We need fearless and compassionate organisations where people feel safe to make mistakes and speak “truth to power”. Yes. And at the same time we need “generative” organisations where people innovate, learn and grow together — in pursuit of a meaningful collective endeavor. Sadly, whilst I’m seeing some progress on the former, I have found less in the latter.
I believe we must be careful not to create Organisations that treat psychological safety as a compliance topic, or even as an isolated D&I goal. Or paint employee wellbeing on their flags as a means to — instrumentally — avoid public scrutiny or win the (alleged) “talent war”. Or just promote more agility in their product development…
In my experience, progress often requires a deep, uncomfortable and disruptive inquiry into how organisations can truly enable collective development and flourishing “through and at work”. Instead of clever consultants coming to pester people with “growth mindsets” and “culture change”, it means communally investigating into some big questions: Why are we really here? Are we truly ethical? Do we truly care about each other? How do we know what we know? What are we missing? Why do we behave as we do? Where is power and is it good? What is status? Is everybody contributing? What is taboo, or not being said?…
Development isn’t just about self-celebratory “fuck-up Fridays” or yoga classes — it requires thoughtful and continual, intentional evolution of corporate purpose and governance, Leadership and Organisational design and ultimately of emotional and moral character, and wisdom. It is hard. We need structures, policies, procedures and norms supporting a “co-elevating” entrepreneurial community. We need leaders able to foster purposeful interdependent growth, beyond “empowerment”. We must enable vulnerable individual and collective reflection — beyond Agile standups and fail fast dogmas. So that learning can really happen in single, double AND triple loops. And, yes, we need people willing to care and put their ego second. Assholes need to leave the shop, especially when they happen to be executives.
Only if we are not only willing to make mistakes, but also to “dialectically” examine ourselves and our organisational system “in the light of ourselves”, if we are willing to collectively hold each other to grow, and if we turn responsibility into day-to-day management… will organisations spark joy and light, where today are still often shadows and ill-repressed suffering…
From: “Sunday Morning Thoughts on LinkedIn” — I will report some of the interesting LinkedIn dialogues here, paraphrased and applying the atham House Rule — trying to protect some of the sentiments, thoughts, and above all our stimulating discussions from oblivion ;-)
