The modern workplace is at a critical
juncture today, as progressive as
many organizations want to believe
they are, many are still unconsciously
holding tight to a laundry list of “unwritten
rules of the hierarchy” based
on a 20th century model of work.
Rules around communication and
etiquette, chain of command, policies
and procedures, where and when
work happens, work ethic, and paying
your dues.
However, as the workforce of the
future continues to flood organizations’
ranks, it’s becoming clear
they simply do not see the world
through the same lens. In fact,
they’re unaware of most of the unwritten
rules that are so innately understood
by more experienced
generations. While previous generations
came of age in the hierarchy,
today’s youth are coming of age in the
network, and operate under a new set
of principles.
To win today, we’ll need the best of
both of these forces, structure and
agility, in order to create an entirely
new mindset where leaders no longer
see themselves as leading from the
top of the hierarchy but instead from
the center of the network.
P: You talked about the unwritten
rules of hierarchy; what are the unwritten
rules of networks, and how
might spa professionals use these to
powerment of both employees and
customers. Never before have individuals
had tools of this magnitude at
their disposal to create impact. Resources
like mobile, digital, social, intelligent
automation and artificial
“In a world
faced with extreme
uncertainty, identifying
aspects of our business
that create certainty
helps our people
feel safe.”
intelligence have given people the
ability to do three big things:
1. Access information to make decisions
and drive outcomes.
2. Communicate ideas and make
their voices heard.
3. Connect with others to build
community and spark movements
to create impact.
The lesson small business owners
should take away from understanding
the forces of network is that our employees
and customers feel tremendously
empowered today. They’ve
been birthed into a reality where they
know they have access to the world at
their fingertips. Don’t fight their desire
to have impact, but help them under-
become better leaders?
M: Network as a force is about emstand
that with power comes responsibility
and expectations. High-performance
cultures are driven by clarity
around values and behaviors that inform
how everyone shows up and a
deep sense of personal responsibility
not just to the leaders, but to the
team.
P: How and why should leaders begin
to move away from hierarchy at
work?
M: It’s important to note that
hierarchy isn’t inherently bad. It
goes back to the idea of structure
and agility. We need both hierarchy
and network. There are powerful aspects
of hierarchy that help us perform
and execute in a business. Of
course, we want to acknowledge and
let go of unwritten rules that no
longer serve the culture, but simultaneously
we want to leverage aspects
of hierarchy —such as structure, order,
predictability and stability—that will
help us scale and grow the business.
One of the positive aspects of structure,
order and predictability is that
they collectively help make us feel
safe. When we clearly understand our
role and how it fits into the bigger picture
of the business, we’re more likely
to feel a sense of certainty. In a world
faced with extreme uncertainty and
ambiguity right now, identifying aspects
of our business that create certainty
helps our people feel safe, and
that’s critical to shaping a high-performance
team.
JUNE 2020 ■ PULSE 51