Geeks were once marginalized. Now, Brand U geeks seem to run the world. Commercials, ads, rock bands, books, TV soaps, and TV sit-coms are making techno-geeks cool. Look at the number of TV stories that have a stereotypical geek landing the big-job, working killer hours and making billions on an IPO, or running off into …
People matter and happy people matter most. Duh… This seems like common sense but sometimes it takes exhaustive studies to validate conventional wisdom. The Gallup opinion organization polled 100,000 employees at 24 large companies over 25 years. Bottom line: happy workers made successful companies. Brand U leaders also matter because they create a culture of …
Someone one said that democracy in action isn’t pretty, but it’s better than the alternatives. That’s pretty much the same with flat organizations. The greatest benefit of the flat organization is that a company can react more quickly to customer and technological changes. Speed, one of the 7 critical Brand U practices, is a critical …
Leaderless organization? Is that an oxymoron? A popular work metaphor is the orchestra leader. This person more often than not imposes his/her vision on the group. In Orpheus, the orchestra encourages each player to lead, to be heard and to listen for the common good. This does not mean that members are passive. Orchestra …
Still too new Requires new work behaviors/habits May be out of company loops Requires high technology costs Requires new management styles Difficult to manage results and performance
Develop flexible schedules Lower stress Lower commuting costs Freedom of office interruption/meetings Cut costs Balance work and family life Keep top talent Respond to customer requests 24 hours/day
Trust is earned Trust requires dependability Trust requires open, honest, and direct communication Trust requires ‘walking the talk’ Trust requires commitment to the common good Trust is won Trust requires listening Trust requires mutual respect
My job is to disturb the system. I give people new ways to think. It’s more a matter of offering people different perspectives and influencing their thinking than trying to drive them. Chris Turner, Xerox Business Systems
Brand U’s want to be more involved and empowered to control their work destinies. Many of us want to be actively involved with our work, to feel what we do is important, and to know we’re important. We don’t want to feel restrained by restrictive organizational practices. Most companies realize this because many of us …
Are people the most critical asset in your organization? Is the need for change communicated well in your organization? Who are your organization’s stakeholders? Who are your internal/external customers? Do you know your customer’s needs and how to satisfy them? How do your customers value your Brand U contributions? What does ‘good’ management mean to …