Do we need a paradigm shift in management?
Management must also be open to changes.
Changes are inevitable and whether we want a change or not we have to prepare for it and adapt to it. A question all CEOs the board of directors and everybody involved in a kind of business shall ask themselves is; Are we prepared for the paradigm shift which will come tomorrow? Sounds dramatic, but a paradigm shift is already coming and is visible for the ones who don’t stick their heads in the sand and don’t want to see it. This “Tomorrow” is not in the next 100 years or so, it is literally the day after you read this, maybe not dramatic but the change is here and it will not stop. You can see it in politics as well as in business, the yellow west movement in Paris is perhaps the most obvious right now and cannot be overlooked as “just a political issue in France ” It is an obvious sign that something is going on, something is bubbling under the surface which is a start of something new. It may calm down within some short time and by promises from President Macron, but the underlying force will not be silenced, it will continue to grow and reach many areas including business.
Does this have to do with management?
Yes of course, as the whole society will change dramatically in the coming decade. Information is now available everywhere in real-time and from the whole world and you can get it in your smartphone wherever you are. But it is worth considering that the all-time availability via smartphones is more and more questioned which means that we may see a change of direction in people’s approach to be open to all communication 24/7.
To question the present does not mean moving backwards.
This does not mean a step backwards, but rather further steps forward when users get more sophisticated and balanced in using all available information and communication resources. It may well be an indication of that questioning is being the normal behaviour instead of accepting. Be sure this will affect management. Can anyone imagine a situation where some employees express their views and questions about the present management? “Sure Jeff, you have been very successful until now, but we don’t see how your management, the present policies, and strategies will continue to be successful over the next years, time for a change, isn’t it?”
I don’t know if the time is over for the “strong leader” but I think at least that “strong leader” shall be redefined as a “creative and open-minded coach”.
Such reflections are just the start of a discussion leading to the paradigm shift which we can already feel the vibration of and we will very soon experience also the power of it. A Google search on ”paradigm shift” gives thousands of hits, YouTube, e-books, presentations, and illustrations – but why is this not visible in real business?