Fast Pack 2000

In the future -- the not-too-distant future -- only two groups of people will be in the world of work: entrepreneurs and those who think like entrepreneurs. I also envision a pendulum swing -- free agents coming back inside the corporate fold after having spent some time on the outside. But when they come back, it won't be business as usual. There will be two differences. First, they'll know that they don't have to stay. They'll know that they can always make it on their own. Second, they'll have different sensibilities. If they've been part of the dotcom world, they'll come back to their companies with questions like, "What's the viscosity of this organization?" The lower the viscosity, the faster things happen. So they'll become advocates for a low viscosity, for a quick execution, for a shedding of bureaucracy. Their dream will be to work for a company that gets it. Their nightmare will be to be part of an organization that's sludge.

Phil Terry

I look at change and the individual as a dynamic, relational activity. Wherever I find myself, I try to improve things, to change things, and to create conditions that allow others to change as well. I've also made the decision, when it's been appropriate, not to continue in a certain environment because I liked other environments better. The real work of people who are trying to create change in their company is not to understand the company but to organize it.

Brook Manville

When I look at companies, whether they are fast or slow, I see two common themes -- two questions that define the way that they do business. How a company answers these questions will tell you whether it encourages innovation. The first question is "Who runs the company?" Very simply, if the person who runs the company is in favor of innovation, then it happens. If the person who runs the company isn't in favor of innovation -- doesn't encourage, support, or reward it -- then it doesn't happen. Sure, the company might have pockets of resistance, places that go against the tide. But if those in leadership positions aren't in favor of innovation, then it really won't happen.

The second question is "What is the central organizing principle -- the mission, the values -- at the heart of the company?" If the people in the organization can sum up its mission, then they are confident enough and focused enough to try new things that fit within their company's central purpose. Now, these two factors come in all kinds of combinations: You might find a company whose leader favors innovation but doesn't have a mission. Or you might come across a company that has a mission, but whose leader opposes innovation. When a company has both -- whether that company's big or small, old or new -- you can be sure that it embraces innovation, embraces the individual, and moves forward at a rapid speed.

Blake Nordstrom

Anyone who thinks that the CEO is in charge is out of touch with what's happening in business. The customer is in charge. And the notion that the culture dictates the business is also wrong. The culture has to evolve and adapt to changing times -- to be competitive, it has to be flexible.

Our company was founded in 1901, and until about 1965, my dad signed every paycheck himself. It wasn't until 1978 that we opened our first store outside the Pacific Northwest. Today, we have stores in 23 states and have 42,000 employees -- and our core assets are our people and our culture. How is that possible? Because of our relationships. We believe in the inverted pyramid: that the most important person in our culture is the customer, then the next-most-important person is the salesperson, and after that comes the department manager -- that's the person who deals directly with both the customers and the frontline employees. Our most important asset is our ability to give department managers the tools, the recognition, and the support they need to allow them to make mistakes, to learn, and to go for it.

Mark Albion

I think that you can boil down change and innovation inside a company to three questions -- and these three questions determine whether the people in the company genuinely like working there. First, "Do you feel important?" Second, "Do you feel that you can make a difference?" And third, "Do we have a community here that you would like to be a part of?" These questions don't have much to do with the size of a company; but they have everything to do with the way you treat people.

Mary Lou Quinlan

The one thing that doesn't go away in a company is the character and humanity of its leader. I've worked in big companies, and I've also run one, and the one thing that I've consistently seen is this: You can put the customer at the top of the pyramid, but a company's leader has to be the soul of the company -- the living, breathing believer in the company's mission. That person has to be the best listener, the best interpreter, and the most passionate driver of the company's purpose.