Why is a tech blog writing about authenticity?

For over two decades, I've been studying how organizations can become more efficient. IT and process management were my tools of choice. In the meantime, disillusionment is spreading, and not only among me. Only about 5% of Swiss CEOs are really satisfied with the implementation of their digital projects. One might think that this is due to the complexity of the technology. But this is only the reason in individual cases. The main reason is that we do not approach things holistically and "from above". It is better to take our time and develop a long-term e.g. TOGAF-supported overall strategy. But it is even more important to learn to see our own defects in the overall system.

What does that mean?

This means (a) that implementations must always be made in harmony with the defined overall strategy that orchestrates the following topics:

• Processes
• Data
• Products
• People
• Technologies

An overall plan reduces the overall complexity and trains us in systems thinking. An overall plan subjects decisions to governance. The overall strategy provides an overview of the sub-strategies, such as a data strategy.
Because of the lack of a data strategy, our reality often looks like this, for example: The data situation in the company is so fragmented that consolidation is implemented in a makeshift, time-consuming and error-prone manner. Leaders make (often forced) decisions on it, despite this knowledge. Besides this danger of wrong decisions, valuable information, e.g. about the customer, is missing. It is not possible to consolidate all data. The information gaps, the IT fragmentation and the loss of responsiveness is too expensive not to afford such a plan anymore!

But the main cause is, (b) that we as IT partners are only presented with fragments of the problem, because our customer cannot see the overall problem itself.  Why this is so is part of this article. One solution from this problem is not a technical one, but a cultural one: creating a culture of authenticity!

The marked

"Here I am a worker, here I am allowed to do“

In most organizations, unfortunately, an employee still leaves a valuable part of himself behind when he enters the company in the morning!

Now he is a person behind a mask, with a job title, a role or a function. Communication is strategic. One does not want to expose oneself. One constantly thinks about what others would think if one said this or that. The ego is highly active and consumes energy that is no longer available for other interventions. When one says something, it is with an intention behind it, e.g. to win, or to be able to stay under cover, or to defend one's empire. Raising issues becomes an obstacle course, especially if the supervisor has a different opinion. The consequence of such a culture results in a lack of trust among each other.

The consequence of this is again:

1. accumulation and dragging of unsolved problems ("proliferation")

2. certain problems, and therefore the dimension of the total problem, remain hidden from the organizational eye ("unawareness")

Poison for the organization!

An organization is in reality more like a living organism than a technical system. Imagine that the cells of your body don't trust each other anymore and exchange only strongly censored information. How long do you think you can stay healthy and agile? A "lack of trust" between your cells inevitably leads to a degeneration of your cells. They no longer carry out their work in the sense of the whole. Misinformation leads to proliferation. These remain unconscious until it comes to gross dysfunctions; with possible death as consequence.

Why authenticity is the way to go

"Here I'm a human being, here I'm allowed to be".

Authentic people speak openly about what they believe, feel, think and aspire to. They demand a more intimate interaction among people. Such people openly and courageously show their vulnerability. That is why Chögyam Trungpa, former Buddhist abbot and founder of Naropa University, calls these people "warriors" in his book "The Shambala Warrior". They deserve the highest respect because they carry the power to heal crises. Brene Brown, behavioral scientist and professor at the University of Houston has found that authentic people have fewer problems with shame. They actually have better collaborative skills, higher resilience, as well as more zest for life. All qualities that benefit the organization!

Authenticity in organizations makes it possible to get to know the other person deeply. Authentic teams know each other's preferences and problem sets, and can adapt to them. Problems are addressed immediately and openly. If a "cell" of the organization becomes ill, immediate action can be taken before the disease spreads.

If a leader establishes an environment of respect for all aspects of a person, according to Faust "Here I am a person, here I am allowed to be", this person not only gains natural authority, but also loyalty. A bond is created that does not simply break. Employees who feel valued are more likely to identify with their supervisor and with the organization. There is a high probability that the fluctuation rate in the team will decrease. Such a culture not only attracts more capable employees, ...for many younger people, it is now a requirement.

