I watched The Dark Knight Rises last weekend and loved the action of the good-vs-evil story. My favorite part of action and adventure movies are the nifty gadgets the good guys – and the bad – have at their disposal. I couldn’t help but think during TDKR that my clients and I could use some creative gadgets to help us rid the world of evil accomplish our business and change objectives.
If I were writing a superhero action movie about business change, I would follow the lead of TDKR and give my protagonists some of the same tools and technology Batman uses, such as:
The Batpod – The Batpod is Batman’s motorcycle. It is steered not by hands, but by the rider’s shoulders. The coolest feature of the Batpod, however, is how it can right itself following a wipeout or crash to resume its course with the rider still on (don’t try this at home, folks). In my movie, I would apply that same Wayne Enterprises technology with a course-correcting project plan. No matter how many hurdles or obstacles get in the way, our high-tech project plan will ensure the work gets done and the project stays on track, with no lost time or missed deliverables.
Batarangs – The Dark Knight does not advocate the use of guns; instead, he uses metal bat-shaped darts to knock out Bane’s henchmen and, more importantly, signal his return to Gotham City. In my movie, my heroes will also use darts – not to harm people but to convince naysayers and doubters to become project advocates and supporters. How, you ask? My darts will inject a proprietary stakeholder-management serum into anyone they come in contact with. Everyone from the CEO down will fall in line to support the project.
The Batsuit – Let’s face it… it is a tough world out there for both superheros and business change agents. Business heroes need a thick skin to deflect criticism and doubts. As an added bonus, the Batsuit comes in fashionable black to match the Batpod!
Batman’s gadgets are pretty cool (and don’t get me started on the Batcave… can you say “team offsite”?). We can dream about having similar tools for our use in our business. Unfortunately, technology has not yet caught up with business need. Until then, I will continue to advocate for my clients many of the change management tools we already have.
Heather Nelson is a partner with PeopleResults. You can reach her at hnelson@www.people-results.com or on Twitter at @HeatherGNelson1. Sign up to receive the PeopleResults blog at Current.
