Retention in a Changing World - Additional Reflections
We believe there is another reflection to be made about the psychological, emotional, and group implications of new governance models that have been experimented with. The complex and ambiguous challenges that many companies face have led to the experimentation and adoption of management modalities that revolve around shared responsibilities and collective decision-making. Agile teams are the most commonly cited example of such solutions. However, the enthusiasm for these solutions has been accompanied by frequent reports of challenges arising from misalignment among people, a lack of genuine information sharing, and the absence of individual and collective accountability, which create rework and distrust. Organizational changes of this magnitude do not only involve a readjustment of principles and roles; they also include the transformation of our beliefs about ourselves, others, what it means to work cooperatively as a team, and what leadership is.
From our experience coaching teams, the success of these changes needs to be supported by a wide-ranging and ongoing process of individual and collective growth, consistent with the assumptions of these new decision-making forms.
There is one last point we find relevant. Our recent past increasingly suggests that our success depends on a set of capabilities that extend well beyond technical and digital skills. Some time ago, a coaching client told me: “I know I need to change because when I encounter a problem, I need to find the perfect solution. I take too long with that. I feel a lot of stress when I consider incomplete solutions. And I know that, increasingly, I will have to live with incomplete solutions.” To what extent are organizations helping people develop skills that enable them to cope with an increasingly complex and sometimes chaotic reality, like the one we live in? When we ask people to make changes more frequently, to learn new and difficult things, are we also helping them rethink how they view themselves, the world, and their place in organizations? Are we helping them create new mental mechanisms that will allow them to deal with the exhaustion that a rapidly changing reality generates?
All indications suggest that the demand for technological skills will be accelerated as digitalization extends to more and more sectors and activities. Minimizing the organizational effects of turnover generated for these reasons will pose significant challenges, and organizations may not always succeed. However, viewing the quality of professional relationships as the foundation of a solid organization: 1) that is genuinely experienced as a good place to work, 2) where individuals and teams are led in a way that truly promotes their performance and personal growth, 3) where all leadership is available to engage in development processes that involve reflection, questioning, and self-change, could be a relevant counterpoint to a trend that seems irreversible. Many leaders have reported increased challenges they face when working with younger generations. In their eyes, these generations show a desire to work in positive work environments, to receive quality feedback regularly, and to feel that their opinions are heard. We wonder about this: to what extent will these individuals be willing to work in organizational cultures that still perceive leadership merely within the “command and control” paradigm, as if their ecosystem had not changed significantly since the late 20th century? In a recent coaching session, a director expressed dismay at losing some young people with immense potential because they did not want to work with a board that, they believed, hindered the achievement of ambitious goals through daily micromanagement and frequent shifts in direction. Interestingly, this board is concerned with developing leadership skills within the company... but distances itself from that development process, as if climate survey indicators only pertained to directors and middle managers. I noticed the paradox in this positive intention to promote organizational change being accompanied by an underlying belief that the problem lies with others.
Some of the most interesting work on leadership in a rapidly changing and complex world points to the need for us to place ourselves at the center of the problems we seek to solve and to reflect on/assume our co-responsibility in their emergence and continuity. To what extent are organizations promoting the tangible and lasting changes that we all, without exception, need to make? When we look at the history of leaders recognized by their teams and organizations as exceptional, and who were instrumental in positive and sustainable organizational changes, we find that most of these individuals use feedback about themselves, gathered directly or through others, as a fundamental compass for their actions and decisions. The success of the cultural transformation that L’Oreal achieved in the U.S. is well-known, which included, among other things, everyone receiving feedback clearly and continuously, regardless of their hierarchical position. Reports indicate that it was an individually very challenging process, but that it allowed for genuine awareness of each person's contributions to the results. The opportunity for each individual to reflect on their influence within the system and the public commitment of each to make congruent and visible behavioral changes facilitated the emergence of a true culture of innovation, with commitment from all levels of the organization.
