)