So there’s nothing as prestigious as a post from Seth Godin to build on my recent observations about employee engagement! He makes three important distinctions between
- an organization
- a movement
- a philosophy.
I would add a few additional observations:
• An organization is a non-human entity created to get something done. Whatever “humanity” it embodies is a function of the collective intent and energy people bring to the enterprise – which can be good, bad, or most often, and worst, indifferent. The organization is just the container – leadership is what drives its intent and opportunity for collaborative good.
• A movement is what most corporations are actually asking for when they talk about creating cultural transformation and change. They just wouldn’t think to use this word which is often equated with social justice and not-for-profit efforts. And yet it fits beautifully: the goal of employee engagement is to engender full-on commitment. This will only happen if people feel connected to something greater than themselves. Which is all about heart. That’s a movement. Whether this does or doesn’t happen is a direct result of the conscious awareness and intent of the organization’s leaders.
• A philosophy is wobbly. Interpretations mutate and distort over time. It doesn’t take long for a word representing a philosophy to mean completely different things to different groups of people. We are rife to make the meaning suit our own purposes. So to confuse philosophy with a movement can be misleading and outright dangerous. A quick look at the mainstream parties in American politics are perfect examples: try coming up with a unifying definition of progressive or conservative. And connect them to what each word meant when they were first brought into our ideological lexicon. Can’t be done.
Thinking of employee engagement as a movement, something with a soul-beating heart, will trump any organizational strategy or philosophical manifesto every time.
Would love your thoughts.
PS: To see Seth Godin’s blog post go to: http://bit.ly/m1YSmb