DISQUS

Lee LeFever · 2 years ago

Hey Sean.
I like to see the assumptive close come up again. About long term market advantage vs. market relevance - I think both are stake. Lately I've often said that the basic rules of business have not changed - it's still focused on relationships with customers. What has changed is customer's expectations of what it means to have a reationship with a business. The businesses that succeed in co-production, co-development, etc. succeed because of the strength of these relationships and the willingness to pursue them. I cannot think of a better long term market advantage than productive and trusting relationships with customers.

Frank Roche · 2 years ago

Hi Sean,

Thought-provoking, indeed. There has been so much talk in the past few years about "human capital" and "employee engagement." I'm afraid a lot of that talk was just that: talk. There wasn't much of a conversation. Which is at the heart of why mission-driven work is so engaging and work-work sometimes isn't. Getting the conversation rolling, helping employees participate as much as customers in the refinement and success of a business, that works.

Sean ODriscoll · 2 years ago

Thanks for joining the conversation here! You make a great point. I'm not an HR professional, but I do run a global team of about 100 people so I have some experience with the challenges of both management and leadership (two often mis-understood domains - all too often thought of as the same thing). As the world shifts to a more inclusive / co-production set of processes, the role that a much larger set of employees can have in joining the conversation with customers will change the game in a number of ways. I think lowering that barrier for internal to external conversation (both ways) is an amazing tool for changing the perception people have about their work and customers have about your company - at the heart of the more transparent company - an earlier post.

I know the implications of this will bring new challenges from a legal and corporate policy standpoint for many organizations, but I think these will be good issues to address vs reasons not to engage.

sean

Frank Roche · 2 years ago

Sean, well phrased: "[So I have some experience with the challenges of both management and leadership (two often misunderstood domains -- all too often thought of as the same thing)." Excellent! And so true.

Yes, some legal questions, but doing the right thing always prevails. And getting people engaged in the convo is always a winner. If anything else, we hear in HR surveys that people want to be respected and valued for what they do. The more we listen -- genuinely listen -- the better it works. And with tools to do it...all the better!

Sean ODriscoll · 2 years ago

This topic of Management and leadership probably deserves a full post even though it's not core to my normal topic...I'll give this some thought and pull it up in the days/weeks ahead.

thanks for your insights.
sean