Time to let go of old beliefs?
Jeff Bezos has a great quote about the benefits of being able to let go of old beliefs
“People who are right a lot listen a lot, and they change their minds a lot. People who are right a lot change their mind without a lot of new data. They wake up and reanalyze things and change their mind. If you don’t change your mind frequently, you’re going to be wrong a lot. People who are right a lot want to disconfirm their fundamental biases.”
Similarly in Robert Pirsig’s “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” there is the story of the Monkey Trap. I thank Andreas Wettstein for reminding me about this powerful change management story. A hollowed-out coconut is chained to a stake and has a hole just big enough for a monkey to put a hand inside. Some food is placed inside the coconut and an inquisitive monkey will at some point reach inside. Delighted to have found some food, the monkey holds on tight with a clenched fist, but the hand is now too big to withdraw from the coconut. Trapped by the fear of losing the food the monkey is stuck. Letting go is all that is needed to move on…
Arkaro uses stories like these in business transformations. Listen to Armel from Burkina Faso draw on the story as he reflects on the value of the Commercial Excellence transformation with Arkaro.
His global management capability, strategic thinking and drive for results made him a valued contributor of the management team of the Health & Protection Division"
His sparring helped us to significantly increase the level of KPI transparency and coherent use of information gained throughout the organization towards improvement of underperformance."
1. Practical
2. Project based
3. People
Mark helps people adopt the right mindset and change behaviour to make the process work successfully"
Mark has developed great set of skills around commercial, product management, supply chain and project management that make him a key contributor to any strategic initiative in the business. It has been a pleasure for me working with him and I hereby make my recommendation"
The organisation was motivated for change and many project concepts soon emerged. However, it soon became clear that there was a need to structure program management, with common rules for shop floor and top management teams regarding project selection and prioritisation. In addition there was a need to design a forecast system connecting leading KPIs with planned savings and ensure that resources were deployed effectively.
This is where Mark's contribution proved to be highly valuable. His analysis skills, his ability to interact empathetically with all levels of the organization and lay down an unbiased diagnosis combined with his vast continuous improvement toolbox and business transformation experience applied to our specific case were key to the success of the Malteurop program deployment.
Open to new ideas and comments, he brings a refreshing view and analyzes challenging issues from many different angles to find the optimal solution, always striving to make decisions based on data and not feelings.
Mark has excellent communication skills with colleagues and customers alike, which is key in nourishing motivation and commitment. Mark is proficient in optimally balancing the needs and goals of the organization with those of the customers.”
