The Company with No Arse
I want to work for a company with no arse – that means that there’s nothing to cover and nothing to kiss (or blow smoke up)!
This thought occurred to me today in a large workshop aimed at identifying the cultural elements of “world class” companies. Never being one to shy away from a simplistic way to express what is actually a complex set of qualities I thought that this expression captured much of the feeling of the day. In a room full of very smart people I was very pleasantly surprised to see ego cast adrift and humble self-reflection take center stage. This kind of thinking could very well engender a “world class” culture. At the very least it could provide the space for such a culture to grow into.
Of course the things that get in the way of such a culture are many, and more of them come from the very people striving within the culture than we might first realise. Our own thinking and patterns probably limit us much more than any external pressure. The biggest lesson that I have taken away from today is just how we can all learn if we are open to it. Learning is just the first step though. Taking action, and backing it up, reflecting on it, adjusting it, and then repeating this cycle endlessly is going to be the real challenge…
