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It is curious to note the old sea-margins of human thought. Each subsiding century reveals some new mystery; we build where monsters used to hide themselves. — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
How do you know what’s really going on inside an organization? Is it possible to set up a barometer to not only know what has happened but forecast what is coming over the horizon?
A fellow consultant listens to the language being used within an organization to quickly gauge the organizational maturity. Whenever the opportunityto discuss topics of interest with a client presents itself, especially a new client, I find the language being used particularly telling. This barometer can show how what the organization values, what is important at the moment, and the maturity level of the organization.
Another tool I have found is to review margin notes of managers, directors, and above. When available, if you are able to take a look at meeting agenda’s, presentation handouts, status reports, and the like you may notice something quite interesting. The handwriting which people place on these documents are far more than simple markings. The handwriting which in the margins is the individual’s personal take on specific items. In a similar way that handwriting analysts are able to understand a writer from their handwriting (based a direct connection from brain to pen to paper), margin notes are created in the same way.
Personal aspects aside, if you were to collect the agendas from all meting attendees will display the collective perceptions of the people in the meeting. This collective perception is a telling barometer of where things stand, and potentially where things may be going.
For an even better view, follow the history of margin notes on serial meeting (status reports, issue management, operational incidents, etc) and you may notice trends in the margin notes which foretold the future.
I have done this for myself on several occasions and for the most part, I find clues in my notes which allowed me to connect the dots to a future event.
My challenge is to have you watch your own margin notes. See what you are thinking. Understand why you thought what you did at the time. What events did you foresee?
