This is the request we make at the beginning of a Viral Change™ programme. Forget your function and your hierarchical position. You are participating in the social movement representing yourself. The leadership of the organization has asked you to participate and you are a champion/activist, holding a key role because of who you are as a person, not your role description. And, if highly connected and influential champions have been found via anonymous peer nomination (as we do) then your power is significant, whether you are a manager, a supervisor or a porter.
There are not many instances in organizational life where people are called to help towards a mission, which is not dependent on their position in the organization chart. It’s novel, to say the least.
The role description that people have and their hierarchical position in the system, dictate pretty much what they do. But those glasses (those sandals) de facto limit them. A community organizer, sports school coach or organizer of an amateur theatre group in the evenings, has unique skills and qualities that maybe completely lost at 09:00 am every day as soon as they wear the Health and Safety supervisor’s hat, for example.
We need to engage more and more people for who they are, and that entails a serious desire to find out! It’s extremely healthy to ask, what would Peter look like (do or say) if he left his HR sandals at the door? It would be magic to try.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Upcoming Events
Join my team and I for these forthcoming webinars:
THERE IS A BETTER WAY WITH THE CHALFONT PROJECT
Join my team of organization architects and I, as we explore the future of organizational life. We will explain how the 3 Pillars of The Chalfont Project’s Organizational Architecture – smart organizational design, large scale behavioural and cultural change and collective leadership – work together to create a ‘Better Way‘ for organizations to flourish in the post-COVID world.
- Webinar 1: “A Better Way to…Design your organizational structures to create a Remarkable Organization for the future.”
27th May, 1730 BST/1830 CET
- Webinar 2: “A Better Way to…Create sustainable large scale behavioural and cultural change across your organization.”
3rd June, 1730 BST/1830 CET
- Webinar 3: “A Better Way to…Build and enhance your collective leadership capabilities.”
17th June, 1730 BST/1830 CET
Would you like to comment?