The Humanity of Commerce

1) FUTURE PROOFING THE WORLD OF WORK: The humanity of commerce

The paradigm of business and commerce is changing.  The prevailing business model of maximising short-term profits for shareholders, is being turned on its head. The catalyst for change lies in the subordinate value of ROI, of the pursuit of profit driven by short term thinking with little or no consideration of the wider impact.  We can no longer accept this as the basis of the way that we lead our companies. It’s no longer an option to continue to “rip the humanity” out of our organisations, as Paul Tudor Jones II asserts in his inspirational TED talk. Mentioning ROI brings me to my next point - clients of Achieve Breakthrough programmes state that they saw a tangible ROI of 60:1 after completing organisational change programmes with us.

Paul is a self-confessed fan of capitalism in all it merits but he builds the case against capitalism by suggesting one fundamental problem in its design.  The pursuit of profit in the absence of any consideration of the impacts of doing so is, in Paul’s words, “unjust”.  He goes on to explain that the concept of “justness” and the inherent shortcomings of the capitalistic model are “threatening the very underpinnings of society”, presenting a real issue for businesses.  A shift for a more progressive approach to business is needed and this will necessitate a mind-set that values long-term thinking and decision making.

In this powerful and striking TED talk, Paul asserts that increasing justness in corporate behavior is the route to undoing some of the damage that the single minded pursuit of profit has caused and most certainly as part of the solution to creating a new paradigm for the future.  In his closing slides, Paul asserts a powerfully simple invitation to businesses, saying:

“When we put justness on par with profits, we will get the most wonderful thing in all the world.  We will take back our humanity.”

“In times of crisis and of dramatic shifts in the world, the business choice is simple - to lead or to follow.  And those that follow are at high risk of missing the turn.  You don’t have to look very far to validate the risks of that positioning – there are lots of examples of companies more committed to their past than the possibility of their future.

We were inspired by Paul’s talk which echoes some of the findings from our white paper on Purpose which we are publishing in June.  The paper will present our view on how leaders can create a shift to more purpose driven business models and the benefits of taking a transformational approach to business change.  If you’d like us to email you a copy, please email: karen.neal@achievebreakthrough.com.

In the meantime, you can be inspired by Paul’s TED talk in full here.

2) BREAKTHROUGH THINKING:  Walls – Built to keep you out or to see how badly you want to get in?

The concept of declaring the breakdowns or “brick walls” that we face when creating a new possibility is core to our Achieve Breakthrough methodology and one which provides access to many breakthroughs for our clients time and time again.  In a recent article in Entrepreneur magazine, the author shares his recent experience of launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund his idea for a Movie.  The journey has forced the author of this piece to embrace the power and lessons that lie in the barriers that we face when launching a new initiative, even though they often feel relentless and unforgiving in nature.

He writes,

“The barriers we run into are a test. A test of your resolve, creativity and faith. Our faith must be greater than our fear, otherwise “the wall” wins. I believe the solution to scaling the “walls” in your life is to have goals and dreams so big, they intimidate your problems.”

It seems strange to many when we say that we celebrate setbacks in our work at Achieve Breakthrough because for us and our clients, they serve as a proof point that you see a new possibility is being created.  The key is how you engage with them as leaders, seeing them as an opening and a possibility based conversation as opposed to signals of failure.  To achieve something extraordinary, there is always a gap between the current reality and the possibility we have committed to as a leader. That pathway to commitment is paved with continual setbacks that need to be overcome.

It is human nature to hit a brick wall or setback, rationalize the situation, justify why it is that way and then set a new goal and objective – usually a lower one. This is the path of least resistance that may lead to incremental improvement but it will serve as a ceiling to what’s possible and will prevent you and your organistion from achieving extraordinary results.

To read more about the Kickstarter campaign and for some insights into 'brick walls', click here.

3) BREAKTHROUGH LEADERS: What would Michael Jordan do?

As we begin the second quarter of 2015, many of us are entering into performance review season.  In a recent Muse article, Adrian Hopkins shared his learning’s from the “40 under 40” type boss that he worked for during his time at MTV Networks. When Hopkins asked his boss how he stayed motivated to continuing to progress, he replied “I want a win every quarter”.

