The new WoW (ways of working)

Observation & setting the scene

In todays business context transformation, change and new ways of working bang around everyday. We want to be more efficient yet successful reaching extraordinary business goals. On top of this professionals want to work to create meaning and self-confidence.

Where are the days where you hired a named diploma and paid a shitload of money to execute? Why do we have the need to change and what are “old” ways of working? Environments where people economize on information and try to dominate by the chain of command loose attraction and business relevance.

This is the playground for the bozo explosion, because weak managers hire obedient managers and employees, so they can tell them what to do. Good people don’t hang around much in hostile and non-productive working environments like this. They want to develop in their field, be respected for their expertise and rewarded accordingly.

But reward doesn’t only content money. The environment, attitude, free space to develop, new ideas, sufficient technical support and modern ways of working stimulate young talents and efficient professionals to sacrifice their lives to the work and business they are in. Every company wants to jump curves regardless of the business they are in. It’s more of a sense and response attitude with close retrospective circles then relying on public expertise and competence marketing.

Still we are sold out via big names and expertise pinup boys that consider understanding all business needs including the “best of bread” solutions to any business situation. If an applicant would describe himself as world class problem solver and flexible success enabler. Recruiter might kick his/her ass down the road with in the first 5 minutes of the interview. Nobody likes cocky generalist that want to be hired because of their attitude and emotional intelligence. You hire the solid track record, diplomas and named references. Why? Because it’s measurable and justifiable if someone has second thoughts about the hiring.

Hire & fire / Up or out

In highly competitive environments the animal brain is still dominating. Investment bankers are selected from the top educational performers. They learn the rules of the liberal economy order and get the means at hand to execute effectively in the money creation business. It’s not a place where you win a price for social or moral conscience. You make a fortune by outsmarting business partners & economic sanity. It’s up or out and still the ways of this business has magical magnitude to a lot of elite players in the market. The wisdom of “more” has infected the workplaces over the globe.

The bozo explosion

In a not so competitive environment employees and managers are not quite so well educated and full of potential but the will to make money inherited down the system and implies that lowering moral conscience and outsmarting the environment will lead to a similar wealth. Cocky and powerful people acting “as if” are quite successful  in achieving certain goals but inflating proper business environments where people like to work passionately and creatively.

New ways of working

What we need is another mindset which is immune of liberal excesses and is not giving up to the bozo administration. We need broad and well-educated people with a sense of creativity and functional accuracy. They have to be self-confident and eager to learn and experience new things. More importantly we need an environment where these fellows can be detected, hired and “maintained” to be most productive in a lean and clean workplace. It’s a effort cross organizations and a mindset/attitude challenge we face. We need courage and profound and sustainable positive examples – top down? Leadership worked “down” the organization. Nowadays it spirals around in a more network type of structure. We have to influence and appear as close to our co-workers as possible and lead by sanity, meaning and economic value.

We do not search for methods to establish new ways of working – it’s personality & attitude that changes the game.