Anybody born in the 20th Century must have noticed the remarkable departure in the 21st century in terms of the quantum change and innovation it has heralded. The disruptions that abound and the way things are done have been fundamentally changed.
Back home in Nigeria, we are all living witnesses of how the GSM technology and the use of mobile phones have dramatically changed our lives, starting from the artisan in the slum to the farmer in the remote village.
The main concept of business management and leadership is being challenged by the changes in technology, the global nature of economies and increasing demand for a more diverse workforce.
What is clear to organizations is that they cannot afford to carry on as ‘normal’ or in a ‘business as usual’ manner. But what is less clear is how to identify the individuals who have what it takes to make these changes happen or as they say, ‘create the future’ rather than wait to be made irrelevant.
There is a lot of confusion particularly among the large corporations which are used to having the pyramidal structure where the so called high performing individuals are firstly identified through their potentials using the competency framework, and then they are trained to climb up the ladder and assume the commanding heights in their organizations. Innovation and disruptive technologies leave some established businesses lost. “Saddled with high level of assets, cumbersome supply chains and the need for quarterly earnings, innovation and change can be difficult. How do you make it work? writes Mark Goodridge.
But things have greatly changed. The Apples, Googles, Wakanow and the Ubers of this world know very well that climbing up the ladder does not provide all the answers. And this is not limited to technology companies.
The time has come for organizations to embrace the scientific method of identifying its ‘Game Changers’. According to Nathan Ott, the Chief Executive Officer of eg. 1, a business insight and talent consultancy firm, “We have identified the DNA of a Game Changer. This DNA has the potential to shake up the talent industry”
“For over 15 years, I have sat across the table from senior executives trying to help them describe the key talent they need to drive their businesses forward. Typically, after we have spent time analyzing all of the desired experience and attributes required, the session will end with a phrase like “you know what I mean – they need that spark” or “I’ll know when I see them”
You do not need to be overwhelmed any longer by the anxiety and uncertainty in identifying them or the disharmony that arises where a person who appears to be ‘Game Changer’ to one CEO or HR Director may not appear to be one to the other.
A major research carried out by Dr John Mervin-Smith, the Chief Psychologist at eg 1, showed that Game Changers have well defined qualities and capabilities.
These are:
- Big picture thinkers
- Very strategic
- High on vigour
- Creative idea generators
- Passionate about the idea
- Ambitious, obsessive drive to succeed
- Risk takers
- Strong influences of people (above and below)
- Great at articulating a vision
But the Game Changers are not about listing attributes. They are distinct in themselves. For instance, it is not enough for them to be strategic in generating ideas, they are obsessed with the transformation of these ideas to reality. They are little concerned about rewards or even the so called ‘Pay for Performance’ increasingly adopted by Nigerian organizations. They may not sit well inside your corporate hierarchy. They challenge your management team, may even alienate their colleagues, question the way things are done etc. What sets them apart is their obsession and imagination.
Learning how to identify, tap into and retain the skills of game-changing employees, those team members who act and operate outside the traditional ‘group think’ model, will become a key competitive edge for businesses of all sizes.
One question that arises is how can we fit the individualistic thinking into the team?
According to Dr John Mervin-Smith, the Chief Psychologist at eg 1, “The Boeing 737 Max 200 aircraft was described by Michael O’Leary, Rynair Chief Executive, as a “Game Changer” But it is not just the aircraft that is changing the game, – it’s the Boeing Company as a whole”. The business is constantly innovating to stay ahead of the game”.
How do we build the Game Changing Team or even build a ‘Game Changing’ culture where innovation is key and ‘a fail-safe’ culture is sustained? The sporting organizations have broken the traditional hierarchical model. The build their entire business around talent and still the team comes first. The bosses are there to make the team’s work possible. Now is the time to follow this revolutionary model.
The Game Changer (GC) index is truly a revolutionary way that organizations assess and develop their talent. It is the only assessment tool of its kind that challenges the traditional methods that are currently attempting to address the issues of diversity, globalizations and innovation within our organizations and succeeding.
Not everyone is a Game Changer but everyone can make a game changing impact.
Many organizations are fast adopting the GC Index as their competitive tool as validated in their testimonials. The GC Index ® is an online assessment tool that is the first to assess the real and potential contribution of individuals across entire organizations.
Unlike other assessment tools, the GC Index ® does not measure personality type, skills or leadership qualities. Instead, it measures the preferred inclination of how individuals contribute to a company, role or project. It focuses on output not level or the ability to climb the corporate ladder. They are fundamentally different from “High potentials” and “Traditional leaders”. They are different like all other things that have emerged with the millennials.
Find your Game Changers!
Dr Ije Jidenma – a Gcologist and an experienced Organizational Psychologist, is the Managing Partner of IRC (Nigeria) and CEO of Leading Edge Consulting
