Who Wants Yesterday's Frameworks?

I had been called to Disney to talk with one of their executives about helping them with some organizational development programs. It seemed like a great opportunity. The lobby of their Burbank facility, with pictures of cartoon characters on the walls, was perfect. Creating "The Happiest Place on Earth" was Walt Disney's dream, but at this time, it seemed the place was not as happy as he had envisioned.

Perhaps I could help, or at least that is what one of the coaching brokers in LA thought. I waited in the lobby for the "meet and greet." We were greeted and sent upstairs to meet with one of their executives. We sat down at a round table in his office and introduced each other.

The questioning to determine if I fit into the profile began with, "Which instruments do you use to set a baseline?" I explained that I have been coaching and consulting with senior executives for 25 years and so I prefer using my knowledge of human nature. The Coaching Broker kicked me under the table, and then I added that I am familiar with most instruments. Clearly I had gone off script.

Then the fatal moment occurred. I noticed a copy of Jack Welch's first book in the center of the table. I was hoping it was an accidental placement.

I thought to myself about the many companies who had adopted someone else's framework and how I had to work to bring the organization back to life. Hmmm ... this could be a great consulting opportunity. But surely Disney was not adopting Jack Welch's framework. I decided to bring the book into the conversation so I said, "I notice Jack Welch's book."

Then it happened, he reached over and put his hand on the book and asked, "Have you read this book?" "Yes," I replied. He explained that this is their Bible.

Frameworks That Work For One Company Fail Others

Okay, I have been trained in sales techniques and knew I should not explain that a framework that works for one company could not work for another. I said to myself, "Wait," but my mind rolled on: Frameworks for a company are like thoughts, beliefs, ideas and other cognitive forms that are only an approximation of reality. Not reality itself. We have experiences that cause insight into reality, and then we form cognitive frameworks to describe and categorize those experiences. There is no way that a description of an experience can duplicate the full reality. Unfortunately, many navigate the business world as though the thoughts and beliefs recorded in their memory banks are real. This false understanding leads to loss of market share, incorrect business strategies and the loss of billions of dollars.

Thought Is a Blessing and A Curse

I knew I should not say that now, but what about explaining that: Thought precedes manifestation and is, therefore, a key tool for a businessperson. It is the greatest gift to mankind, but has also proven dangerous. It is clear that human thought is one of the sources of creation. Some say that thought has the power to create reality. There is plenty of evidence to support this view. All architecture, businesses like GE, art, and civilizations are all created by thought.

But, just as thoughts create beautiful realities; they also create horrible distortions. For example, an anorexic person will look in the mirror and see fat, even though there is none. They may be starving themselves to death, but their thoughts tell them they need to lose weight in order to be accepted. This is called a cognitive distortion. Of course, this is an extreme example. But all of us experience some kind of distortion. Old business frameworks are cognitive distortions. They do not describe the reality that created them, yet many companies blindly follow them.

The Difference Between GE and Disney Should Be Obvious

Jack Welch's frameworks solved effectiveness problems he was trying to overcome at GE. They worked brilliantly because Jack had unleashed his genius and the wisdom of his team to create them. However, the genius that Jack Welch unleashed in the moment to solve complex problems at GE could not possibly work at Disney. I said to myself, "No, don't say that yet!"

Then finally I decided to use questions, but I was leading the witness. I said, "What was the key driver of GE's manufacturing companies?" He replied, "Efficiency and productivity." Then I asked, "What is the key driver of success at Disney?" He replied correctly again, "Creativity." Now I thought I had won a great victory, but I had forgotten the key principle I had drummed into my consultant's heads years ago. "Don't ask questions you already know the answer to."

Then it happened. I said, "How can a framework developed for a manufacturing company possibly work for a creative company?" I got this glassy stare and some polite conversation, but no real answer. They found another consultant. But later I consoled myself on being right as I watched Disney lose creative allies and their Chairman and CEO.

As I gave that advice I remembered what one of my mentors had said to me years ago, "Do you want to be right, or win." My thought sounded like Jack Welch, "I want both."

 

 

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Comments

[EllenWB]

Great article! Thanks! A question for you... how does the financial crisis we have just experienced relate to this topic, and are we repeating the same mistakes again? Even knowing that frameworks lose value over time, it seems to me that it is hard to relate to the world without frameworks. Thanks for your blogs and your great book, "Unleashing Genius: Leading Yourself, Teams and Corporations." If leaders had studied this book, we would not have experienced the financial problems we are experiencing today.

[SChadalavada]

That's a great question Ellen - how does the financial crisis relate to yesterday's framework? In my humble opinion it relates a lot to the old framework that is being used. The old framework assumes that (1) people are motivated by money alone (2) we feel better by acquiring and consuming more (3) organizations have to grow at any cost - as long as we are clever enough to make it appear legal (4) organizational growth gives leadership the authority to not pay attention to large compensation disparity within the organization.
As we are now realizing this is against the grain of human nature. While money is extremely important, we are inspired by higher values of fairness, sharing and caring. These values and basic human practical principles have to be more fully incorporated in the new framework. We will then start a new cycle of growth and prosperity that is more purposeful and more inclusive.

[Paul David Walker - Huffpost Blogger]

You are right, we cannot operate without frameworks, they help us navigate through the world in general. What causes our biggest problems is that we forget that they are just approximations of and deeper and more complex reality that is the source of creation. Over time they seem more real to us that the reality, which is constantly changing, that we tried to capture with them.

Regarding the financial crisis, in the business world we have created frameworks that are no longer effective and have multiplied the distortion by greed and a lack of taking responsibility for the health of the whole. We have become so self involved that we are destroying the effectiveness of our business framework. We decided that making money alone is all important. Hence, we created wealth generation based on financial reengineering vs. creating useful products and services for our society. I will take some time to correct this trend. But we will do it.

[SChadalavada]

The most important aspects of any framework are the unique business circumstances of that organization and the leadership team that is in-charge of executing the business strategy at that time. As you rightly point out this varies for each organization. Even within the same organization the framework has to be adjusted depending on the leadership team.

I believe it is perfectly OK for Disney to study and model some aspects of GE's framework. But ultimately they have to develop their own framework based on their people and their business. They were obviously not ready for it.

[Paul David Walker - Huffpost Blogger]

Again, you make great points. The nature of the world we live in is continuously emerging, growing, shrinking and falling to dust. It is hard for a framework to keep up with this constant change, and can destroy an organization or person. Thank you, I could not agree more.

[QDP]

That's the problem with Disney execs, - with no creativity impetus. They are searching for answers where none are. You are genius, Paul, and some cannot understand this. -Or benefit from your advice. You might as well have been speaking in Cantonese. Foreign relations and cultural disconnect.

Beware of all places idolizing cartoon characters. Kiddies unwilling to become adults reside here.
They are lead by false gods and erroneous prophets, sadly. LOL!

When you follow, leaders are always many steps ahead, and you do not understand.

[Paul David Walker - Huffpost Blogger]

Thank you for your comments and wisdom.