Transcript Understanding How Political Networks Impede Innovation

Global Leadership: A Special
Discernment Challenge
André L. Delbecq
J. Thomas and Kathleen L. McCarthy University Professor
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA 95053-0390
[email protected]
Tel/Fax 510 769 8730
© 4 10 09
Henri J.M.Nouwen
It is not easy to distinguish between what we are call
to do versus dong what we want to do or think we
should do.
When we listen collectively in silence to God’s voice
and speak with our colleagues in trust we will
know what we are called to do, and will do it with
grateful heart
Each Period Has Particular
Discernment Challenges
• Agrarian Age
– Familial Businesses (Virtue Ethics)
• Industrial Age
– Command and Control Bureaucracies
(Avoidance of Hubris and Power Distortions)
• Technology Age
– Flat, Organic, Decentralized, Loosely-Coupled
(Subsidiarity - Communitarian Ethics)
Organizational Discernment
Associated With Global Age
• Still Emerging
• Requires Continuing Shared Exploration
Nano, Biological, Knowledge Age
Plus Global Overlay
But What IS Clear Is That Decision-Making Complexity
Is Changing
One Recent Exploration
• Global Change Symposium (March, 2009)
– Institute for Global Innovation Management
• Northeastern University
– The Global Leadership Advancement Center
• San Jose State University
– Center for Organizational Spirituality
• Santa Clara University
Partial List of Participants
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Harry Lane and Bert Spector, Northeastern Univ.
Jean Neumann Tavistock Institute, London
Barry Morris, Left Lane Consulting, Ltd.
Naoe Imura, Kyoto University
Allan Bird, Univ. of St. Louis, MO
Joyce Osland, SJSU
Julia Gluesing Wayne State University
Andre Delbecq, Santa Clara University
Sully Taylor, Portland State University
(Caveat: My Personal Perspective)
Premises Emerging From
Literature and Dialog
After Sifting and Winnowing Theory and Cases
• Focus on Mission and Strategy
– Independent Variable
• Treat Trans-national and Cultural Differences as
Moderating Variables
– Avoid Undue Reification of National Differences
• E.g. Chinese vs. European vs. Latin
Acknowledges Success of Private Sector As An
Effective instrument of multinational integration
Key Discernment Questions
Become:
• What Does Organization Wish to Achieve?
• What Would Be An Appropriate Strategic
Process?
• How Can Global Complexities Be Effectively
Addressed
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Not: How To Do Business In ____
Theoretical and Professional
Implications
• Global Leadership can be analyzed as a
genre of complex, strategic change
• Discernment challenges can be focused on
discrete steps
Urgency of Discernment For
Global Leadership
• BUSINESS URGENCY
• Market Imperative: Largest Potential For Growth
Is International
– Billion New Customers
– Youth vs. Aging Demographic Differences
Average Technology Start-up Operates
in Twelve Countries Within Seven Years
BUSINESS URGENCY-cont.
• Supply Chain Imperative: Interlinked Partnerships
An Economic Necessity
– Global suppliers for parts, process and service support
– Global integration of the labor market
• Knowledge Workers
• Unskilled and Skilled Workforces
• Differentiated Economic Roles in “Flat World”
BUSINESS URGENCY-cont.
Knowledge Imperative: Rapid Change an
Economic Requirement
– Freely available, open sourced information flows
– Formal, informal and “unformal” (heuristic) knowledge
emerges spontaneously
– Instantaneous communication
• Capacity of Continuous Change Becomes
A Required Organizational Capability
BUSINESS URGENCY-cont
• Therefore,Global Leadership Is a Precondition for
Firm Survival
• Discernment Is Required To Enable
Product/Service, Process Innovation, and
International Market Penetration
Pope John XXIII: Avoiding False Dualism
Business as Pivotal Institution
• 80+% People of God
– Serve neighbor
• Needed product or service
– Experience community
• Primary group as central
– Talents embraced or diminished
• Gifts of Mystical Body Enabled
– Wealth is Generated
• Supports family, society, arts, education, religion etc.
God In All Things
“Not a Second Rate Path of Holiness”
Additional Societal Urgency
• Business Must Share in Finding Solutions to
Meta-Societal Concerns
– Transformation of global markets following the
meltdown of economic and financial systems
• Stepping away from greed and fraud
– Redistribution of access to wealth creation capacity to
avoid world-wide anger
• Avoiding the pitfalls of long term reliance on aid
Societal Urgency-cont.
• Assist in Finding Solutions to Looming
Environmental Tragedy
– Impacting on species, water shortages, climate change
and energy resources - ultimately on human survival.
• Each Business Must Be Part of Solution
Societal Urgency-cont.
• Dealing With Challenges of Demographic
Instability and Migration
– Movement of peoples toward zones of economic
viability
• Family disruption, education and social support shortfalls
– Absence of social supports and environmental
sustainability in newly developed economic zones
When you come into your land, do not oppress the stranger.
