Every month, I enjoy reading "The Future of the Future" column in KM World. In April's article, Art Murray wrote part one of a two-part piece on Real Change and how companies should be transforming their way of doing business.
I loved all of his ideas: move from hierarchies to networks, eliminate silos, make learning systemic, focus on systemic improvements not band-aids, and be positive about how to make things work. Common sense tells us that, yes, these are all great ideas to make the organization run smoother and employees happier.
So, why do silos still exist? Why do we implement bandaids knowing they will peel off eventually? Why don't people share information with each other freely?
In a word...FEAR. I hoard information to make myself more valuable. I don't share in forums because I am afraid of looking stupid. I implement band-aids because doing something quick looks better than taking time to plan, which looks like I'm doing nothing.
I have spent my entire career championing ground-up, organic change. And, once leaders saw the degree of crowd approval and desire, that was the tipping point to making that change a reality but it always needed an eventual leadership endorsement to become a business practice.
Lately, I have found that grassroots efforts aren't enough to tip the scales if leaders aren't willing to acknowledge and listen to the fear that permeates their employees. I think it takes a brave soul, willing to take a risk, to point out to leadership how to alleviate people's fears.
I still think real change takes real leadership. Plain and simple. Real leadership is:
Setting expectations to share; in fact, hoarding should be disciplined
Empowering people to make mistakes.....once
Giving time to properly plan and discouraging band-aids, unless they make business sense
Assuring people to share ideas; don't penalize if they are off the mark
Empowering people to make decisions
Delegating authority with tasks