The Elephant, the Butterfly, the Hummingbird, and the Orchid:
Important Lessons for These Economic Times
I am constantly interested in what makes organizations, businesses, and individuals successful. A recent HBR article drew parallels from the Foreman v. Ali fight, and their symbols, the elephant and butterfly/bee, as creative impetus for business principles and solutions for our current market. I like a good metaphor. Metaphors are universal, offering insights that mold into our personal situations through shared symbolism and meaning. I like this. I am borrowing two of theirs and adding a few of my own.
The HBR article provides both exquisite symbolism and practical analytical tools, and is highly recommended. Give it a read when you have a chance.
One of the most constant assumptions in the change management consulting world is organizations that are highly adaptable will be success in our ever increasing world of rapid change and ambiguity. I tend to agree with this assumption and consult toward this end; however, as HBR points out, there are organizations (and prize fighters) that simply have the size and strength to resist challenges from the most agile competitors and most challenging environments.
Healthy adult elephants have no natural predators. They're big, tough and smart. Elephants, especially females, interact in groups, partnerships, and social circles that provide further protection. Brains and groups are helpful, but their lack of competition is ultimately a result of their size.
There are organizations in our marketplace that are the same, and because of their size, strength, positioning and cash reserves they will weather this down cycle with relative ease. It's important to note, the appearance of strength and size is not strength and size. A sick elephant is an easy target. A large organization, like Enron and Citi Bank, in a state of distress is quickly challenged by shifting markets and harmful attacks.
Consider for a moment your size, strength, production position and essential partnerships: do you have the strength, size and stable relationships with both partners and customers to weather this current storm? How are your cash reserves? Is your organization functional, resilient, and grounded in shared vision? Are the values of your company solidified in each employee? Are the larger systems that support you, lenders, supply chains, and vendors, also stable?
Strength and size is important, but it's not the only thing that will enable survival and success - think Roman Empire and Russia v. Afghanistan. The capacity to change and transform is essential. Caterpillars are great at what they do, and when there is the natural impulse to change they are able to completely transform their capacities and function interacting in a completely different environment and world - from crawling to flying.
Is your organization in touch with the intuition for necessary change? Can your business adapt to meet the demands of the current environment? Are there people in your organization that have the intuition to see needed change, development and evolution? Are there people that can facilitate necessary adaptation and growth?
IBM was able to adapt when their PC business began to fail. Instead of doing the same thing poorly, IBM created a new and powerful business of IT consulting, network installation and customer service. They completely adapted, changed their business model and process, and remained viable and successful.
Progressive and evolutionary change may not be the right thing for your business. Most often, simple, horizontal shifts will keep your organization competitive. The hummingbird has a lot to teach us here. Watching them move is enchanting and mesmerizing. Hover, shift, hover, shift. It's important now, more than ever, to move and reflect in ever rapidly increasing cycles. Pause, lateral shift, pause, lateral shift. Through this process, hummingbirds escape detection from predators and find necessary sustenance. The same will be true with your organization.
Is your organization able to make quick lateral shifts in strategy and process? Are there active reflection and action cycles built into your work process on all levels of your business? Is there clear time for assessment and course correction? Is it easy to let go of things that aren't working any longer and adjust to what does?
Again, we're not looking for big transformative shifts, just the right, strategic adjustments that keep your organization operating well from its current position.
A client over the period of a year gave me about 20 orchids. She would get a new orchid at her office each week, and so she would pass the prior week's off to me. I brought them home. I cared from them. I bought books about orchid care. I bought orchid food. I changed their light. I misted. I looked at them smiling while offering encouraging words. And nothing. They never bloomed again. After a year of this, I put them outside and left them to their own accord. I assumed that they would last just a few weeks in the challenging Los Angeles desert environment.
I was right about some. Some died quickly. However, the majority to my amazement lived! And even more surprising, about half of the plants that lived bloomed. No attention, water, care, food or encouraging words were offered - they simply lived and thrived.
Sometimes, against all odds, things survive and thrive. Does your organization have fierce will, a solid and embodied vision, and a functional strategy to channel these? Is your organization, powered by your people, systems, culture and social structure, going survive against all odds? Do you have the passion?
In this time of challenge and trial, some will fail, some will survive and some will thrive. Leverage your strengths, adapt, position and engage, just like elements in our natural world. It's worked for them for 14+ billion years. It just might work for us.