Remember you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Societal Urgency
• Therefore Global Leadership Based on
Sound Discernment Is Also Required To
Partner in Planetary and Human Survival
Echoes Ignatian Criteria for
Discernment of Mission
• Where people can be reached who can cause good
to spread
• Where there is impact on many people
• Where results can be durable
• Where there is impact on the poor
Ignatius of Loyola - Constitutions
A New Generation’s Challenge
• Characteristics of the Next Generation That Are
Hopeful
– More concern for the common good
• Immersion experiences and service learning
– Greater capacity for collaborative effort
• Team based education and recreation
– Sense the weakness of prior societal patterns
• See alienation of parents generation
– Stronger values orientation
• Spirituality as a mega-trend
Elements of Global ComplexityMultiplicity
• Multiplicity: Differences In–
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Culture, values, expectations
Norms of transparency and information sharing
Language and familiar managerial argot
Law, governance structures, control systems and
regulation
– Employee relationships
– Economic, political, environmental frameworks
Additional Elements of Global
Complexity
Geographic Dispersion
• Multiple locations, time zones
• Virtual communication difficulties
– Unreliability
– Distortions due to limitations of communication
technology
– Difficulties in interpreting cues and signals
Meets Criteria for Complex
Change
• Means and Ends Uncertain
– A Discovery (Discernment) Process,
– Not Simply a Rational-Technical Expert
Process
Resolution Requires A Paradox
• Increased Boundary Spanning Efforts
– Multiple Stakeholders
– Capacity for deep listening and interpretation
– Patience in conducting dialog throughout the decision
process
While At the Same Time--
Paradox-Cont.
While At the Same Time--
• Introducing Degree of Simplicity through
– Clarity of decision sequences through a commonly
understood process
– Clear Loci of decision authority
– Timely implementation
Ultimately Discernment Must Be
Based On
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Noble Purpose
Good Processes
Good People
Leading to Innovative Outcomes
Familiar Step Process Model for
Complex Change
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1) Visioning
2) Problem Exploration
3) Solution Search
4) Pilot Testing
5) Implementation
6) Double-Loop Assessment
1) Visioning
• Incorporating Noble Purpose
– Meta Societal Goals
• Triple Bottom Line
– Addressing Real Human Needs Across Differentiated
Populations (including bottom of pyramid)
– Accepting Discipline of Efficiency and Effectiveness
• Shared Vision Must Evolve Across Stakeholders
– Interpretable in multiple cultures
Creating “Organizational Readiness”
Failures: Forcing Behavior
Requires Discernment - Not
Simply Rational Analysis
• Overlaying Emotional/Spiritual Intelligence
– Holistic Reflection
• Current Neurological Evidence
– Inclusive of “In-Spiration”
• Avoiding Often-documented Distortions
– Hubris and Greed
• Creating a Shared Sense of Noble Purpose
Failures: Focusing Only On Numbers
Without Prayer-In SpirationThere is No Discernment
• Parallels Across Traditions
– Reformed Christian Tradition - Veni Creator Spiritus
(Lutheran, Anglican, Pentecostal etc.
– Jewish Tradition - Creator God who Shares Wisdom
and Acts in History
– Taoist - Chi Permeating the 10,000 things
– Hindu - Non-dualism
• Etc.
Taking Time for Silence, Reflection and Sharing Out of
Silence In Each Step of the Process
Frank Houdek, SJ
• Everyone who seeks meaning in life’s efforts must
learn to listen with all their capacity in order to
recognize the single voice that bears a thousand
names. It is the voice spoken to us from the center
of our personal being.
The Upanishads
He is God, hidden in all beings, their inmost
soul who is in all.
He watches the works of creation, lives in all
things, watches all things.
Tao Te Ching
Look it cannot be seen --- it is beyond form.
Listen, it cannot be heard --- it is beyond
sound.
Grasp, it cannot be held --- it is intangible.
2) Problem Exploration
• Being Present to Voices of Those Impacted
– clients/users/customers/patients etc.
