The world is getting smaller. In 1966, Walt Disney unveiled “It’s a Small World,” a now classic ride, and the phrase has been used ever since to highlight how the world keeps getting closer together. Even before this, the idea of “six degrees of separation” surfaced in 1929 and was popularized by a film by the same name in 1993. That was before the internet! The internet, though, with chat rooms, email, and social media, is making the world even smaller at an exponential rate. Additionally, in 2016, Facebook said that the average separation between friendship links decreased to 4.47 instead of the popular six degrees of separation.
Despite social distancing guidelines as a result of COVID-19, blending of societies is occurring at an increasingly rapid pace with little evidence of future slowing. The strengthening connection between countries and communities is changing the world and creating countless opportunities to enrich and enhance the lives of everyone, everywhere. Some natural connections that are experiencing this accelerating trend of unavoidable blending include social and technological connections, generational and demographic connections, racial and ethnic connections, and work and home connections. This global trend is important to recognize because its effects reach into the business world as well by affecting the different dimensions of business and can be highlighted in your business through Blendification®.
What Is Blendification®?
Blendification® is the intentional action to embrace and align the natural connections that exist between the various dimensions of business. Specifically, it is the blending of business culture, strategy, and execution to activate greater organizational potential.
In the US, adults spend over 50% of their waking time completing work- or work-related activities. Work is a place where people come together on a regular basis with the primary purpose of identifying and satisfying society’s needs. With the amount of time spent working and the ability of business to impact people and communities, business becomes the path for people to pursue and realize their potential.
Historically, and even today, business leaders work in the convenient and diminishing world of simplification and silos. Everyone has a title that succinctly defines what they do, they work in a department that typically communicates with others in the same department, and workplace training mostly focuses on specific job-related skills. We are told to “stay in your lane.” Unfortunately, these practices do not enable us to identify, pursue, or realize our potential. Since work takes up a significant amount of our time, this type of constraining leadership diminishes motivation, intention, and contribution. In order to inspire, stimulate, and activate the potential of your team and your company, as well as your individual potential, you must embrace Blendification® within your organization. Here’s why:
- Companies are living organisms that represent a coexistence of different departments and people.
- The system works best when the connection between each component is strengthened.
- When companies are blended, employees pursue purpose, potential, and performance.
- Innovative products and services fulfilling society’s needs are accelerated.
- A positive work life influences home life, thereby enhancing families and communities.
The progression, succession, and connection of these five points results in optimized outcomes for employees, customers, and communities. Since companies are the spark to ignite positive societal outcomes, what are the key components of business Blendification®? The following are three critical components that must be blended for organizations to realize their potential.
Culture
Organizational culture needs to be designed, developed, and disseminated so it becomes part of the company’s DNA. This is not a vision statement that is written on the wall; it is a meticulously conceived system of united elements including the organization’s Statement of Cause, Statement of Intention, and desired Behaviors and Habits. Culture is a driving force for the company and defines how the company operates under the organizational cause.
Strategy
The strategy is the business plan outlining the organization’s focus, outcomes, and actions. It intentionally relies on and reinforces culture and evolves from sound strategic analysis, painting a picture of the future that will impact the pursuit of the organization’s cause.
Execution
The culture creates the motivation and bandwidth to execute the strategic platform. A blended company with strong beliefs, trust, and confidence enables the strategic focus to be embedded in the culture, leading to agile execution in rapidly changing markets. A deliberately designed execution model leveraging cross-functional connections and multiple layers of the organization results in effective execution and elevated outcomes.
Remember, it’s a small world after all, and social, technological, and economic factors are making the world smaller every day. Workplace organizations have the opportunity to utilize Blendification® to enhance their impact on employees, customers, and communities. This is done by intentionally and surgically connecting culture, strategy, and execution. The connection of these elements inside companies enables businesses to be at the forefront of positively impacting society while inspiring employees and companies to pursue and realize their potential.
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