Finishing Groundswell

Our class is finishing up the book “Groundswell.” In our class discussion, we broke down part three of the book by chapters and assigned them to groups. In my group, I was assigned to discussing the strategies for nurturing the internal groundswell, which was beneficial because this part of chapter 11 was what I found particularly interesting.

It is easy for companies to think nurturing the groundswell will be easily attainable internally. However, it is not that simple because groundswell thinking does not come naturally in a company. Nurturing the groundswell internally is not about technology, but about the relationships.

There are three main ways to nurture the groundswell according to the text:

•       Promote a listening culture from the top down
•           Ease and encourage participation with incentives
•            Find and empower the rebels in the organization

As a management major, my classes frequently discuss the importance of listening to the employees and staff within the company.  In order for the groundswell to work internally, management must have involvement or there will not be any participation by employees.

Encouraging participation is not done through coercion, but with incentives. This makes sense because most people do not want to be told they should participate in something, but if managers are accommodating it allows participation to be easier. 

When I read the third main way to nurture the groundswell as empowering the rebels of the organization, I was very confused by this. I was picturing an employee with colored hair and piercings that does not do much for the company. Instead what “rebels” actually mean are the people in the company that are innovators that think about imaginative ideas, rather than practical ideas.

“No matter what you’re after, in the internal groundswell, the secret to thriving is culture.”

Overall, the most important item to note about nurturing the internal groundswell is the culture and relationship of the organization. The organization must change the way it works and then the technology can follow.