Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales tell 24 stories from the perspective of a number of travellers on their way from London to Canterbury in the 14thcentury. Chaucer writes a moral story into the tale told by each traveller but of equal interest is the variety of characters of the travellers themselves. They vary from the pious Nun to the judicious Man of Laws and the aggressive Reeve (estate manager) and sometimes they tell a story that we would expect from people of these backgrounds. Also, in business, we can create a simplification of our role in order to define what is expected of us and what tale we should tell, or, more critically, what we think is not expected of us. How often do we expect new technology entrepreneurship as being inventive and dynamic (and accepting a degree of ill-discipline) or, on the other hand, the legal profession to be detailed and formal (and not being overly imaginative) and, as a consequence, create tales which align with these expectations?
So as you consider creating your own business, what tale would you want to be telling and what are the characteristics and culture behind it? Or, in the learning environment of the Converge Challenge, what characteristics and culture could enhance your chances of business success? This is a question which was widely examined by academics a few years ago. People like Robert Quinn, Robert Cooke and Dan Denison produced a great deal of work which distinguished cultures which tended to be more adaptable (versus being controlled) or externally focused (versus internally focused). Whilst relationships with success are not clear-cut there do seem to be two broad trends –
1. Short term performance is enhanced by clear aims and tighter controls, whereas longer term performance seems to relate to higher levels of flexibility and innovation underpinned by support and development of the staff of the organisation.
2. The culture, and leadership, of successful companies is characterised by people who are able to move from one type of characteristic to another and identify the need for change; different circumstances require different types of culture and behaviour.
This work encourages the telling of different tales for different circumstances and that businesses and the leaders of those businesses have to be able to be a variety of travellers on their journey. As the final judges of the Converge Challenge, will we see an understanding of the differing demands of you and your business through your propositions?
