Harnessing Everyday Genius
Building an organization where every employee is an inspired Problem-solver
The pace at which an organization advances depends critically on the willingness and ability of employees to identify and address new problems. Luckily, within any organization there’s a near limitless number of worthwhile problems to solve. Unfortunately, the data suggests most employees lack the incentives, tools and opportunities to be proactive problem solvers.
In a global Gallup survey, only 1 out of 5 employees believed their opinions mattered at work, and only 1 in 11 said they had the freedom to experiment and take risks. It’s hardly surprising, then, that only 23 percent of employees around the world are fully engaged in their work. The other 77 percent show up each day, but leave most of the initiative and ingenuity at home.
There are profound benefits that come from turning every employee into an inspired problem-solver. To reap this dividend, an organization must (1) invest in the business literacy of every employee; (2) make frontline teams accountable for a genuine P&L; (3) enlarge the decision rights of first-level employees; (4) give them a genuine stake in the success of their unit or team, (5) create dense lateral networks that speed the diffusion of new solutions, (6) support experimentation; and (7) treat every employee and role as critical to success. The goal is a work environment where every employee has the chance to do something extraordinary every day.
Gary can help your organization harness the power of collective genius.