Is your enterprise a
"Compliance Company" or a "Creation Company"? That's the
provocative question that Tom McGehee poses in Whoosh, in which he
challenges every organization to recognize and realize its full potential.
We all know that new ideas are the lifeblood of any business. But in chasing
that elusive "new new thing" in an effort to dazzle customers and
shareholders, many companies lose sight of the real essence of innovation --
achieving quantum results. These results are not accomplished through
technology, overblown mission statements, or "best practice"
metrics based on past performance, but by unleashing the creative spirit of
your people.
From his vantage point leading innovation sessions at Cap Gemini Ernst
& Young's Accelerated Solutions Environment, McGehee points out that the
nature of work itself is changing, forcing companies to abandon the
practices that impede breakthroughs. Individuals, whose skills and knowledge
are likely to outlast their industries, never mind their current positions,
are looking for challenges, learning opportunities, and the satisfaction of
contributing to something new. They thrive on change and demand the same of
the organizations for which they work. "Compliance Companies"
erect barriers to change and innovation by insisting on control of
information, resources, and decision making in an effort to preserve the
status quo. "Creation" companies, on the other hand, do whatever
they can to encourage debate, insist on collaboration, and reward creative
impulses from anywhere in the organization.
Drawing from his work with a wide variety of companies around the world,
as well as his experiences in the U.S. Marine Corps, McGehee demonstrates
how any company can generate the excitement, energy, confidence, and
audacity of the "whoosh," by subscribing to three fundamental
principles:
A leadership style that emphasizes freedom, not control Understanding
that success means creating the new, not replicating the old A corporate
culture that values individual expression and collaborative work. Whoosh is
not about working harder, faster, or more; it's about working with integrity
and purpose to maximize both individual and collective achievement.
Ultimately, Whoosh will help you ensure that the sound you hear is your own
company racing headlong into the future -- and not your competition speeding
past you.
About the Author:
Tom McGehee is Vice President of Cap Gemini Ernst & Young's
Accelerated Solutions Environment in Dallas. His U.S. Marine experience ran
the gamut from commanding special operations units to ceremonial duties at
the White House. Tom has worked with start-ups to global giants, and has
learned that whether taking the hill or closing the deal, success is not
manufactured, it's unleashed. Tom and his family live in Plano, Texas.
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