Empassioning Organisations
Ten years ago, Jim Collins began researching the unique characteristics of great companies, and the hedgehog model was born. The concept is that great companies have three common core elements that make them great. Firstly they are deeply passionate about what they do, next they know what they can do to be the best in the world, and finally they are clear about what drives their economic engines. In his book “Good to Great” published in 2001 he says:
“Good to great companies did not say ‘ok folks, let’s get passionate about what we do’ sensibly, they went the other way entirely; ‘we should only do the things we can get passionate about’” – Jim Collins
It is one of life’s little mysteries that so few companies wishing to be great have focused on the passions of their people since these research findings were released. Perhaps they could not access the tools and techniques to do so, as they do focus on the other two components of the model, for which many techniques are commonly used.
There are some notable exceptions. It is well known amongst web developers that one of the perks of working at Google is that you get 20% of your time off to explore what interests you or what you are passionate about, a concept termed ‘Innovation Time Off’. More than half the new innovations and products of the company have started during these periods.
And where would Apple be without the guiding passion of founder and CEO Steve Jobs?
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking, and don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it, and like any great relationship it just gets better and better as the years roll on.” – Steve Jobs
So how can we start to think about encouraging our own organisation to be more passionate to work in? Here are some ideas:
1. Every individual can be passionate: This is the attitude we need to hold for our own people, our families and our clients. Practice discovering and embracing the passions of people you come into contact with. Pay particular attention to those who you know are underperforming.
2. Passions are unique to individuals: This is the great mystery of passion. Why are we passionate about some things and not others? Provide the ‘space’ for individuals to discover, practice and develop their unique passions; do not expect people to be passionate about the same things you are. Allow passion time off like Google software engineers. Generate special projects which reflect your passions.
3. Passion is free sustainable renewable energy: Have you ever felt exhausted and then done something that you are passionate about? The chances are that you immediately received a new lease of life. Encourage those you work with to live and work passionately; the whole team will benefit from the increased energy and creativity liberated.
4. Passion is contagious: Acknowledge individuals who particularly display passion in their work. Enable them to be visible by provide opportunities for them to connect with others. Ensure that recruitment policies pay attention to passion. Use passionate language in your communications. Most clients love to work with passionate people.
5. Nothing bonds people like shared passion: How exhilarating it is to watch your favorite sports team full of team spirit and passion; somehow those qualities always go together; find something that excites those around you and do it; find a shared vision or a new mountain to climb. Run internal events, such as Passion Cafes or Passion Salons which enable people with similar passions to come together across organisational boundaries and structures.
Passion tools and techniques did not exist when Jim Collins wrote his landmark book nearly a decade ago. But they do now! Perhaps it is time to revisit the possibility of empassioning your own organization. It requires boldness and belief in the power of passion. Do you have that?
By Peter Wallman