Talk: It shouldn’t be this hard; when did things get so complicated?
Speakers directory
Speaker:
Phil Thompson
Talk description
Title:
It shouldn’t be this hard; when did things get so complicated?
Short synopsis:
The concept of small cross functional teams focusing on problems is not new, in fact it is very old and is in some way a return to the natural order of things. This shouldn’t be seen as a change, rather a simplification in an attempt to create an environment where people will do amazing things because they want to, rather than because they are told to. Phil will take inspiration from Darwin and Tolkien, Taylorism, HG Wells, Snowden and Laloux to address the following questions: • How do we instinctively want to work? • Why do we work the way we do today? • Why is this no longer suitable? • How can we improve?
Max size: 500 chars
Long synopsis (optional):
It will be a simple but engaging talk, delivered without props or notes. An informed but impassioned message that we can do better and why. If there are slides these will be single words/ phrases/ quotes or more likely just images that help colour the context I am discussing. The talk is inspiring because of the deep emotional contrasts between the kind uplifting beginning, the oppressive and melancholy middle and then the more upbeat positive look to the future The talk will following the following thread: 1. Think of a happy thing, play with the idea in the audience’s head 2. Reflect that what we imagine is simple, calming, this is what we want, draw a parallel to my experience of asking teams what good looks like 3. What we want is to find meaning, purpose. A challenge to solve but also to mean something to others – we are a societal species. 4. Inform the room that we are going to take a historical journey. Start in a small medieval village and show the cross functional delivery unit, the collaborative efforts of a community to survive, and how sustainable that was. 5. Move to the expansionist industrial revolution. Talk through the separation of thinking and doing and the suppression of our basic humanity in pursuit of optimised manufacturing systems. References to Taylorism, the Slave trade and H G Wells 6. Take the industrial period to the extreme, how in World War 1 we had industrialised death and that the assumptions of universal expansion and opportunity are no longer holding true. References to Tolkien. Bring the audience to the edge - people won’t change unless they feel the discomfort in their current state 7. Talk about the rate of change, that we are now changing faster that we can adapt. The growth of technology and the rise of disinformation. References to Darwin, Twitter and Cambridge Analytica. 8. So how do we recover, how do we retake ownership of these processes, structures and technologies and rediscover our humanity? We look to find purpose in our companies. Organise delivery units around value streams. Look to delight our customers with simple clear messages, intuitive design where less is more. References to Apple and telecom companies as an example of streamlining customer journeys 9. Explain that average engaged employees outstrip their more talented but apathetic colleagues. Work environments where people can self actualise, and own problems rather than tasks, where the real bottom line of their work is clear to them and their recognition is directly tied to its success will deliver far better than anything that looks to control or “manage” people like a commodity. References to holocracy, Laloux, Menlo and Red Badger (small highly successful design and delivery consultancy in London) 10. Lastly refer to a higher order of purpose, about doing what is right for the wider society, for the environment. That people are increasingly interested in doing what is right, and that as large organisations we have an ethical responsibility to do so. An appeal to create products and services that are ethical and a hypothesis that the brightest and best will want to work for you if you do. Reference to Bloomberg Philanthropies, BCG pro bono work, the passion of volunteers. 11. Sometimes it just takes one person to make the difference, maybe martin Luther King, William Wilberforce, Greta Thunberg. Maybe you.
Max size: 5000 chars
Tags:
Speaker directory:
Listed in directory
Not listed
Speakers directory