Work used to imply something grand, something dignified, to be remembered and recorded. Craftsmanship was held in high regard, and people bought brands for life. Quality and usefulness ranked above availability and novelty.
Machines came and produced to our base emotions: high volume, low-cost goods commodities. Firms adjusted to this reality. They optimized for specific market conditions and demographics. Budgets, sales cycles, product updates, employee reviews, and everything else fit into a neat package.
That neat package has unraveled over the last 30 years. Income dynamics, production capabilities, and task automation shifted and allowed new entrants to challenge the status quo. This time, incumbents are finding it difficult to adapt, reshape, and retool their work and roles.
The banal life of cubicles, status reports, and office politics are symptoms of that paralyzing challenge. Organizations have grown unwieldy with sprawling reporting lines, policies, and processes. "Getting things done" feels hard, and scandals rock front pages at an unprecedented rate.
Models of the firm have always been challenging, but this era is especially confusing. Buzzwords like "digital" and "innovation" mistake technology as the end, not the means. Firms buy software and learn it only works in a certain way, or engage in “innovation” theater.
What did we lose? We forgot what it means to produce real, meaningful output. We lost what it meant for everyone in the organization to create something of value to others. Large companies forgot about the components people that make them whole.
Managers opted for the boardroom, not the factory floor or terminal screens. The avid product reviewer, the dedicated database admin, the freelance designer were lost to the politics and chaos.
We help you turn the tide and focus on the fundamentals: your purpose, people, and products.
We help our clients find value across their organizations and then assist their teams to start executing. We start small and transform companies through their product and the people doing the work.
We develop companies whose workforce and leadership reflects the vibrancy and diversity of an increasingly global market. We help you identify the agitators, innovators, and rule breakers needed to revive human-centred and inclusive practice in your organizations.
We believe in using technology to augment human strengths. We empower teams to make decisions with local knowledge. We connect executives with ordinary customers and workers with strategic partners. We help teams rediscover their founders' intent and purpose in the world.
That's a tall order. How do we get there?
Let's get to work.