Ownership lense
Who owns this company? Who has the decision making power? Who has the highest utility? Throughout history, the answer to these questions have varied in their response. Today, we see ownership models diversifying from privately owned companies with a few percentage owners to publicly traded companies with thousands of shareholders to co-operatives with hundreds of co-owning stakeholders. How do we assess the ownership model that is right for our company & adjacent market? I believe that we are going to be increasingly challenged through this ownership lense. If founders want to be as effective and prevalent as possible in their market, they need to consider the buy-in not only from their consumers but their labor force. Sustaining market presence, facilitating effective growth, maintaining a healthy moral and encouraging innovation simultaneously within a firm can be highly dependent on having an engaged, empowered and knowledgeable labor force. If employees feel they have a stake in something real, I believe it can further cultivate a positive working environment and enhance the overall value of the firm.
Consumer lense
What else do people do other than consume things? We produce things of course! Services, smiles, objects, ‘living things’, food, etc. For many years now, we have played out our human associative capabilities to draw connections between feelings and objects. It’s no secret that when I buy that ‘electronic command 1,000 drawer organizer’ I automatically feel more organized regardless if those drawers ever see any action. The issue that keeps plaguing me (and perhaps others) is that in the end I’m not really organized, the feeling of organization is fleeting. It comes down to me actually doing something real with my behavior to feel truly fulfilled. How can anyone truly fill this gap for themselves and have a sense of solid wholeness?
Value lense
The value you create is the glue that brings a well owned company together with its loyal ‘consumer’. The value of something can be weighed in many ways as we have seen throughout the semester. Many firms calculate the value of something in monetary terms, others account for value in reputation or experience. If we want ‘the firm’ to make a real contribution to society, we must look at value and what constitutes their contribution. Are you willing to take less money in order to love your job? What creates that value for you if its not money directly? How can we account for values that cannot be monetized?
In the event production world we see a lot of value creation and alternative means of exchange. I’ve seen folks jump at the opportunity to work with someone brilliant, learn from them and soak up some wisdom instead of taking a higher paying job. I’ve also seen people get paid in non-monetary ways like through an exchange of services, knowledge or employment opportunities.
Rethinking how we structure ownership and subsequent buy-in, deciding what’s most important- having things versus having relationships, and adding value to what was once valueless are all behaviors we’ve displayed for centuries and will continue to do. My hope is that we explore the deeper possibilities latent in these human behaviors and create something of true inalienable value.
Tati, thank you for the thoughtful post. I agree with you in the sense that I feel disorganization within my life. Even when I feel efficient and organized in my job role, this escapes me in my personal life and I feel I lack the focus to reign it back in. My threshold for being overwhelmed is very low and I'm trying to dissect why this is and how to strengthen it. I enjoyed reading your thoughts about value creation and have been provoked to continue my thoughts about accounting for values that are outside of monetary value. I believe that true value lies at the core of relationships and what you yourself can contribute to the world. And you my darling, have such a spirit to offer! Finding value and shifting perspectives to illuminate value is so interesting to me. It makes me think of value of self, rather the feeling that you're adding value, when there's a harmonious bond between personal values and pure satisfaction, satisfaction with self, outward contribution and progress. And yes, I would take less money if it meant I would feel fulfilled and contributed to something larger than myself or 'the man.' The world would be a very different place if everyone took the time to self-examine and redefined value outside of money.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful and restful break!
Hugs,
Carmen
Que bello tus escritos Tati! Me encanta tus preguntas. Yo tambien querio saber mas de las estructuras alternativas de propiedad pero mas que todo me interesa este concepto de lo que es significado en mi vida. Ni modo si estamos organizados. Este yo creo es solo un distraccion para personas que no querien enfocar en lo que esta en su alma, en su espiritu, y en su corazon. Nuestros consumos solo son un parte de la vida material y superficial no es de la vida real y conectado. Nuestro tiempo es sagrado Tati y entonces como podemos usar nuestro tiempo para mejorar nuestro conocimiento alredador el conexion entre nosotros mismos y la naturaleza. Esto es supremo. Y su pregunta sobre valor. En nuestro cultura gente siempre estan mejorando su estilo de vida. Y cuando todos alrededro estan luchando para un estilo de vida mejor es como un virus. La gente no querien perder su comodidad porque en su mente significa algo de menos valor. Tenemos que enfocarnos y la comunidad y en una cultural de apoyo para nuestro vecinos. En esto podemos aprender mucho de las otras culturas.
ReplyDeleteI really like your comment about "being organized" being a feeling rather than a state of being. I never considered it in that way before and it really is true and now that I'm thinking about it, that feeling is probably worth a ton to home goods suppliers. Think about all those plastic stacking shelves at target and all the little knick knack boxes you absolutely need. In reality though, that is the MO of most consumer goods. How many people do you think see a car commercial around Christmas time and think for the first time, "oh year, I forgot I need a Lexus!"?
ReplyDeleteTati,
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the questions you ask, as always. I am looking forward to exploring more conversations about alternative ownership models. I believe you are right and that there is considerable value in the firm for fostering an environment that has buy-in from its labor force. Not only can the co-op model drive buy-in form the labor force, but the entire community. I think of the potential for how we can redevelop some of our broken cities in America if new industries are formed through co-op models rather than models that can pick up and leave whenever they want.
I have seen you challenge the notion of 'perceived value' in a few of your posts. What are the most deeply engrained characteristics of our culture that prevent us from recognizing value beyond "best bang for your buck?"
Cool questions Tati! I love thinking about alternative ownership models.
ReplyDeleteIn my own experience I know that the things that I care most about and am willing to put the most time and energy into are the things that I feel ownership over. When I put my time and energy into these things the results - good or bad - come right back to me. They're not tossed into some pool of other people's efforts and non-efforts never to be seen again.
Because of that, I doubt I'd ever be happy simply working for a paycheck. Assuming I'm not some freak anomaly, seems to me that other people have similar feelings around how they'd like to spend their working time. This is why I love cooperative models. When a business is structured in such a way that people feel ownership over it, in such a way that the energy and effort they put into it comes right back out to them, they'll likely work harder and more mindfully. They'll work as if it's their own.
Thanks for provoking my thoughts :)
Liz