Ok, riot is a bit of a strong word. No tables were tossed and no fires were set. However, new ideas did spread like wildfire. And a rebellion of sorts did take place. Let me explain.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I spoke at a conference in Washington DC last weekend. After my presentation (which was completely improvised to demonstrate the power of “using a compass, not a map”), the tone of the conference changed. One person wrote me and said, “It really was remarkable how many people changed their viewpoint the day that you spoke. So many of them adjusted their language from using goals to using aspirations.”
This was evident from a brainstorming exercise we did the afternoon after my speech. All participants were asked to get into small groups and generate idea on how “1,000 organizations could be certified as democratic organizations by 2020.” On the surface, this sounds like a wonderful goal, especially if you are a strong proponent of democracy in business. However, there was an uprising; a widespread dissent against the idea of the activity. The concept of ditching the goal spread quickly from table to table. There was event a goal-free chant developed by one team. I think it was “Ditch the goal; give up control!” Or something like that.
Rather than a traditional goal, people latched on to more aspirational statements like “movement” and “open.” The ideas generated were about giving up control; borrowing ideas from other movements like “open source” in technology. Big and audacious ideas were generated. Ideas that far exceeded those that would have been generated had we focused only on certification.
Goals are not inherently bad. It’s when they blind you to bigger opportunities that the problems arise; when they have you play small, and you don’t even realize it. Have fun. Play big. And create a rebellion whenever the mood strikes.