|
October · Volume 90 · Number 9
BooksMavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Winby authors William C. Taylor and Polly LaBarre. Hardcover published in 2006 by HarperCollins Publishers; paperback published 2008.Governments are in business . . . in the business of public service. Whether in lean times or flush times, and right now the former seems to be the norm, applying maverick-like solutions is a must. After all, more of the same often translates to only incremental improvement. Dramatic—dare I say radical—change is necessary today, and these authors provide a series of vitamins—not the same old painkillers—that mavericks can inject into your organizational mind-set. The source for innovative ideas is less important than the principles and lessons they impart. That is precisely why you should read, no consume, this book. There is much to learn from these authors and the examples they cite. Best practices are out of fashion, the authors contend; instead they offer readers their book as a set of “next practices – a new way to lead and succeed.” They contend that traditional innovation gives way to duplication and makes your organization less distinctive. The book is carved into four parts: Rethinking Competition, Reinventing Organization, Reconnecting with Customers, and Redesigning Work. The authors, as stated in the Introduction, “…have devised provocative and instructive answers to four of the timeless challenges that face organizations of every size and leaders in every field: setting strategy, unleashing new ideas, connecting with customers, and helping their best people achieve great results.” I found ample material throughout the book that can be translated easily into the public sector so long as those persons practicing “maverickism” (my term for the collective sum of what the authors advocate) are enlisted, encouraged, and unleashed! These authors do an incredible service for their readers, especially those in the public sector, because they effectively challenge long-standing assumptions about the “we’ve always done it that way” approach to running government agencies. They are, in essence, challenging the historical mind-set that risk taking in government is not only unwise, it’s downright foolish. The authors suggest that the bigger risk is not to innovate. Successful innovators don’t ask for the most resources or the strictest oversight; they ask for the most room to maneuver and the fewest bureaucratic hurdles. Risk taking, disrupting the status quo, innovating—these are more than trendy words for those who see government as an organization pursuing a cause and not simply delivering services. These people are mavericks who realize that playing it safe is no longer playing it smart. The authors state that the world is “teeming with smart, skilled, passionate people . . . ” and raise the question about how organizations can actively pursue these blue-chip prospects and persuade them to come and work for them. One thing these people won’t be remotely interested in is a job announcement offers an utterly boring job description. It is time to retire those tried-and-true remnants of the past and replace them with a social marketing approach that appeals to people of all generations. Offer a powerful message: join our organization and be a part of something truly outstanding as you help make your mark! A section I found most fascinating is “What You Think Shapes How You Talk – Creating a Strategic Vocabulary.” The authors state you can evaluate a company (organization) by its language. As a former city manager and now a practicing consultant, I reflected on how much the vocabulary really influences the subjects that receive attention. The local government vocabulary, for example, consists of these words: politics, public meetings, budgets, ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, agendas, the media, and maybe a handful of others. These words are a straitjacket for leaders and their staffs who want to engage in real talk about real innovation. I believe in this: “What gets talked about gets done.” Conversations define priorities. If an organization truly wants to adopt and practice a more maverick-like approach to its organization, those in it should begin by inserting new words into daily discussions and steer people into new ways of thinking. “Organizations that think differently about their business invariably talk about it differently as well.” Also included in the book is a section entitled “Maverick Material” in which the authors provide a list of resources they believe will make their case even stronger. These resources are designed as tools to help readers think more boldly, think more openly about how people innovate, and think more creatively about how the organization works. This is a superb section for those of us who are trying to cultivate our own maverick spirits. The public sector needs people who are willing—even eager—to put their oars in the water and begin seeking their port in the storm. The world is changing more and more every day and, whether or not we like it or understand it, adhering to the old adage of “not wanting to rock the boat” might just get us tossed overboard. |
|
|
Learn about the benefits of joining ICMA and receiving PM magazine as part of your benefits package at http://icma.org/join. To subscribe to PM, call 202/289-ICMA (202/289-4262) or e-mail bookstoremanager@icma.org. |
