Last week I wrote about the future of performance management and the idea that sometimes a tendency to hold on to old ideas—without merit—exists.
A National Post story about homeowner's opposition to the hanging of laundry outside illustrates the controversy that can emerge when change is proposed. The article reports“dryer use accounts for about 6 percent of U.S. residential electricity use.” In an era of increasing energy demands, declining prosperity, raising energy costs and concerns over climate change, doesn’t air drying clothes—when possible—seem to make the most sense?
Decisions are made based upon individual experience, previous knowledge and research. Often times, decisions are made based upon assumptions that have been accepted as truth. With change taking place at break-neck speed, many assumptions may no longer be valid.
CK Prahlad is quoted as saying, “"Leadership is about the future," he said.”We can understand the past, but not be constrained by the past. You cannot start with where we are, and yet that's what most strategy does. When you start with the current situation you can only extrapolate. Strategy is not about extrapolation. Therefore, I think our job is to imagine the future first and fold the future in."”
Authors and experts alike theorize about what the future of leadership may look like.
Tim Lindsay summarizes the messages in the book
Leadershift by saying "Leaders in this brave new world must 'shift their emphasis to the fostering of social engagement by valuing conversations that they might otherwise have deemed wasteful'. And they must be able to 'see mass participation as an opportunity to create value rather than a threat to their existence'.”
While
Richard Rawlinson--a partner at Booz and Company--writes, “We must promote leaders for whom doubt and uncertainty are simply a part of the human condition, not the enemy of action or a sign of weakness. They must tolerate questioning and doubt within their own organizations, and apply it productively themselves. We must make it an organizational habit to regularly challenge even what seems to be most obviously true, to remain open to different types of data, especially including direct experiential and “feet on the street” observations.”
If we are all no longer operating from the same basic assumptions, perhaps these theorists are reminding us to make sure we slow down and take the time necessary to explore these assumptions before we decide upon the best course of action. This takes time. We all have individuals with a diverse set of competencies, talents and abilities working in our workplaces, but learning to appreciate them fully and to apply them to the company's strategic direction requires that we take the time and make the effort to listen and understand.
References:
Holdship, Deborah. “World's Top Management Guru Calls for Radical Innovation at First India Business Conference.”
News and Media, Michigan Ross School of Management, [www.bus.umich.edu]. October 21, 2009.
Hurdle, Jon. “Residents fight for the right to hang laundry.”
National Post [Reuters], November 18, 2009.
Lindsay, Tim. “Books: Leadershift, by Emmanuel Gobillot.”
Managementtoday.com [www.managementtoday.co.uk]. August 1, 2009.
Rawlinson, Richard. “Leadership Lessons and the Economic Crisis.”
Strategy+business [www.strategy-business.com]. November 16, 2009.
