Be more Skoda...?

A Friday reflection on the value of diversity...

Recently returned from a trip to the Austrian Alps, I feel compelled to share a thought process hitting me whilst pondering life in the slow lane (literally) travelling up a mountain in one of Kitzbuhel’s slower chairlifts.

About half-way up the mountain, a big placard was fastened to a pylon telling me that ‘There is no such thing as too much snow’ – nothing else. Obviously, a statement intended to trigger thought. I sat thinking for one or two pylons that no, quite right, as the old Swedish saying goes ‘there is no bad weather – only poor choices of clothing’. Sure, enough on the fifth pylon we got the answer – the four rings of the Audi logo. Clearly, we were to believe that if you drive Audi, there is no such thing as too much snow.

Ha! I should know – try driving a generic Audi with generic tires on Scottish roads in snow. That, my friends, is more akin to Bambi on ice. Now, now, don’t tell me to RTFM or that it is more about the driver than the car… this is a Swede who once had to pass the infamous ‘Moose test’ on a purpose-built skidding-track in order to get her driver’s licence.

Joking aside, my brain started thinking that yes, there is some truth to the old saying – you have to dress for the weather and clearly also choose the right vehicle for the conditions. There ain’t such a thing as too much snow if you’re sat in a PistenBully is there?

Being a bit on the passionate side always with my head full of thoughts relating to my field of work – Management and Leadership development – my brain moved from snow and driving to the world of the corporate world. The same truth applies there does it not? You cannot expect working life to be plain sailing. Here too you need to ‘dress’ for the prevailing conditions, non?

A convoluted way of arriving to where my brain was moving next: What stable of cars would I put together to make sure I was ready for whatever the corporate weather was throwing at me? I told you – this particular lift was not only slow – it was also long, so plenty of time to ponder…

So, what would my stable – or garage – of vehicles look like? What vehicles would give me the best combined powers – or what team composition would I need - to be successful and push through whatever the weather?

Volvo – Having Volvos to rely on in your team is important. You need someone to play the role of Devil’s advocate (yes – I hear you all – Cicci the Volvo – I know that this is my role. Perhaps it has something to do with being Swedish….?). Someone who weighs up the risks, put strategies in place to manage risk and damage control should a risk turn into a real event. The Plan B people – in my case Plan C and Plan D! They can be perceived as slow and backwards paddling, but generally fill an important role navigating a safe and successful way forward whatever the weather throws at you.

Ferrari – the fiery red people who are chomping at it, revving to go at 100 miles an hour and once they are off are so blinded by the speed that they do not see the cones they are knocking over as they set off or the dust-cloud and debris left in their pathway. They get everyone excited and huddling around. Sexy ideas, aspiring ambitions, make a loud noise and tend not to struggle getting investment ploughed into their ideas. Big investment. Big running costs. These people are needed to fuel motivation, inspire employees to buy into new ideas – they may be the innovators of the boardroom. Often, their moment of glory is short lived, they arrive, cause a frenzy, take off and move onto the next big thing leaving everyone behind as they move onto their next project. With Ferraris around, you can be sure not to stagnate.

The Motorcycle – The nimble and agile forerunner. The scout. The pioneer that can shoot off ahead, zig-zagging through static traffic and road blocks to explore the land ahead. To take a temperature check and scope what is coming to pre-warn the rest of us and set us up for success in making informed decisions – using the right tools to battle the storms – or spell of fair weather as it may be. The motorcyclist can also take messages up and down the traffic jam, opening up communication. We need these people in our midst to keep us and projects going. They are the blood pumping through our organisational veins.

The Convertibles - the risk-takers (certainly if you live in the Scotland, you are a risk-taker heading out in a convertible even on the sunniest of days…). We need these guys too. We need them to push for change, to dare to have faith, to break new paths. To challenge the status quo and to just be brave and bold. Sometimes they end up wet and cold should the weather change and the convertible driver may put the roof back up to weather the storms but are always ready and at the first glimpse of sunshine, the roof comes back down again.

The Tesla – the environmentally conscious, the one with the eye on the future. The thinking challenger, researcher and innovator. Creative and cost intensive, but with solutions that attract, are successful and gather momentum. An innovator capable of turning tides.

The Skoda – then, we have the Skoda… the dark horse in the stable. The under-estimated workhorse capable of surprising achievements. The quiet performer who keeps the head down, get the job done without shouting about it. The one who bides its time…knowing that it will come…eventually. Fairly priced, well liked (with an estimated Net Promoter Score of 63, we have to assume that it is?) and with an increasing slice of the car market share it is a relatively new breed of car in the past 20 years. A car that suits most people without necessarily triggering a huge amount of excitement. An every-day quality car, sturdily built with plenty of space to cater for all needs and functionalities…but a little bit…boring perhaps? It is beginning to step out of the shadows as a player but still without the need to shout about its qualities. It knows its value and lets the world find out by itself what it is capable of – whilst all the while growing in popularity. Unassuming but powerful at the same time. There is space for these people within our organisations too – those who simply do a darn good job, never shout about it and just get on with it safe in the knowledge that their work speaks for itself. They don’t mind the glossy Ferraris and shiny new toys sidling up to them, they know their value, get what needs to be done completed and move on without causing aggro, competition or conflict. Is it not those people who really make the working world go round? Not too expensive to ‘finance’. Not too difficult to find. A very sensible investment, which will serve you well as long as you look after it, care for it and do not drive it into the ground.

A bit of a contrived reflection, perhaps, but a holiday-mind allowed to run away with its thoughts.

The parting thought, however, lies in the value of difference. There is no one car; no one type of person who will singlehandedly be responsible for achieving great results in all conditions. By building a versatile stable around us where we emphasise what makes us different and how those differences can make us stronger at different times and scenarios, we safeguard our future adaptability whatever the future throws at us.

Get your stable right. Get your workforce right. Focus on diversity in capability and you will have the right car and people for the varying conditions whatever the forecast.

Happy Friday!