• Deep Listening
• Experiential, not simply numeric
60 % success rate in innovation
Failure: Technology Push By Technical
Elites vs. Market Pull
3) Solution Search
• Contact With Gatekeepers Across Knowledge
Sources
– Scientific/Technnical/Prior Experience
– External to Sponsoring Organization
• Utilizing Capabilities of Information Age
50% Solution Elements From External Sources
Search Behavior More Important than Brilliance
Failures: Intellectual “Incest”
4) Pilot Testing
• Alpha Test With Early Innovators
– Refining Design Through Action Learning
• Beta Test With Average Adopters
– Understand Support, Learning Curve, Demand
Action Learning
Failure: Moving from Design to Implementation
5) Implementation Resourcing
Clear Organizational Mandate Based on Shared
Review of Beta Evidence
• Robust Implementation Design With Support to
Each Adopting Segment
Support During Roll-Out More Important Than
Technical Design Attributes
Failure: Expecting Later Adopters To
Learn Without Assistance
6) Double-Loop Assessment
• At end of each step
• At end of total effort
Creating Organization Learning Regarding Way
of Proceeding
Failure: Each Project Must Create A Process
From Scratch
Leadership Requirements
Elements of Complexity in Visioning, Problem
Identification, Solution Search, Pilot Testing and
Implementation Together With Multiple
Boundaries and Cultural Complexities Exceed
Capacity of Single Person Leadership
Decision Team Headed By Committed Champion
No Known Success Story Associated
Superior Single Leader
An Intermediate Sized Group
With Decision Authority
• “Adhocracy” With Authority To
– Manage Step Process
– Manage Communications With Stakeholders
– Proceed Through Beta Testing (unless unexpected
findings emerge)
– Hand-back Strategy to Authority Matrix For
Implementation
Strategic Change Team
Failure: Associated With Bureaucratic Locus of Change
Rule of ThreeJustice Requirement
• Principle of No Surprises
– Mandate Following Visioning But Requiring
Continued Communication
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(Modifications That Improve, Not Veto’s)
• Rule of Three - Intensive Communication
• When Problem Adumbrations Emerge
• When Solution Adumbrations Emerge
• When Final Design Recommendations Emerge
• Minority Accommodations
• For a Time
• Evaluation Against Concerns
Key Roles, Strategic Team
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Technical Champion: Scientific, Technical,
Engineering Knowledge Leader - Formal Leader
Statesperson: Sponsor of Effort in Corridors of
Vertical Power - Political Interface
Coordinator: Communication and Relations
Leader Horizontally Across Impacted Units
Multi-Nationalist: Experienced and Linked
Through Prior Relationships Across Cultures
Internet Monitor: Linked Into Cyber
Communication Networks
• May Require Multiple Players For Each Role
Boundary Spanning As Critical
• Majority of Failures In Strategic Change Efforts
Related to Boundary Spanning Failures Not
Technical Inadequacy
• More than 60 % Success Depends On
Communication
No Known Success Story Associated
With Individual Leadership
The Technical Team
• Selected for Expertise Relative to the Challenges
of Each Stage of Step Process Model
– Adhocracy Not Composed of Fixed Team Composition
• Must Include Interpenetration Across Multinational Knowledge Base
“Marketing” is Not Multi-cultural
Interpenetration
Required Overarching Global
Leadership Skills
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Political Savvy and Cultural Sensitivity
Capacity for Relationship Building
Excel at Systems Thinking
Conceptual Flexibility
Authenticity, Transparency, Integrity
Courage In Face of Difficulties
Beyond Expert Power
Professional, Psychological, Spiritual Maturity
God Works In Our Imperfections
Solo Celebrity Leader a Superstitious
Attribution of Causality
New Understanding of the Distribution of Gifts in
the Mystical Body
Error Correction Through Shared Discernment
Accomplished Through In-Spiraton Within
Our Human Condition
Dealing With New Virtual World
• Spontaneous “uncontrolled”
Communications
• Example
– 4 member team, 2300 individuals, 45000
messages (Gluesing, NSF Study)
• Requiring Network Leader as New Role
Virtual World-cont.“The Buzz”
• Who is talking?
• Who are emergent sub-topic champions?
• Who are network gatekeepers for summative
perspectives?
• Who is not included but important?
• What is technical, emotional, value content?
– Etc .
– Critical Role of Network Leader
– Hopeful New Software
Concl: Discernment in Context of
Global Leadership Must• Move Beyond “Success” to “Significance”
– Include Meta Goals With Business Goals
• Impose a Degree of Order Through Step-Process Sequence
– “Controlled Chaos”
• Demands Pooled Leadership Within a Diverse Team
– “Exceed Capacities of Single Individuals”
• Requires High Level Psychological and Spiritual
Development
Global Corporation Has a Critical
Capacity and Role
Conclusion: A Warning
• More than Half the Time Strategic
Decision-Making Fails
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Assume from past practices
Under-attend stakeholder voices
Truncate Search Behavior
Do Not Bring to Bear Values
Difficulties Manifest in Best Organizations
• Paul Nutt, Ohio State, 1999
The Foundation
I will say one more thing and please don’t forget it.
Pray. Pray much.
Problems such as these are not solved by human efforts.
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Pedro Arrupe, S.J.
“Final Address to Jesuits in Thailand”
• Essential Writings
• p. 109
Abraham Joshua Heschel
We are God’s stake in human history.
We are the dawn and the dusk;
the challenge and the test.
How strange to be a (Chosen Child of God)
and to go astray on God’s perilous errands.
We have been offered as a pattern of worship
and as prey for scorn,but there is still more in our destiny.
We carry the gold of God in our souls to
forge the gates of heaven.