Hopkins interpreted that as the pursuit of collecting “wins” and successes throughout the year, not just when it’s time for the annual review.  One of the Achieve Breakthrough team read this article and shared how they had been introduced to the concept of a “brag folder” when they worked for their previous employer; the idea being that you keep a record of your achievements and feedback you’ve received and, in doing so, you accrue valuable insights over time into where your strengths are.  It also serves as a rather handy collection of proof points when it comes to negotiating a promotion or salary increase!

The reason we included this article in our blog this week lies in the curiously interesting if not slightly unusual question that it offers as a vehicle for continuing to grow and improve performance, namely “What would Michael Jordan do? According to Hopkins:

The best basketball player in history could have stopped after his first championship, or his first three. But he pushed himself and his team to six championships, the most wins in a season, and 10 individual scoring records.

What the author presents us with is the observed ability of Michael Jordan to go beyond predictable, to push himself and his team in such a way that would see them achieving something that was truly unprecedented in the game of basketball – to win again and again, breaking records on the way.  Business leaders can draw parallels from this example and ask themselves whether they are playing safe, celebrating one achievement and accepting its finality or whether they are committed to a winning strategy which sees them achieve success after success again and again by design.

So which leader are you? And if Michael Jordan was in your shoes, ask yourself, What would Michael Jordan do?

Read the full article here.

4) IN SEARCH OF RED OCHRE:  The next chapter in the quest to find Jakob’s Colours

As the epic journey of our friend Lindsay Hawdon and her two boys continues, we enjoyed reading her story of the quest to find Red Ochre in Australia.  In one of a series of articles covering their wonderful adventures, her article published in this week’s Independent tells the story of a “forgotten world of ghosts” as our three travellers went in search of the Ochre pits of Alice Springs.

The article is beautifully written and one of the most poignant of those that we have covered during their quest to find seven different colours in seven different countries over the last few months, linked to the launch of Lindsay’s hotly awaited debut novel Jakob’s Colours which is out now.

To read the article in full, click here

5) ACHIEVE BREAKTHROUGH IN THE PRESS:  Saying goodbye to the “rank and yank” approach to performance management

The world of performance management is changing. Gone are the days of the old world mindset of “control-order-predict” based on a once a year, backward looking conversation.  In an interview with Personnel Today, Achieve Breakthrough’s Mike Straw, presented the dangers of this conventional approach, saying:

“Labelling people with a performance band or number encourages a “fight or flight” mentality: people resist it or decide they want to leave. It breeds resentment and dissatisfaction. It also fosters the notion that performance possibilities are essentially fixed, almost pre-determined – instead of the view that you can learn, develop, grow your performance and become better.”

To read our article in full and learn more about a transformational approach to HR and Performance Management, click here

6) STORY FOR INSPIRATION:  Biography is not destiny

Rebekah Gregory was one of many people to be injured in the 2013 Boston bombings.  Despite undergoing 17 separate surgical procedures in an attempt to repair her leg, she chose to have it amputated late last year.  Rebecca wanted to run the full distance of the Boston Marathon but was told by doctors that doing so would damage her leg.

Undeterred, Rebekah decided that she could still cross the finish line that was denied her 2 years prior.  She started at mile 23 and in doing so, she crossed the spot where she thought she was going to die in 2013.  In an inspiring and emotional commentary, Rebekah shared what it felt like to cross that very spot, writing:

“To remember what it felt like to be bleeding out on the pavement, wondering if I would ever see my child’s smile again.  In a matter of minutes, my entire world changed.  Everything I knew was literally blown to pieces, and I was forced to start picking them up one by one.”

Rebekah ran the last 2 miles, taking to her knees after crossing the finishing line and declaring “This is the day I take my life back.”  Rebekah’s grit and determination doesn’t stop here - Rebekah has committed to running the full distance in 2016.  In an interview with espnW, Rebekah said:

“I took my life back today.  I want people to know that there’s life after bad things that happen to you.”

Her story serves as a profoundly brave example of how a determination to not be defined by the past can be transformational.  It reminded us that what’s been before doesn’t determine the future. Biography is not destiny. The past does not equal the future, unless of course you live there.

Read more about Rebekah’s incredible story and watch the moment that she crossed the line for yourself right here.

Have you got an extraordinary story that you would like considered for publishing on our monthly blog: 6 Impossible Things? Do get in touch by contacting karen.neal@achievebreakthrough.com.