Many managers are skeptical of such a culture. They may doubt their own ability to deal with it, or think that it would lead to additional costs in terms of time spent. In fact, such a culture requires more attention in communication. However, the mere fact that communication becomes more effective (think of the metaphor of the body above) leads to fewer crises, a resonance in relationships and a faster resolution of, comparatively, smaller problems.

From practice

I may remember a CEO who had firmly anchored an image that his company was very innovative and that this could not be the reason for the problems in digital transformation. Nevertheless, when an employee insisted that it wasn't, a palpable tension arose in the room. Everyone else remained silent. In the individual interviews, I was then presented with a more diverse picture of the problems. It immediately became clear to me that the problem might have to do with a culture of inauthentic speech. Organizational research places the developmental level of this culture at level 2 (Feelgood based) out of 5 (Service-based), which is often found in government organizations or schools.
Characteristics of this culture are:

• The desire to belong and please others.
• The need to gain approval
• The need for the group (being able to hide in the group)
• Not facing reality (pretending that everything is fine)
• Low self-esteem
• Inauthentic feedback
• Ineffective consensus-based decision making
• A lot of politics and administration
• Rigid rules
• Ineffective results

In short: A list that reveals a lot of potential savings!

How do I establish a culture of authenticity?

Gain clarity that this is the right way to go

It may require more time and attention in the beginning, but it leads to big time savings already in the medium term. People who understand each other generate less effort and pull together. If a mistake happens, one stands by it. The time of condemnation and defense speeches can be saved. One can not only react immediately to the mistake, but also learn effectively from it. Motivation does not collapse. Everyone remains committed to the common goal. The quality and speed of decisions increases.

Plan Workshop 

In order to create a culture of authenticity, a workshop with all those affected is suitable, led by a neutral personality who is at best external to the company (because he or she is not blind to the company). Even better is to immediately our measurable process to Human Potential to implement, as it addresses all aspects of the learning organization's Personal Mastery.

Creat Safe Room 

Design this workshop as a "safe room", also called a "holding environment" in research (the origin of the word comes from the mother holding the child). In this room, start by setting the rules that everyone needs to be able to speak openly and honestly. Now begin to speak and ask authentically yourself. "Every contribution is valued, participation in openness remains voluntary until the end."

Communicate sensitively

Remain sensitive. Be careful not to pry into secrets that someone does not want to share. If someone shows resistance, ask about the causes, but do not force an answer. The boundaries of decency should not be crossed. No one should feel pressured to reveal privacy.

Cultivating openness, listening and lifting treasures

Much more important are true opinions about an idea, or private opinions about one's own transgressions or possible transgressions of others. Much more important is openness about one's own insecurities and transparency about the elephant in the room. And most important is the practice of listening, or better: of listening.

Cultivating culture in everyday life

Of course, the work is not done with a workshop. The leadership and team members should also constantly remind people in everyday life that authenticity is desired. If, for example, an employee is short with a co-worker, the latter should not have to agonize for days over whether this had something to do with his stress or whether she herself had done something wrong, but should immediately ask what caused the reaction. She may then be surprised that the answer was a simple "Just slept badly, sorry!". This immediately quiets the inner critic. Both team members immediately feel better, get the chance to reflect on the interaction and themselves, and can strengthen their relationship in the long term. And this is felt by the whole team.

This article from our Business Transformation Partner Metamorph SDS was published on 14.11.2020 in the The Transformation Blog.

This article was written by Jeroen. He is the owner of Metamorph SDS. His domains are Integral Enterprise Development, the Learning Organization and Digital Transformation as key strategic pillars to make organizations more agile and performant. With 20 years of experience in building organizations, the human factor, in addition to IT and processes, became more and more the focus of his work. Because successful change always takes place in the mind first! With holistic strategy development and the means of social innovation, Metamorph SDS paves the way for successful digital transformation, creating work environments where people are no longer employees, but fellow campaigners for a higher purpose.