Business Success Factors

[Copyright, Steven Lesser, Infoworks 2008 ]

Success Factors for Getting the Work Done In Today's Corporate Environment

Background

Our research over the past five years has focused on the question: “What competencies are required for corporate personnel to be successful in today’s corporate environment?”

We have asked this question of over 1500 persons – from line supervisors to CEO’s in diverse industries including financial, manufacturing, retail, and consulting. Data collection strategies included one-on-one interviews, focus groups and mailed surveys.

As we analysed this information with our customers, often for the purposes of strategic planning or curriculum development, it became useful to classify a number of these success factors into two broad and somewhat overlapping strategies for getting things done, as illustrated in figure 1:

{C}

Creativity, Intuition and Quantum Mechanics

Creativity, Intuition and Quantum Mechanics (CIQM) is a short (20-30min) presentation given to business groups. It contains key concepts and materials provided in Stephen's books and workshops.

The presentation introduces the key principles of quantum theory, and how those principles relate to, and provide a basis for, intuition and creativity.

Moving beyond a 2,450-year-old era

The Art and Science of Blinking

Around 2,450 years ago the ancient Greek philosopher Zeno of Elea was perhaps the first to methodically question a simple fact of life - how do we physically move, such as when blinking an eye, running, or simply falling down?

Culturally we are about to fall off a philosophical cliff. Fortunately, a safe landing in a far more compassionate, sane and exciting world awaits those who come to the edge with the understanding of how to fly.

His questions and arguments, which have become widely known as Zeno's Paradoxes, pointed to the seemingly logical impossibility of the everyday experience of physical movement.

His considerations have perplexed and troubled philosophers and scientists even since. Various assumptions that underpin our modern technologies and sciences were taken for granted. We take for granted that there is always a physical cause for every physical effect - as exemplified by scientists researching to find physical cures for disease, cancer and viruses; and to find the physical genes or brain cells responsible for thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and the experience of love, creativity and joy. 

Now, with the advances in the field of quantum physics, we know that a 2,450 year era is nearing its end .. an era in which it has been assumed that our physical brains, bodies and the entire physical universe is continuously existent. An era in which each part (atom, virus, cell, organ, person, planet) was assumed to be continuously existent and functional, with every part contributing to the running of, or dysfunction of, the machinery of life.

We stand at the edge of a grand new understanding of our universe, and ourselves. As Visa International founder Dee Hock foretells, a new era

is struggling to be born -- a shifting of culture, science, society, and institutions enormously greater than the world has ever experienced. Ahead, the possibility of the regeneration of individuality, liberty, community, and ethics such as the world has never known, and a harmony with nature, with one another, and with the divine intelligence such as the world has never dreamed."

 

Profitable Sustainability

"Sustainability" is one of those loaded terms that is usually taken to mean "living smaller" - of having to ride bicycles to work, reducing our lifestyle, and cutting back on overseas travel ... which all means less choice, freedom and fun!

The expectation that sustainable business practices will reduce profitability is likewise often assumed. Not much fun in that.

Sir Ken Robinson on Creativity and Innovation

An interesting and worthwhile interview with Sir Ken Robinson on the ABC's 7.30 Report with Kerry O'Brien.

Two parts to the interview.

Part 1 (transcript, mp4, wmv)

Sir Ken Robinson: 

"...people achieve their best when they firstly tune into their natural aptitudes - and lots of people I have interviewed aren't musicians, they're mathematicians, they're business leaders, they're teachers, they're broadcasters, you know, they've found this thing that they completely get. But the second thing is that they love it. And if you can find that - a talented and a passion - well that's to say you never work again. And it is true, I think, that our current education systems are simply not designed to help people do that. In fact an awful lot of people go through education and never discover anything they're good at at all."

The business value of purpose and meaning

As many business entrepreneurs appreciate, the really important things in starting and running a business are primarily 'mental' -- it's our vision to make a difference, to do things better and to test ourselves that fuels and motivates.

But what about the people that we employ?

It should be no great surprise that for "businesses that pay most regard to the deeper needs of their employees are the ones that perform best."1

The challenge faced when creating a strong, vibrant culture in a business is the intangible 'mental' dimensions - what we think, feel and believe about our work, fellow employees, customers, the work environment etc.

There is no script

[Copyright Belief Institute, Sydney 2008]

Personnel departments and consultancies almost invariably attempt to categorize and define people according to certain personality traits which are then matched to the requirements of a particular position. To some extent, definition of skills, competencies and character is important for effective placement of people. But present attempts to write more effective computer programs or questionnaires to help determine character are misguided.