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Building speed, innovation and learning agility
in the new organization order
Hubert Saint-Onge
Council of HR ExecutiveConference Board of Canada
June 9, 2011 Kelowna, BC
Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
… by re-kindling the sense of community in organizations
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the questions we will explore in this session…
1. What is the rationale for re-kindling the sense of community in today`s organization?
2. When does an organization feel more like a community?
3. What undermines the sense of community in an organization?
4. How can we build the sense of community in an organization?
5. What is the best way to introduce this theme to senior management?
2Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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the questions we will explore in this session…
1. What is the rationale for re-kindling the sense of community in today`s organization?
2. When does an organization feel more like a community?
3. What undermines the sense of community in an organization?
4. How can we build the sense of community in an organization?
5. What is the best way to introduce this theme to senior management?
3Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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the emerging new order of organizations…
• Many tasks that could be effectively handled by individual in earlier times now exceed the scope of a single person.
• Instead, in our ever more interconnected, complex and unpredictable environment, effective performance depends on mobilizing and melding diverse sources of knowledge, insights and energy.
• In such environments, effective performance depends on integrating diverse skills, expertise and perspectives.
A fundamental change is
happening to the nature of
work in organizations
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organisational and hierarchical
barriers
business processesand project-specific
barriers
+
disparategeographicdistribution
+
Organizational islands
=
How do we overcome this syndrome?
Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
the “fragmentation” of today’s organizations…
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Strategy
Performance
Capabilities
Learning
Innovation
Learning
Innovation
“capabilities” as the link between performance and strategy
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Mar
ket
Op
por
tun
ity
Time to realization
Hig
hLo
w developmentdelay
‘fast follower’ curvecompetitive advantage of the capability
‘first mover’ curveS
trat
egic
Pos
itio
n
the accelerated development of capability as a strategic advantage
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the emerging new order of organizations…
• the challenges most organizations face are so complex that they require a set of capabilities too broad to be possessed by any one individual, one function or one discipline
• innovation comes from the ability to collaborate across diverse knowledge domains and expertise
• advances in collaborative technologies enhance the potential reach of and support for collective effort , collaborative creation, and coordinated action at unprecedented speed with low friction costs.
Creating a sense of
community in organization is
both increasingly
necessary and feasible.
8Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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the benefits of a strong sense of community…
1. higher level of trust
2. engagement and ownership for the success of the organization as a whole
3. effective collaboration and management of interdependence
4. greater exchange of knowledge and innovation
5. fluidity of capability distribution increases speed
6. development and retention of talent base
9Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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the questions we will explore in this session…
1. What is the rationale for re-kindling the sense of community in today`s organization?
2. When does an organization feel more like a community?
3. What undermines the sense of community in an organization?
4. How can we build the sense of community in an organization?
5. What is the best way to introduce this theme to senior management?
10Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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what is a community in an organizational context?
• members care for one another and their collective success
• they are energized by a shared purpose they find worthwhile
• they espouse shared values that represent the social glue that binds the organization
• the organization values and respects them
An organization develops a sense of
community when people
feel that…
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what it means for people…
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“We are social animals who cannot function effectively without a social system that is larger than ourselves. This is what is meant by “community” —the social glue that binds us together for the greater good. Community means caring about our work, our colleagues, and our place in the world… and in turn being inspired by this caring.”
Henry Mintzberg, Rebuilding Companies as CommunitiesHBR, July-August 2009
Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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what it means for people…
• To be part of something we value
• To find a deeper purpose in all we do
• To exchange in a context of interconnectedness
What does it mean to
people in a community
organization?
13Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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“Pixar is a community in the true sense of the word. We think that lasting relationships matter, and we share some basic beliefs:• Talent is rare. • Management’s job is not to
prevent risk but to build the capability to recover when failures occur.
• It must be safe to tell the truth.• We must constantly challenge
all of our assumptions and search for the flaws that could destroy our culture.”
Ed Catmull, President, Pixar
The organization as a community: an example
Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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what it means for the organization…
This is all done to create organizations that move faster, in a more innovative way to
achieve higher sustainable levels of performance.
Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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the questions we will explore in this session…
1. What is the rationale for re-kindling the sense of community in today`s organization?
2. When does an organization feel more like a community?
3. What undermines the sense of community in an organization?
4. How can we build the sense of community in an organization?
5. What is the best way to introduce this theme to senior management?
16Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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why has this sense of community been eroded?
• a short term view prevails and people are a fungible commodity based on the quarterly results
• people that can be dropped without regard for their contribution
• the trust reservoir is depleted by change for which they see no business rationale
• the “leadership” stands apart from them
This sense of community is undermined
when…
17Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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from…
Individualist/independence Collaboration/interdependence
Distrust/isolation Trust/connectedness
Competition Building on one another’s capability
Heroic leadership High integrity, quiet leadership
Blame/fear Engagement/sense of ownership
to…
Feeling devalued Finding meaning
1 10
What is the level of change required to make the shift to a community organization?
Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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the questions we will explore in this session…
1. What is the rationale for re-kindling the sense of community in today`s organization?
2. When does an organization feel more like a community?
3. What undermines the sense of community in an organization?
4. How can we build the sense of community in an organization?
5. What is the best way to introduce this theme to senior management?
19Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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How to build the organization as a community?
I. Build a context of high-integrity leadership
IV. Encourage interdependence
VI. Create a learning environment
III. Instill an atmosphere that promotes trust.
V. Evolve a cohesive culture
VII. Develop collaborative networks
II. Clarify the “noble cause”
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How to build the organization as a community?
I. Build a context of high-integrity leadership
IV. Encourage interdependence
VI. Create a learning environment
III. Instill an atmosphere that promotes trust.
V. Evolve a cohesive culture
VII. Develop collaborative networks
II. Clarify the “noble cause”
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vision
service
courage
systemic view
targetsself
interest“silo”view
safety
I. Build a context of high-integrity leadership
Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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vision
service
courage
systemic view leadership
integrity
I. Build a context of high-integrity leadership
Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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The traditional model the “boss”
individual responsibilities
The team leadership model shared team leadership responsibilities
1st among equal with full accountability
individual accountabilities
I. Build a context of high-integrity leadership
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How to build the organization as a community?
I. Build a context of high-integrity leadership
IV. Encourage interdependence
VI. Create a learning environment
III. Instill an atmosphere that promotes trust.
V. Evolve a cohesive culture
VII. Develop collaborative networks
II. Clarify the “noble cause”
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• Everyone at Google knows that its mission is “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
• The “noble cause” is often ignored in organization but it is fundamental to creating identity, commitment and a sense of community
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II. Clarify the “noble cause”
Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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How to build the organization as a community?
I. Build a context of high-integrity leadership
IV. Encourage interdependence
VI. Create a learning environment
III. Instill an atmosphere that promotes trust.
V. Evolve a cohesive culture
VII. Develop collaborative networks
II. Clarify the “noble cause”
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• treat people as human beings - not objects or “human resources”
• engage people in change • place the change in the context of a
readily understood business rationale• respect people’s past dedication and
contribution• do not tolerate leadership behaviours that
contradict organizational values
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III. Instill an atmosphere that promotes trust.
Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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…the swamp
…levels of leadership integrity
Honesty … I mean what I say
… I do what I sayReliability
Coherence … I stand for what I believe
Vision …I lead to make it happen
III. Instill an atmosphere that promotes trust.
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How to build the organization as a community?
I. Build a context of high-integrity leadership
IV. Encourage interdependence
VI. Create a learning environment
III. Instill an atmosphere that promotes trust.
V. Evolve a cohesive culture
VII. Develop collaborative networks
II. Clarify the “noble cause”
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from…
entitlement self-initiation my security resides in being part
of an organization my security resides in my
capabilities following the traditional contract:
I do what I have to in order to get to stay
following the new contract: I dedicate myself to creating value in exchange for an opportunity to develop my capabilities
I work for the organization… I am fundamentally self-driven…
by virtue of working here, I am entitled to…
I want to be recognized for my contribution…
success comes from sticking around long enough
success comes from commitment
to…
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IV. Encourage interdependence
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Items Processing
Sales force Management
Financial Engineering
… the benefits of interdependence and collaboration flow from combining
different sets of capabilities
SeamlessReferrals
Client relationships
Items Processing
Sales force Management
Financial Engineering
area ofproductive collaboration
RiskManagement
Solutions Development
IV. Encourage interdependence
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HighLow IndependenceNegative
Positive
Trust
+
_
Interdependence
Counter-dependence
IV. Encourage interdependence
…interdependence will be a function ofthe trust level we can engender across the firm.
Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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HighLowIndependence
Negative
Positive
Trust
+
_
Interdependence
Counter-dependence
• build the mutual accountability that will bring us to excel individually
• serve to build the cohesiveness of the firm and of our teams
• contribute to leverage our resources more effectively
• partner more effectively with our customers because we partner better internally
IV. Encourage interdependence
A strong sense of interdependence will…
Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
Page 35
How to build the organization as a community?
I. Build a context of high-integrity leadership
IV. Encourage interdependence
VI. Create a learning environment
III. Instill an atmosphere that promotes trust.
V. Evolve a cohesive culture
VII. Develop collaborative networks
II. Clarify the “noble cause”
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“By designing corporate systems that employ values which drive positive emotions and environment, managers can significantly increase employee motivation, satisfaction, resilience to setbacks/failure, and willingness to engage and reach out of their comfort zones; in practice, these factors mean the difference between a corporation recognizing and exploiting an opportunity, and missing it altogether.”
Making Decisions on Values, Not Biasesby Jonathan Doochin Harvard Business Review, May 28th 2010
V. Evolve a cohesive culture
Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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What are your personal values?
