I have spent a huge number of years trying to meet the needs of various organizations. Some very large, others just large, some medium, and certainly many small ones. It has been a pleasure that, thanks to so many people who have trusted and continue to trust in my know-how, I have been able to enjoy almost every occasion with my team.
All these years of working and enjoying, but working nonetheless, on different types of projects, have given me unique experiences in almost every area an organization might involve. I can talk about a variety of sectors and companies where, although the experience is different each time, the solutions have, over the years, converged into a single, unified model. A model that, evidently, we have forged and improved over time.
We could say that whether the issue is related to security, continuity, quality, risks, services, or projects, the truth is that in each case we have needed to draw almost the same lines with the idea of identifying reality, grounding it, analyzing it, and interpreting it, in order to then, with a clear view, decide “where to start” to untangle the knot. It’s not an easy task, but it’s clear that years have allowed us to develop a “clinical eye” that I could almost say, saving the distance with the fictional character, we can diagnose like Dr. House (and I laugh, of course).
Just over two years ago, I started shaping an integrative idea that could consolidate the model (still unnamed). The center is not necessarily “the client,” nor is it necessarily “the human.” To me, “both are the problem of the one who really has the problem”, so the best and most convenient thing is to address the problem at its root: go straight to the point, or directly attack the place that hurts the most.
Many frameworks, standards, best practices and other things have dedicated rivers of ink trying only to alleviate the symptoms, without considering that there is a cause for these symptoms. Often, in the business realm, we only seek to address the needs of one area or another, applying schemes that will undoubtedly generate improvement, but are not THE improvement required within the organization; that is, we are alleviating a symptom, but not the disease, not the cause.
For example. In recent years, for at least 10, we’ve been talking about Digital Transformation. It sounds good, and some even make a living selling one misguided idea or another about the much-desired and marketed “Digital Transformation”; however, and although many have already opened their eyes, it is no secret that “the word transformation” is what’s really powerful in the concept. A transformation that takes us from one situation to another, allowing us a smooth and adequate transition, and giving us a series of results (that’s what it’s all about in the end) that align with the needs of the company, not of one area or another, but of the company as a whole.
We’ve said it countless times: “transforming is changing, and change involves many things that impact at all levels”. Whether you’re a man or a woman, do you remember when you went from single to married, or even “better yet,” when you went from married to divorced? You remember, right? Was it just changing your marital status on your ID? No. Of course not. The change, the transformation, affected everything. From your way of seeing things, to your behavior and attitude, customs, habits, frustrations, ways of enjoying and suffering. You probably even changed friends and neighborhoods. Of course, it’s supposed to be for the better, for a new stage, for improvement in your life, to be happy, to live better, to feel complete, maybe even to achieve a wish, a dream, in short. You changed.
Similarly, in companies. Although companies are technically legal entities, the way they operate has a strong connection to human behavior and the way we organize ourselves as a society. The organization has its own “neighborhood,” which is the market it operates in. Bigger or smaller, more or less complex, with greater or lesser formality, but its neighborhood nonetheless. In this neighborhood, we’ll have friends and acquaintances, some will eventually support us during life, others never will, and some will even be our main support in life. You never know which will be which, but in the end, they all fit into place. Each of these characters has characteristics. Some are trustworthy, others are not. Some are more or less belligerent, more or less organized, sincere, emotional, etc. You won’t relate to all of them the same way, but they all will be part of the “neighborhood.”
Looking at it this way, we already have the market and the other organizations that share with us the sea of available possibilities. With some we’ll compete, with others we’ll partner, some will support us from time to time, and others we won’t even look at because they are “not our age” or “not from our street.” Such is life.
It’s not very different from the society you move in, to how companies are organized. This is because companies, for now, are made up of people like you and me, who have behaviors and attitudes in line with the society in which they develop. So if we’re in a society that’s informal, complicated, where “the law of the fittest” reigns, don’t be surprised if companies act the same way and that the ones that stand out above the rest are coincidentally those that are “different”, those that do things well, that respect certain principles, and even those that truly have the desire to transcend over time. Doesn’t the same thing happen with us? Doesn’t the one who does things better and puts more effort and commitment into things go further? Some might say they know many people who do things well and with great commitment, but everything always goes wrong for them… and what if the problem is with the market and not with them? What if it turns out that in a more mature and formal market they do well? …I imagine you’ve seen that too.
So, if we view it this way, equating organizations with individuals and societies, and business problems with those of “any patient,” it would be better to find the cause of symptoms rather than just alleviating them, right? Some might say “but we can look for the cause while alleviating the symptoms,” and yes, it’s likely to be a solution, but consider that you don’t have an enormous budget, that it’s limited and that time is not as ample as you need. In other words, you only have one chance to try to solve the issue, and you need to be precise and generate the best results with the right resources. I don’t think it’s impossible.
It is this idea that led me a few years ago to question the broad range of frameworks and governance and management schemes we have available. I know them very well and, in some cases, much better than most. I’ve been dedicated to this type of service for almost 20 years, and not only have years passed, but also a multitude of experiences and adventures in different societies and sectors. I believe I’ve learned something along the way. Just a little.
So I wanted to bring all this into a single scheme, one that is easy to implement, that doesn’t carry major constraints or complex designs. An integral approach that really allows us to focus on what matters to us as an organization, and not live applying quick fixes to things that do have solutions, even if they involve changes at different levels, allowing organizations to restructure in the best way and end the well-known “silver bullets”, the playful approaches that only detract from the seriousness of addressing a problem, and with so much hysteria generated over the question of whether you’re “traditional” or if you have “superpowers” (and need medication, haha).
As you probably know, because of my ADHD I always live “electric” and constantly moving, but I could say that this condition has always given me many satisfactions as I have managed to channel it pleasantly throughout my life. If anyone has suffered from my “condition,” it hasn’t been me, haha. In this regard, I am about to embark on perhaps one of the most ambitious projects of my adult life, aiming to create a true revolution in how we use governance and management frameworks and schemes, where my vision of things, and all that I’ve learned and proven over many years, can be useful to all of you in multiple ways. Fortunately, I have the support of many people, my team, and some globally present organizations that will provide the backing that some of my “untraditional” ideas need, as I once said “I just want to change everything”.
Of course, everything that is achieved and published will be visible through PMC, and I hope to have your support and company when the first pilots, publications, and transfer events are announced. It seems to me that the idea of continuing to copy models or ways of working that rarely manage to resonate in our markets and that force many organizations to play “the emperor’s new clothes,” should start to be discarded. Things need to change (transform), and they usually do sooner or later. Sometimes you just need a madman.
Thank you for making it this far.
I send you a huge hug.