THE GRAVITY OF COMPLIANCE
Gravity is not only necessary for the existence of the universe, but also beautiful in its own right. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson wrote: “When I close my eyes, I see the planets as pirouetting dancers in a cosmic ballet, choreographed by the forces of gravity.” He notes that a planet does not technically orbit its host star; instead both bodies effectively orbit their common centre of mass. Of course, he is referring to stellar objects, but this concept can also be applied to relations within companies.
All employees are responsible for their radius. Managers can be influenced by this pressure. A study by the Vanderbild University’s Owen Graduate School of Management concludes that even high-level management can be influenced by peer and group pressure. The more the manager identifies with the group, the greater the chance they will be influenced. Like the law of gravity, not only does the manager influence the employee, the reverse is also true.
Employees are responsible for themselves. Business consultant Ira Chaleff notes that leadership is not about followers: team members do not exist to satisfy their leader. Instead, both are part of the system and are responsible for their area of gravity and for maximising the efficiency of the whole system. As a micro-system, a group must not only be able to fulfil its tasks, but also uphold the company’s vision and values.
Apr-Jun 2022 Issue
Patrick Henz