If you pause to think about it, the world has changed so much in mere years that sometimes personal goals from a year ago may seem like an impossible mission.
On a personal level, these conundrums may be approached from personal standpoints, but what about businesses?
The so-called 4th industrial revolution was already pushing many a firm way beyond its limits and capabilities only a couple of years ago. Afterward, the pandemic craze changed the approaches so much that reasoning has become impossible. Perhaps the tense is amiss… the situation is ongoing.
Add to that the present unrest and put everything into context.
Seriously, how will businesses manage to cope?
One way to align many problematic factors is to hire an integrator.
It may seem like an outlandish notion at first, but only to those who’re unfamiliar with the role of an integrator.
Hence, let’s clarify first who the integrators are.
The term “integrator” was coined by Gino Wickman in his best-selling business books “Traction and Rocketfuel.” You typically learn about integrators when implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) as a management practice for your company.
“An Integrator is a person who is the tie-breaker for the leadership team, is the glue for the organization, holds everything together, beats the drum (provides cadence), is accountable for the P&L results, executes the business plan, holds the Leadership Team accountable, and is the steady force in the organization.” (EOS Worldwide).
Why Every Business Needs Integrators
“To integrate,” per definition, means to “mix with and join a society or a group of people, often changing to suit their way of life, habits, and customs” (Cambridge Dictionary).
Put into the business context, it naturally follows that integrators are charged with a difficult task of eliminating the extremes and finding a fine balance between people, operations, and processes.
Not an easy task, that one!
That’s why integrators simply must possess some specific skills and — even more importantly — a specific mindset that enables them to successfully approach people with different characters and visions.
No, integrators aren’t psychologists, but they need to possess specific soft skills to be successful in their undertakings with creative integrator services.
Some of them include the following:
- Balanced behavior patterns (mild manners)
- A balanced orientation
- Knowledge and competence needed for efficient decision-making
- Sense of unity and alignment with the company’s vision (crucial!)
- Ability to pinpoint and resolve disputes before they escalate
If you cannot see the forest for the trees, the focus is on “disputes.”
Business-as-usual-oriented companies simply don’t stand a chance of taming the tides of the rapid change that’s been eroding “standards” for years now.
Only the naïve would believe that businesses are having trouble adjusting to the present circumstances. People are having even more problems and it’s exactly people who make businesses what they are.
Simply put, an engaged workforce is what drives business success in the long run. This means that integrators have the ungrateful task of aligning priorities and making every single employee perform a meaningful role.
This goal sometimes borders the realm of the impossible but it has to be done nonetheless.
Can Polar Opposites Be Pacified?
This is, perhaps, the most important question. Businesses that focus on employee well-being and satisfaction stand a chance of emerging stronger and remaining a force to be reckoned with in the future.
One notable link in this complicated process is — frontline workers.
How come?
Frontline workers make up 80% of the global workforce! Even laymen can plainly see that the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the plight of frontline employees.
Literally every industry — let alone business — has difficulties retaining/hiring frontline workers and they have no one else to blame than themselves.
Let’s take a look at the facts (source: Microsoft’s Work Trend Index):
- The majority of frontline employees feel they are underpaid and their work unappreciated
- The majority of frontline employees have a poor work-life balance
- 63% of frontline workers are looking for job opportunities technology creates
- 56% of frontline workers feel pressure to adapt to new technology over fear of losing their jobs
- 55% of frontline workers have been forced to learn how to use new tech on their own, without any training having been provided
- Number one reason why frontline workers leave their jobs is bad relations with the management
That’s a lot of issues and no mistake, but how can integrators help?
For one thing, these people are skilled in conflict resolution and bringing balance and diversification to all roles within an organization.
In plain English, integrators make sure that everything is aligned and that there is no bad blood between employees and teams. They find solutions to seemingly impossible situations and diverge polar opposites by offering the right solution for everyone.
The complexity of the task is the chief reason why senior managers with the right skill set and expertise often avoid this role but that’s likely to change, and soon at that.
Scilicet, businesses are increasingly realizing the necessity of change, even when that change is not to their liking.
It’s a matter of survival! Businesses are presently racing against time to embrace business agility, adopt hybrid work models, and penetrate new markets before the competition. Many of them don’t have a clue how to go about things, but integrators do.
Core Integrator Skills
Finding the right person (or persons) for the task is a difficult task indeed.
To begin with, look for the following skills in prospective integrator candidates:
- Skill sets compatible with the industry
- Capability to uphold core values
- Same/similar business vision (preferably, mission, too)
- New perspectives
- Innovative ideas
- Solutions to fill the gaps in business procedures
- Errors and mistakes in business procedures
- The capability to bring a positive challenge
Overall, integrators are innovators and visionaries similar to talents. However, there’s one crucial difference between the two roles: talents aren’t necessarily loyal to one employer as order and alignment aren’t their primary motivation.
Integrators, on the other hand, prioritize diversification and efficiency across the board. They don’t necessarily inspire others but they offer the incentives that are needed.
Key Takeaways
Integrators have become a necessity in the business world of today. Businesses that understand this will move forward faster and be able to adjust to rapidly changing circumstances successfully.
If you don’t know where to start, look for professional integrator services. The industry is booming at the moment so ride the tide and learn for the future!
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