OUR NEW WORK JOURNEY A PURE DISASTER!

WHY NEW WORK DOESN'T WORK
"LARS, I HEARD YOU ARE ONE OF THE PIONEERS OF NEW WORK!"
UM, YES AND NO.
"WHAT'S GOING ON?"
WE TRIED IT.
AND WE FAILED.
WE FAILED MISERABLY.
"BUT ISN'T IT SUPPOSED TO BE THE LATEST STYLE OF LEADERSHIP?"
YES. MAYBE. BUT NOT FOR US ANYMORE.
"WHAT HAPPENED?"
NOTHING.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM.
WE EXPECTED TO HAVE A SHIFT IN MOTIVATION AND COMMITMENT
YES AND NO.
WE GAVE ALL THE FREEDOM
WE GAVE ALL THE TOOLS
WE INVESTED IN COACHING
WE INVESTED IN PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
WE INVESTED IN ALMOST EVERYTHING SO THAT...
OUR EMPLOYEES COULD THRIVE.
"AND THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN?"
HIGHLY ABSTRACTED...
AND SUMMED UP IN A SINGLE SENTENCE
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED:
WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME!
"WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?"
IF YOU GAVE ALL THE FREEDOM TO DECIDE WHAT THEY WANT...
MOST OF PEOPLE TEND TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S ...
GOOD FOR THEM. BUT...
NOT NECESSARILY GOOD FOR THE TEAM.
"SO YOU ARE SAYING THIS LEADERSHIP STYLE WON'T WORK?"
WE TRIED FOR ALMOST 7 YEARS
WHAT WE FOUMD OUT-ONLY A VERY FEW PEOPLE...
ARE CAPABLE OF WORKING IN THAT STYLE.
MOST OF THEM KEPT ASKING FOR THE "OLD" STYLE...
LIKE HAVING SOMEONE WHO WOULD TELL THEM...
WHAT TO DO.
"WHY IS THAT A PROBLEM?"
BECAUSE AS AN INNOVATION AGENCY...
NOBODY CAN TELL YOU UPFRONT WHAT TO DO!
EITHER YOU HAVE THE CLARITY ON YOUR OWN...
OR YOU ARE SIMPLY IN THE WRONG PLACE.
'WOW THAT SOUNDS REALLY HARSH!?"
ACTUALLY IT'S NOT. VERY SOON THIS WILL BE THE...
NEW NORMAL
BECAUSE MOST REPETITIVE TASKS CAN BE..
AUTOMATED ANYWAY.
SO TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND ASK YOURSELF...
DO YOU WANT TO BE PART OF THE ONES WHO ACTUALLY...
SHAPE THE FUTURE?
OR DO YOU WANT SOMEONE WHO TELLS YOU...
WHAT TO DO?
THERE AREN'T MANY OPTIONS LEFT...
IN THE NEAR FUTURE...
"DO HOW DID THE EXPERIMENT END!?"
IT WASN'T REALLY AN EXPERIMENT
WE REALLY MEANT TO WORK THAT WAY, BUT...
PROBABLY SOMEONE ELSE CAN DO IT BETTER...
WE CHANGED TO A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FRAMEWORK
"YOU MEAN YOUR INNOWEEK CONCEPT!?"
ACTUALLY IT'S WAY MORE THAN A CONCEPT.
WE ARE SURPRISED EACH TIME WE DO AN INNOWEEK...
HOW PRODUCTIVE WE ARE AND HOW MUCH FUN IT IS...
"WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU WORK THE USUAL WAY?"
WE REALLY TRY TO AVOID IT BECAUSE...
IT'S ALWAYS TROUBLE AND NO FUN AT ALL.
"SO LARS, WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO CHANGE HIS LEADERSHIP STYLE?"
I SIMPLY CAN'T SUM THAT UP IN A FEW WORDS.
THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I WROTE THAT BOOK...
BUT
IF YOU EXPECT FAST RESULTS..
OR YOU EXPECT PEOPLE TO CHANGE
YOU SHOULD BE PREPARED...
THIS WONT HAPPEN OVER NIGHT!
SOMETIMES THIS WON'T HAPPEN AT ALL.
"WOULD YOU GO ON THAT CHANGE JOURNEY AGAIN?"
NOPE.