Laws, guidelines, policies and structures do not of themselves change a culture. It is committed people that effect change in their sphere of influence. CoPs can provide a very supportive environment for increasing the necessary skills, confidence and motivation.
I am currently working with a few very interesting leaders, females and males. I love this kind of work, it feels a bit like deep-diving - you explore interesting topics together, try to define relevant questions, and exchange thoughts. What I appreciate in these top executives - apart from their enormous experience and expertise - is that they are vulnerable, open-minded human-beings. And I think this quality makes them successful leaders in today's digital economy.
Today, when preparing an upcoming workshop, I have come across an interesting passage written by Jeremy Taylor from National Voices - it describes very well what progressive leaders may need to embrace: "Our communities of practice approach emerged organically. That is what happens when you work in partnership. Your journey and your destination are not what you first envisaged. It is an important lesson about making change. You cannot at the same time pre-determine the outcome and have a genuinely collaborative process. (...) Laws, guidelines, policies and structures do not of themselves change the culture. (...) It is committed people that make change. Through our communities of practice, participants increased their knowledge, skills, confidence and motivation to make person-centred changes within their spheres of influence."
Ready to move out of your comfort zone, too?
I am sure everyone will agree with Jeremy Taylor. It is well put and makes perfect sense. However, the question is "how"? How can we bring about a culture of alignment and collaboration that supports the business portfolio and at the same time promotes productivity and morale in teams? Next week, I am going to facilitate a workshop together with Christian Pfütze, an actor and puppet player. With a small group of open-minded people we are going to explore exactly this question. It certainly will be a risky and exciting endeavour. We are all ready to move out of our comfort zone and see what happens.
If you are ready, too, and curious to find out how communities of practice, puppetry and poems could support you and your organisation in bringing about change, please contact me. We'd be happy to talk these things through with you.
Contact: cmerl@talkshop.cc