There are three factors that consistently appear to forcefully impact the capacity of the organisation to succeed in achieving results. The first is the ability of the organisation to give original and unique responses to its customers. The second is the capacity of the organisation to create new knowledge and apply it successfully to products and processes. The last factor is the ability of the organisation to create a workplace in which each person chooses accountability for making the entire enterprise successful.

To create new knowledge, to grant all customers the exception they want, and to encourage everyone to choose accountability for the whole requires each person to make the business his own. This means throwing oneself into work with hands, head and heart. Such leaps of faith does not occur because they are demanded. They only occur when they are personal acts of choice.

These strengths cannot take root and flourish within a management strategy committed to control, consistency and compliance as the ‘primary’ way to run things. The heavy hand of demand will not create an organisation that’s distinguished by resourcefulness, inventiveness, or imagination……

…..If we want to give birth to a workplace that chooses, supports and sustains  individual accountability, we must do at least three things. First, we must engage people in radically different ways. Second, we must forsake our utilitarian thinking about change in favour of invviting engagement as the means of creating change. And, finally, we must deliberately let loose the reins of power and commit to a broad and deep distribution of business literacy and accountability throught the workplace.

Joel Henning