To me, connecting lighthouses means recognizing the strengths of experts, key users, pioneers and every employee, and creating a framework in which they link up with each other in service of a shared goal. It’s the path between rigid hierarchy and never-ending consensus.
In companies, I keep seeing two ways of leading and working together. On one side, strongly hierarchical structures, usually in, let’s say, more traditional organizations. Tasks tumble down the management levels until something eventually reaches an employee, who then does that or something like it. There’s usually a lot of siloed knowledge, with experts working through their tasks in their own little silos.
On the other side, there are teams that sit in a circle and look for consensus, usually under the banner of “We’re agile now. And make it snappy.” Everyone may and must contribute, everything has to be said. The discussion goes on until everyone is happy. After all, we want to be a team of equals, nobody gets left out. We all love each other, Kumbaya…
Both extremes have their place in certain situations, no question. Sometimes you need to step in firmly, sometimes you need agreement.
“We need to connect lighthouses instead of creating consensus.”
(Richard Seidl)
The Dark Sides
But both have their dark sides. We know the problems of the “old hierarchies” all too well. The top doesn’t understand what’s happening at the bottom. Strategy games and status games, little fiefdoms, instructions that get distorted without anyone meaning to. And then the “new” ones, who can spend forever on a topic without getting anywhere: lost in detail, sluggish.
Organizations that swing back and forth between these poles have it even worse:
- “Our structures are too rigid. We need to become agile.”
- “Agile is way too slow, it’s all just talk and nothing moves. As the boss, I have to step in.”
- “Employees don’t feel involved, we need more retros.”
- “The experts are frustrated because they always have to discuss everything to the bitter end.”
- …
Connecting Lighthouses: Experts at Eye Level
To me, there’s a lot of misunderstood agility behind this. That poor little word has to stand for so many things already. Including a whole lot of consensus-driven dithering. So it doesn’t surprise me when managers eventually lose their patience.
I believe it only works if we dissolve the polarity. But how? By connecting lighthouses? No, not with smart home projects on the coast of East Frisia. By recognizing and valuing the strengths of the experts, key users, pioneers, knowledge islands and every single employee. And by building a framework around them that motivates everyone to get in touch and connect with the others in service of the project and company goals. That’s when you get what I mean by agility: navigating through uncertainty toward a vision, as a community of individuals with courage and trust.
Effort and Mindset
Sounds great? It is. But it’s also exhausting, endlessly so. We’re not used to it. Consensus circles and an iron fist are what we know. Anyone who has looked into models such as Spiral Dynamics will see that this calls for a new spirit: a more integral way of thinking and acting, for the organization, the teams and each individual. And getting there won’t happen with a six-month change project on the side. It takes more. At every level. For everyone.
In my view, though, we have no other choice if we want to tackle the challenges we face today. So here’s to that: let’s connect lighthouses!