Important Lessons for These Economic Times
I am constantly interested in what makes organizations, businesses, and individuals successful. A recent HBR article drew parallels from the Foreman v. Ali fight, and their symbols, the elephant and butterfly/bee, as creative impetus for business principles and solutions for our current market. I like a good metaphor. Metaphors are universal, offering insights that mold into our personal situations through shared symbolism and meaning. I like this. I am borrowing two of theirs and adding a few of my own.
The HBR article provides both exquisite symbolism and practical analytical tools, and is highly recommended. Give it a read when you have a chance.
One of the most constant assumptions in the change management consulting world is organizations that are highly adaptable will be success in our ever increasing world of rapid change and ambiguity. I tend to agree with this assumption and consult toward this end; however, as HBR points out, there are organizations (and prize fighters) that simply have the size and strength to resist challenges from the most agile competitors and most challenging environments.
Healthy adult elephants have no natural predators. They're big, tough and smart. Elephants, especially females, interact in groups, partnerships, and social circles that provide further protection. Brains and groups are helpful, but their lack of competition is ultimately a result of their size.
There are organizations in our marketplace that are the same, and because of their size, strength, positioning and cash reserves they will weather this down cycle with relative ease. It's important to note, the appearance of strength and size is not strength and size. A sick elephant is an easy target. A large organization, like Enron and Citi Bank, in a state of distress is quickly challenged by shifting markets and harmful attacks.
Consider for a moment your size, strength, production position and essential partnerships: do you have the strength, size and stable relationships with both partners and customers to weather this current storm? How are your cash reserves? Is your organization functional, resilient, and grounded in shared vision? Are the values of your company solidified in each employee? Are the larger systems that support you, lenders, supply chains, and vendors, also stable?
Strength and size is important, but it's not the only thing that will enable survival and success - think Roman Empire and Russia v. Afghanistan. The capacity to change and transform is essential. Caterpillars are great at what they do, and when there is the natural impulse to change they are able to completely transform their capacities and function interacting in a completely different environment and world - from crawling to flying.
Is your organization in touch with the intuition for necessary change? Can your business adapt to meet the demands of the current environment? Are there people in your organization that have the intuition to see needed change, development and evolution? Are there people that can facilitate necessary adaptation and growth?
IBM was able to adapt when their PC business began to fail. Instead of doing the same thing poorly, IBM created a new and powerful business of IT consulting, network installation and customer service. They completely adapted, changed their business model and process, and remained viable and successful.
Progressive and evolutionary change may not be the right thing for your business. Most often, simple, horizontal shifts will keep your organization competitive. The hummingbird has a lot to teach us here. Watching them move is enchanting and mesmerizing. Hover, shift, hover, shift. It's important now, more than ever, to move and reflect in ever rapidly increasing cycles. Pause, lateral shift, pause, lateral shift. Through this process, hummingbirds escape detection from predators and find necessary sustenance. The same will be true with your organization.
Is your organization able to make quick lateral shifts in strategy and process? Are there active reflection and action cycles built into your work process on all levels of your business? Is there clear time for assessment and course correction? Is it easy to let go of things that aren't working any longer and adjust to what does?
Again, we're not looking for big transformative shifts, just the right, strategic adjustments that keep your organization operating well from its current position.
A client over the period of a year gave me about 20 orchids. She would get a new orchid at her office each week, and so she would pass the prior week's off to me. I brought them home. I cared from them. I bought books about orchid care. I bought orchid food. I changed their light. I misted. I looked at them smiling while offering encouraging words. And nothing. They never bloomed again. After a year of this, I put them outside and left them to their own accord. I assumed that they would last just a few weeks in the challenging Los Angeles desert environment.
I was right about some. Some died quickly. However, the majority to my amazement lived! And even more surprising, about half of the plants that lived bloomed. No attention, water, care, food or encouraging words were offered - they simply lived and thrived.
Sometimes, against all odds, things survive and thrive. Does your organization have fierce will, a solid and embodied vision, and a functional strategy to channel these? Is your organization, powered by your people, systems, culture and social structure, going survive against all odds? Do you have the passion?
In this time of challenge and trial, some will fail, some will survive and some will thrive. Leverage your strengths, adapt, position and engage, just like elements in our natural world. It's worked for them for 14+ billion years. It just might work for us.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment