Change from within the system

Business will have at least as much potential as government to meet society’s challenges.

That is the opinion of 86% of the respondents in a worldwide survey of 1000 recent millennial recruits in consulting firm, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited.

Surprising? Possibly not considering the extent to which recent scandals highlight the fact that big business and particularly the banks appear to run rings around government. (Personally I would be inclined to worry about the calibre of the other 14%!)

In any event this is interpreted by Barry Salzberg, the firm’s global CEO, to mean that “tomorrow’s leaders are telling us that they believe they can actually change the world, fiscally and socially — operating within the system.”  Furthermore he claims, “They want to play a part personally, not just in pro bono work but through the work they do every day.”

Would you agree with this? Personally, I wouldn’t doubt it. However, this also shows to what extent employees want to be engaged in their work, and thus is an awful indictment of the fact employee engagement is such a concern for today’s business leaders.

Certainly, in order to ensure the kind of trust that Mr Salzberg identifies as being a pre-requisite for the workforce of the future, it is essential to change the operating model of the way organistaions work. That is why I am so persistent in promoting my employee ownership model. What better way is there for creating shared values? It certainly makes the workplace more democratic and, if you want a truly democratic society, you have to have a more democratic workplace.

A more democratic workplace, however, does not mean a workplace where chaos reigns supreme because everyone is equal. It simply means an environment where people are able to fulfil their talent, maximise their potential, do what they do best and feel that they are making a difference and where they are properly appreciated for what they do. Isn’t that what true talent management is? It certainly doesn’t seem to be too much to ask, does it?