Comments on: What Business Leaders Can Learn From Bhutan http://www.peakorganizations.com/blog/bhutan-happiness/ Transforming the Way Business Is Done Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:38:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Sam Cannon http://www.peakorganizations.com/blog/bhutan-happiness/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Sam Cannon Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:35:40 +0000 http://peakorganizations.com/?p=785#comment-5 We often forget to distinguish between the generalist and the specialist. When we think of Maslow, we most often think of the musician or the artist of any type--the one who has found his metier and works hard to perfect his skills. But specialists comprise only a small proportion of the human population. Most of us are generalists who just like to live "in the hive" with others. We are support people. We learn whatever is necessary to support the goals of our organization (a good organization, that is). If we admire our CEO and other leaders and believe in what they are doing, we will learn to do what best fits us in the mix of things. We generalists find peak experiences in supporting others who are often brighter than we are or more skilled. Tapping us is the name of the game, and in order to capitalize on our strengths, the good leader gives us the freedom to "wander" in the environment and discover where we can be of help. That's why it's so difficult for us to impress the hiring interviewer who takes endless notes as trained from endless workshops, none of which seem to have done much good. The organization needs to fit itself to us, not the other way around. Just like education needs to discover talent rather than rubricize everything and judge people on their ability to fit the mold. As Maslow used to say, good science also involves the mundane cleaning of test tubes. And the cleaning of test tubes can be a creative act if it is in support of a cure for cancer or what not. We often forget to distinguish between the generalist and the specialist. When we think of Maslow, we most often think of the musician or the artist of any type–the one who has found his metier and works hard to perfect his skills. But specialists comprise only a small proportion of the human population. Most of us are generalists who just like to live “in the hive” with others. We are support people. We learn whatever is necessary to support the goals of our organization (a good organization, that is). If we admire our CEO and other leaders and believe in what they are doing, we will learn to do what best fits us in the mix of things. We generalists find peak experiences in supporting others who are often brighter than we are or more skilled. Tapping us is the name of the game, and in order to capitalize on our strengths, the good leader gives us the freedom to “wander” in the environment and discover where we can be of help. That’s why it’s so difficult for us to impress the hiring interviewer who takes endless notes as trained from endless workshops, none of which seem to have done much good.

The organization needs to fit itself to us, not the other way around. Just like education needs to discover talent rather than rubricize everything and judge people on their ability to fit the mold. As Maslow used to say, good science also involves the mundane cleaning of test tubes. And the cleaning of test tubes can be a creative act if it is in support of a cure for cancer or what not.

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