The Coming Revolution

It’s been coming for more than five hundred years and it has reached many organizations already.  If it has not reached yours yet – then maybe you need to start the revolution.  It’s the overthrow of Hero Leadership.

The revolution has its roots as far back as the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s.  Part of the "reforms" involved people saying they deserved direct access to understanding God’s will and it did not have to be discerned through a Priest.  This shifted the role of clergy.

The same sentiment swept Europe with the overthrow of monarchies two hundred years later.  People wanted direct access to decisions on how they were governed.  This has certainly shifted the role of Kings and Queens.

Another two hundred years later the revolution has finally reached companies, government, and nonprofit organizations.  People want direct access into how their organization is run.  It is the end of the boss being the Hero who is supposed to know everything and make all decisions in her or his “divine” wisdom.  It’s not the end of hierarchy and I am not saying that all decisions will be made by consensus or majority vote.  But it is the beginning of making sure that people are afforded a meaningful voice into how their organization is run.  The role of the "boss" has to shift to be more facilitator and collaborator -- less "King" or "Hero."

Gurus like Russ Ackoff and Gary Hamel have been foretelling of this change for years.  Ackoff called it a “democratic” form of organizational structure.  You can read more about Hamel’s views in his regular newsletter or see an example of how he influenced Cisco to make “democratic” changes in this article from Fast Company.

Do the people on your team feel like they have a meaningful voice in how your organization is run?  Are they regularly given the opportunity to share their ideas at the strategic, as well as the operational level?  Do they feel that their opinions count? 

If you answer “no” to these questions, then I am suggesting that you are losing out on a lot of potentially good ideas for improving your performance.  It today’s complex environment, we need to harness the talents of everyone on the team.  Moreover, the most talented people have more freedom today to move to organizations which appreciate them.  You run the risk of losing your best people to those who will involve them more.

Democracy.  How revolutionary!  Power to the People.

For more ideas on how you can lead breakthroughs in your organization, follow this blog and check out my web site at www.SheehanNonprofitConsulting.com   You will find free resources you can download, including a Breakthrough Strategy Workbook that you can download at no cost.  You can also check out my book, Mission Impact:  Breakthrough Strategies for Nonprofits, and buy it if you are interested.  And you can follow Sheehan Nonprofit Consulting on Facebook.

Mission & The Louvre

When I saw it, I was shocked.  I’m talking about I. M. Pei’s pyramid, sitting in the center of the Courtyard of Napoleon at The Louvre here in Paris.

How did this happen?

To me, it was like a beautiful tattoo . . . . . on the forehead of a gorgeous woman.  Out of place and disturbing.

But what do I know?  As most of you are aware, The Louvre is one of the world’s largest and most important museums.  And I am certainly not an expert on art, architecture, or museums. 

Thanks to Nathalie & Benoit for participating in my extensive research project.

I decided to do some research.  Why would a museum of such historical significance do such a thing?  How could they stray from their mission?

First, I thought, let’s hear what the people think.  Maybe my reaction is totally off base.  I decided to research the opinions of Parisians.  What did they think of the pyramid?  Fifty percent of all the people I interviewed hated the pyramid, and fifty percent loved it!  There was no middle ground.  Curious.  What’s going on here?  How could there be such disagreement over such an important strategic decision?  Could this be a “mission” problem?

I decided to research the missions of museums.  Why are they here, what do they stand for, what is their intended Aim & Impact?  It turns out that this issue has already been researched.  In his article, “Sixty Museums in Search of a Purpose,” Andras Szanto points out that most museum mission statements are vague.  And a number are quite long, including MoMA’s 420 words and the National Gallery of Art’s 403.

So here’s my conclusion.  The vague mission of The Louvre itself, and museums in general, made this a difficult decision to make.  And then, add to that the fact that The Louvre is far more than a museum.  It is an historical landmark, having first been a fortress and then the palace of kings before it was turned into a museum.  I realize that is the basis of my reaction.  I felt like the pyramid desecrated a landmark.  But, looking at The Louvre more like a museum and piece of art itself, I can see how the pyramid adds to its beauty.  And it is beautiful, especially at night.

The bottom line.  I think it shows again how important it is to get the Aim & Impact of a mission statement right.  Without that, it makes decision-making difficult and can lead to a variety of opinions on what Mission Impact you are trying to make. 

Is your mission clear on the Aim & Impact you intend to make?

For more ideas on how you can lead breakthroughs in your organization, follow this blog and check out my web site at www.SheehanNonprofitConsulting.com   You will find free resources you can download, including a Breakthrough Strategy Workbook that you can download at no cost.  You can also check out my book, Mission Impact:  Breakthrough Strategies for Nonprofits, and buy it if you are interested.  And you can follow Sheehan Nonprofit Consulting on Facebook.

The $100 Billion Challenge

In an effort to help people “Think Outside the Box,” I have developed a new exercise that I invite you to try out as you create visions for the future.

One of the problems in getting people to think creatively is that we are so immersed in our resource constraints that it is difficult to break free from them to dream of what we really want.  So here’s the exercise:

Tell a group that you want them to create a vision of what the organization would look like ideally if they could have it any way they wanted it – with no constraints whatsoever.  Then tell them to imagine that a group of billionaires have pooled their money together to make a grant of up to $100 billion to the organization that presents the most compelling, inspiring vision for their future. 

If you really had $100 billion at your disposal, what kind of organization would you create so you could make the greatest Mission Impact possible?  Freeing us from resource constraints helps put us in touch with our greatest dreams which truly inspire us to make the maximum impact possible.

Try this at your next retreat and watch the creativity flow!

For more ideas on how you can lead breakthroughs in your organization, follow this blog and check out my web site at www.SheehanNonprofitConsulting.com   You will find free resources you can download, including a Breakthrough Strategy Workbook that you can download at no cost.  You can also check out my book, Mission Impact:  Breakthrough Strategies for Nonprofits, and buy it if you are interested.  And you can follow Sheehan Nonprofit Consulting on Facebook.