INTRODUCTION WHY PEOPLE MATTER

What type of organization are you part of? Are you in an organization in which everyone is trying to get into the first-class cabin or one where everyone is trying to make the train go faster? The question may seem trivial, but is emblematic of the shift we are going through within our organizations, and perhaps the world at large. Are we going to live in a world of tension between the haves versus the have nots, those who command and those whom are commanded? Or are we going to live in a world where we move forward together? The query illuminates the dichotomy between those who are motivated by power, greed, and control versus those who want to bring forth new thinking. Those in the latter group believe that we should democratize the opportunity for people to bring forth new thinking, new ideas and audacious innovations. The type of organization that they build holds people paramount. Its processes are set up to support, nurture, and provide psychological safety, enabling the organization to leverage all of the talents, passions and interests of their people. In this book, we advocate for a people-centric organization, where rather than trying to focus on getting a first-class ticket, everyone works together to try to make the train go faster.