Last week in Early Warning: A Political Storm is Brewing I rashly suggested that I could weigh up an organisational setting and estimate its survival prospects. It’s not a precise science (what science is?) but you can do it too if you know how.
To whet your appetite and ruffle a few feathers, here is a fun little game you can play at your team meeting that will provide a huge amount of vital intelligence that will shine a light, your light, on the prospects for the enterprise to survive the next 12 months.
To succeed with this, you do need to exercise some caution, and what happens is your responsibility not mine. But really, with a little bit of care, you should get away with it.
Now, we need a suitable name. I know, how about:
Jack in the Box
Shocking the assembled team so much they lose their composure and reveal their true attitudes and feelings about change, and the interplay of influence between the team members.
- Reflect on where you company is right now, its challenges, how it is responding, what is going on in the market.
- Design an outlandish solution to all of the problems. You know, the sort of idea that in normal times would have all your friends thinking you’re mad. Then wind it up a bit more.
- Choose a moment when they least expect it, and present your idea with enthusiasm and energy. Pack it with oomph and impact. Throw it right into their midst and let it explode.
- Then sit back and watch, and listen.
- Quietly leave with a shrug, and think hard about what you have witnessed.
Handle with care.