New How Summary Day 3: The Chief of Answers

This one resonates with me. In our organization, we use a "Vision Mapping" process adapted from Steve Scott's book "Mentored by a Millionaire". It's a simple process of mapping out your tasks to steps, steps to goals, goals to dreams. I use to do this process with only a few of the key stakeholders involved, and it met with limited success. Over the past 3 years all staff have been included in the process and together we work toward creating the organizational vision map, everyone is involved and everyone has a part to play. You can imagine how our whole culture has changed. Team members are empowered, motivated and have ownership over their part of the plan and productivity has soared. It took some letting go of the vision, and not trying to be the "Chief of Answers", but it was worth it.

Todd - that's awesome. To see that process work for an organization that is doing truly important work is very inspiring. Thanks for sharing the story!

There are so many chiefs running around, and they don't know they don't know. The opportunity is for the rest of us is for us to dispose the chiefs and mine the gold, the gold being the knowledge of people actually doing the work. The people doing the work will be more productive if we give them the chance. I've seen it work wonders for 20 years. All we have to do is get the people doing the work to ask the question, "How can I do this better" But they have to have reasons to ask that question. The secret is knowing how to get them to ask that question. I want to read this book to find out if Nilofer Merchant knows the secret.

I totally agree. The people closest to the customer are the greatest company asset. Effective chiefs are there with them, inviting them to ask the question "how can I do this better?" Better a Chief of Answer Encouragement, a sensei by any other name.

Great thoughts guys. I think you'll find that she does indeed have the secret.