Dear readers of The Thinking Coach Insights,
I hope you enjoyed the insights you received in this past year and I thank you for your comments and questions and… for your business.
From the interactions which the Thinking Coach has had with many of you through seminars and presentations, it becomes very clear that we are in the midst of Big Changes that are affecting everyone.
One of the fundamental changes taking place has to do with Human Value. This core change is demonstrated by the need for a new form of leadership referred to as Decentralized Leadership and redefining of the concept of hierarchy to Networking Hierarchy.
Decentralized Leadership
It is evident that the kind of leadership that seems to work best these days is one that views the people of the company as family and seeks genuinely for their input and involvement in determining the course and strategic direction of the company. Such leadership is characterized by openness and willingness to share and is very careful to make sure that employees are recognized, included and feel part of the soul of the company.
It is important to realize that this is a symptom of change in human values.
If in the past, leadership valued people for what they can do, it now seems that they need to first value them as human beings, members of the same family and only then to value them for what they can do.
This seems a subtle change, but upon examination it can be seen that we are talking of a core and profound update in work environment that in time will change the way business is conducted.
The prediction of The Thinking Coach is that we may find within approximately 5 years that great companies will be first characterized by this feature. The reason for this is two fold; 1) The dramatic rise in self-consciousness for one’s inner value as human- especially evidenced in women. 2) An increase in the freedom to think for oneself which results in new intelligence and therefore the need to be received and acknowledged. Both of these features are symptomatic of the Silver Epoch. Within this increased sensitivity and New Think permission, if people feel devalued as humans by their leadership, their performance, productivity and willingness drop dramatically.
Networking Hierarchy In this context it is also vital to update the concept of Hierarchy and to rewrite it as Networking Hierarchy, whereby top leadership transforms its decision making strategy from only including the “Usual Suspects” to include people from the different levels of the company, exemplifying a true value for all who are a part of the company family. This radical change requires training as it is multidimensional and cannot be summed up by a few words.
To be ready for change it is important to have a strategic mind set that spots what is missing which is usually a core human value, identifies the cause, admits to it and puts together a plan of action that institutes the missing value. Furthermore, any change needs to have a high value of Recognition of all the good that was achieved thus far, so that change can build upon the success of the past and not diminish it.
The Thinking Coach wishes for you, a prosperous, meaningful and productive year in 2007 and together with your leadership to create a professional environment in which true family aspects can exist, where employees don’t fear personal responsibility and where recognition and encouragement become a way of life.
Eli Harari
The Thinking Coach
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