Leadership Development using the Tribe Approach

I have been reading Seth Godin’s blog as of late.  His book Tribes which came out several months may be considered by some as a marketing book.  But actually, I as many other consider it as a leadership development book.

Take a look at your facility.  Are there tribes?

I remember when I worked at one multi-national, there was a group of finance people that evaluated the risk of taking on a new customer.  They were part of the finance team - but at the same time they moved slightly different than the rigid finance folks.  They had to balance the sales teams requests of approving every customer with the finance’s manager to mitigate risk.

These guys had a secret language - heck they probably had some sort of secret hand shake.  They would sit together at lunch and talk about finance stuff.  How would you evaluate this issue, etc.

They wrote their own sort of rules.  They did not need to be managed.  They were not sticking it to each other so that they could get the next job.  Instead, they helped each other so that they could be the best.

A saw a similar example in my most recent gig.  This team of raw material handlers again managed their own rules.  They tested each other and held each other accountable.  They new the code, the standards, the safety requirements, everything about the raw materials.

In each of these cases there was a leader of the tribe.  One person that the others followed.

As a manager of the facility, you have to figure out how to get the natural work groups to work as a tribes.  And then, you need to figure out how to get all of these tribes to work together for a common cause.

If you think people are showing up just to collect a paycheck.  You are sadly mistaken.  People want to be inspired.  They want to belong.  They want to wear the silly hats.

Take a look at your organization and see if you see the hidden tribes.  Watch them… listen to them… engage them.  And just maybe you they will let you know what the secret handshake is.