“In the art of seamanship, the simple sailor knows more than the greatest lawyer in the world “
Miguel de Cervantes
The reasons why an organization “lasts” over time are multiple and complex. Some elements depend on oneself and many other factors that we do not control. The survival rate of organizations is increasingly reduced compared to previous decades. Where is the secret, then, to be able to “be there” for a long time?
I have always been attracted to understanding sustainability as all those elements that make my organization last and continue to add value (from an economic, social and environmental perspective).
Without intending to make an exhaustive analysis, something quite complex, one of the aspects that can most influence staying and continuing to generate value, is to develop a “natural” intelligence on the way of doing and dealing with things. The brightest organizations, teams and people do not usually use complex, tangled or tangled paths or paths to solve their challenges and challenges. On the contrary, they tend to reflect, more than normal, on the way of doing things, trying to bring any process to something simple (according to the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy, “That does not offer difficulty. That lacks ostentation and decorations, exornation and artifice, and expresses the concepts naively and naturally”).
This is where it appears, from our experience of more than three decades, both at an academic level and, above all, at a practical level, accompanying numerous organizations of diverse nature, size or nationality, a common element in the vast majority of organizations that stand out: The (healthy) obsession with method.
All effective action involves a method, which is what guarantees that the results obtained can be repeated with certain guarantees. And the method is nothing more than the simplest way (not simple, a meaning associated with the fact that there are no complications or difficulties) of doing things.
Although today, in such an uncertain and volatile environment, there may be exogenous aspects that can shake any organization, the organizations that stand out, within their reach and under the influence of oneself, work intensely to deploy efficient and simple mechanisms in everything they do.
Although one might think that the methods can be easily replicated, it may not be taken into account that the really solid and effective methods are usually a consequence of the integrated conjunction of several attributes that are not easy to treasure:
- Profound practical experience (mere theoretical reflection has a very short journey in management science).
- Systemic and comprehensive thinking (holistic vision of the scenario if you want to contemplate the entire spectrum of possible problems and solutions).
- Constant focus on the essence (war without quarter against the superfluous).
- Action orientation (flexibility to adapt and agility to respond quickly).
- Persistence and perseverance (finding the method implies a cycle of trial and error that tests the most patient).
- Discipline and order (once the method is defined, and although it will continue to evolve, rigor will always be key in its application).
- Humility and mentality of permanent questioning (there will always be the possibility of improving the method).
It might seem that method is opposed to creativity. Nothing could be further from the truth: today, being effective and efficient requires a large dose of method. And we are going to have to perfect our methods more and more frequently. In those jumps between one version and another of the method is the creativity and innovation, capital to avoid stagnating in outdated methods and to continue standing out as an organization…
In conclusion, it is vital to emphasize that the method and the use of structured, solid and proven methodologies will not guarantee success by itself but, without a doubt, it is something more than present in all organizations that present superior results to others, increasing the probability of continuing to “be there” for a long time…
