The Inclusion Puzzle
I love puzzles. Jigsaw puzzles specifically. There is a subtle beauty in bringing together oddly shaped, mosaic pieces. Each one interlocking to build something greater than its self. The individual piece contains a portion of a picture that, when the puzzle is fully assembled, will produce an image that would have remained unseen. Completion of a puzzle requires patience, logic, attention to detail, situational and spatial awareness. Knowing that there is a place for everything and that everything has a place can bring a sense of calm to things that are otherwise chaotic.
Making meaningful organizational change is very similar. Yes, each individual piece of the puzzle requires attention. Each has a place, a purpose in the greater whole. However, without becoming attached to another piece of the puzzle, the piece is not fully utilized. This is the case when creating belonging. Every individual has an important part to play in building organizational changes.
Puzzling Case of Profit Loss
Years ago, I managed a five-star restaurant and we had a problem. The cost to make each dish was high and profit margins were suffering. The price of goods had not changed. No menu items had changed. Yet the restaurant had gone from top producing to struggling to make a profit.
The sous chef insisted we raise prices. He could not find an alternative solution to building in more margin. One day, before the restaurant opened but after the menu items had been prepared, the regional food director stormed into the kitchen. She headed straight for the trash, cutting open bags, spilling them onto the floor. "Here," she said, pulling out fully usable produce. Whole onions, half-used carrots, and potatoes. "Here is your profit loss." It was literally in the trash. From that day on, we all paid closer attention to this part of the puzzle. Doing so increased profitability without raising prices.
Each part of the organizational puzzle is critical. Successful organizations need a clear understanding of how each piece - be it department or person - connects. Singular improvements, no matter how deep, will be short-lived. Working on one part may greatly improve that specific part of the puzzle, however, widespread impact requires departments to interlock, completing the picture fully.
In the inclusive leadership puzzle, we are responsible for working on ourselves, as a piece of the puzzle. After all, we are a part of a greater whole.
Questions for Thought
How is your organization working on the individual parts of the puzzle?
How are you improving your piece of the puzzle?
