What Welch (GE), Catmull (Pixar) and Mulally (Ford) Agree is Vital

16/01

 

Introducing Candid Conversations as the center piece of the culture in an organization will take time, money, commitment and, for at least the first while, take too long for many. It is very threatening to most people. So we have cost and resistance (why would we throw profits at this idea?), and, that very big blocker, the ego, the made up dangers about telling the full truth.

What are Candid Conversations?

A Candid Conversation is frank; outspoken; open and sincere: free from reservation, disguise, or subterfuge; straightforward (wikipedia)

  • A method and attitude to get every mind fully on the solution finding and improvement side of any aspect of the organization
  • Information sharing without ego blockers (two way)
  • Asking helpful exploratory questions
  • Providing helpful complete/forthcoming answers
  • Staying welcoming to any and all possibilities beyond  ‘the way we have always done it’
  • Candid Conversations are about things, not people

Candid Conversations are about getting better results, not eviscerating a colleague. Not about punishment but about improvement. The days of ‘I am here to take names and kick ass’ are over. Well, if we want to have a genuine Candid Conversation and harvest the amazing benefits, those days are over. Then there are always some who just won’t let the old ways go. They will either convert or leave. Both are good. J

I don’t know where in the parallel of introducing Candid Conversations is in the continuum, compared to the history of introducing Quality programs, but it is very obvious that we are only just starting to accept their value. Training that teaches how to have such conversations is slowly becoming available, a sign that something about it is working well. More businesses and organizations of every kind, are slowly buying in. We are still at the ‘early adopter’ stages of making Candid Conversations the norm. The other data point is to look around and see how many organizations that you are familiar with use Candid Conversations today. And go a bit further to count how many have Candid Conversations as an integral part of their corporate culture? Is it more or less than the number of fingers and toes?

 

Want to learn more? Download a free copy of my book

Candid Conversations What? How? , The successful leader’s no-fluff guide

here, www.yournaturaledge.com and click on the Books tab at the top.

Joseph Seiler MCC