"no matter what the cost to our people..." is the bit that most organisations conveniently forget to add!!
Recently I had a fit of curiosity and asked my LinkedIn connections for ideas on how they would reinvent business. I had a heap of thought-provoking responses, including the fellow who wrote back and pretty much said it’s been a fabulous system for the past few hundred years and there’s no reason to change a thing!
After I got over wondering where he keeps his blinkers while he sleeps, I started thinking about what an interesting response it was – I’ve been searching for years, how could I possibly have missed the Centre of Utopian Business? Does it exist or is it yet to be created?
Here’s the top 5 things I’ve seen since I’ve been in the workforce that really don’t work… (hmmm the word ‘workforce’ does not exactly exude joy does it? Could we call our people ‘peopleflow’ or ‘playflow’ instead??)
1. Since the industrial revolution business has put profits well in front of people, leading to record-breaking levels of bullying, stress, depression, death, slave labour, environmental destruction and many other non-joyful outcomes, all for the benefit of the few at the top.
2. The business world has a really severe case of ‘meeting-itis’ – apparently no drugs have been found to cure it yet and the virus is confusing people into believing they are leading rich, rewarding, purposeful lives.
3. The insanely competitive race for profits, efficiency and productivity has seen the death of honesty, integrity and authenticity at pretty much all levels of many organizations, leading to a talent exodus from big business. The structures that have sustained us for hundreds of years are disintegrating quickly!
4. There is a lack of innovation and creativity in most businesses – real differentiation is rare except in the new-fangled creative accounting departments which sadly surprise us with their financial ingenuity far too often!
5. There is little sense of true connection or community, even though bank advertising would have you believe it’s all about the love they have for us (LOL!). There is mostly surface level connection between shareholders, senior managers, staff and customers – instead it is all about secrets, sabotage and scarcity. What if there could be true non-competitive collaboration instead?
What would it take to reinvent business in ways that allow new and more blissful business choices? The good news is, some of the real leaders in business (and generally that’s NOT the CEO’s of big business!) have already started paving the way… times like these create massive possibilities for those willing to be different!!
Some businesses are choosing to make their workplace an engaging and enticing place to spend 8 hours a day rather than worrying about every last cent – think Google, Red Balloon Days and Carmen’s Fine Foods - (funnily enough they are all growing businesses.)
Some leaders are smart enough to know that ‘meeting-it is’ can be cured using holistic approaches – apparently simply holding a stand-up meeting will bring massive relief to sufferers!
Smart, intuitive, creative people are leaving big corporations to start their own businesses in droves because there is no bliss, love or joy to be found in traditional business and spending 8 – 12 hours a day doing something you hate just doesn’t cut it anymore. Many are now building their own authentic, collaborative, inspirational communities so that business can be reinvented to sustain purpose, people and profits!
I predict that over time these new leaders will be teaching the old leaders how it’s done… Every day I connect with courageous, interesting, creative business owners and employees looking for ways to reinvent business that are ethical, blissful and sustainable… what would it take to be the change you want to see in the world? (Or you could keep on with groundhog day… how’s it working for you??)
Want to join a conversation of real leaders? Here’s a couple of choices for you:
Connect with people who are ‘different like you’ for two blissful days of Unconference presentations and conversations at The Bliss Connection in beautiful Maleny (Qld, Australia) on 30/31 October 2010…
or connect with BlissTribe on Facebook!
Comments
Great that you are initiating these discussions. I am also very passionate about how we work and create. I have been researching and working in this area for the past 7 years. It is very heartening to me that now the basis for how we work the way that we do is being challenged - and luckily not everybody has been blinkered as you say.
I am particularly looking at the approach to working "as if" it will happen rather than how it actually is. Hard to be creative when everything is so linear and bland.
See that you are also in the WNA. We met briefly at a recent lunch.
Best wishes,
Erin