1. honesty
2. accountability
3. balance (home/work)
4. commitment
5. continuous learning
6. responsibility
7. positive attitude
8. humour/fun
9. family
10. adaptability
1. cost reduction
2. profit
3. organizational growth
4. teamwork
5. customer satisfaction
6. results orientation
7. bureaucracy (L)
8. achievement
9. goals orientation
10. financial stability
1. customer satisfaction
2. accountability
3. continuous improvement
4. teamwork
5. balance (home/work)
6. innovation
7. information sharing
8. coaching/mentoring
9. open communication
10. employee recognition
What are the values currently characterizing
the organization?
What should ideally be the values of the
organization?
V. Evolve a cohesive culture
actual results of a values survey…
Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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Collaborationinformation sharing, openness and trust
Accountabilitycommitment, responsibility achievement and sense of mission
Customer satisfaction
focusing on the customer,knowledge of the customer
Innovation and Growth
V. Evolve a cohesive culture
The development of organizational values in congruence with individual values…
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How to build the organization as a community?
I. Build a context of high-integrity leadership
IV. Encourage interdependence
VI. Create a learning environment
III. Instill an atmosphere that promotes trust.
V. Evolve a cohesive culture
VII. Develop collaborative networks
II. Clarify the “noble cause”
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1. Build constructive dialogue as part of getting work done: don’t always challenge; welcome another’s thoughts and opinions
2. As leaders, create meaning by constantly renewing the context: involve people collectively in your thinking
3. Experiment constantly. Regularly stop to reflect as a team and repeat the process
4. Release the need to be right: it’s OK to make mistakes as long as you learn from them
5. Constantly challenge people with assignments at the edge of what they can do and give them the network/support they need.
VI. Create a learning environment
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6. Manage through the team instead of through individuals; form cross-generational teams
7. Take every opportunity to collaborate on the horizontal axis to enhance coherence and innovation.
8. Encourage people to form networks that can support people both internally and externally
9. Explore new technology to leverage it for greater levels of collaboration
VI. Create a learning environment
Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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How to build the organization as a community?
I. Build a context of high-integrity leadership
IV. Encourage interdependence
VI. Create a learning environment
III. Instill an atmosphere that promotes trust.
V. Evolve a cohesive culture
VII. Develop collaborative networks
II. Clarify the “noble cause”
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We shape our tools.And afterwards
Our tools shape us.
Marshall McLuhan, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man (1964)
Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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We shape our tools.And afterwards
Our tools shape us.
Marshall McLuhan, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man (1964)
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the networked organization
the hierarchical structure
VII. Develop collaborative networks
from… to…
Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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Yesterday
ExpertLocator Expert
Locator
ExpertLocator
The systematic application of collaboration tools and processes in the organization has the effect of connecting people to people;
connecting people to information and knowledge…making the shift…
Today/Tomorrow
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from… to…
VII. Develop collaborative networks
Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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VII. Develop collaborative networks
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…mapping out the possibilities for collaboration across time and space
virtual
face to face
synchronous asynchronous
traditionalmeeting
tele-conferencing
voice mail/e-mail/
collaborative spaces
• Collaborative networks need to leverage all three available dimensions
VII. Develop collaborative networks
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CollaborativeNetworks
Virtual Teams
Communities of Practice
Expert Networks
VII. Develop collaborative networks
Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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Sporadic emergence of collaborative networks
Systematic building of collaborative networks to distribute capability
Collaborative networks become an inherent part of how work and learning takes place in the organization
A highly effective balance is achieved between the formal accountability structure and collaborative networks
Culture
learning and collaborating
low
high
Technologyenterprise-wide
interactivitylow high
VII. Develop collaborative networks
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VII. Develop collaborative networks
Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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what’s needed to re-kindle a sense of community…
• create context with a shared understanding and commitment to the business strategy
• model high integrity leadership• base the evolution of the culture on
shared values• take a learning approach to lead change
and purposefully build capability• engage people at the organization-wide
level through dialogue and exchange –give them a sense of ownership
• work horizontally and bring cross-functional teams together
• leverage collaborative networks including virtual project teams
• …
How do you re-kindle a
sense of community in
an organization?
52Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
Page 53
the questions we will explore in this session…
1. What is the rationale for re-kindling the sense of community in today`s organization?
2. When does an organization feel more like a community?
3. What undermines the sense of community in an organization?
4. How can we build the sense of community in an organization?
5. What is the best way to introduce this theme to senior management?
53Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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a comment on this presentation…
“These have been difficult times for many, in which the sense of dispensability is pervasive,
belongingness is hard to come by, and missions are on hold.
Guidance you offer toward an infusion of wisdom, trust, energy and inspiration is an
antidote! “
54Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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the questions we will explore in this session…
What is the best way to introduce this theme to senior management?
55Copyright © 2011 SaintOnge Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.
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www.saintongealliance.com
[email protected]
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