Oil tankers and speedboats: agility at work in the 21st century

"Speedboats are proactive, agile, look outside themselves, connected to a network, bring added value to the customer, citizen or co-worker, and never stop learning. This is in stark contrast to professionals and organizations who remain firmly anchored in the age of industry, they are the oil tankers," I told a group of HR-directors. On the periphery of my vision, I could see one of the directors becoming more agitated by the second, wringing her napkin to virtual shreds. Finally she burst out: "But Menno, I do notice speedboats like that within my organization, but in reality most of them are in the process of leaving our company! What am I supposed to do with the huge grey mass of leftovers, who are sluggish to the end and cling to the unions and the works council in resistance?" The ensuing silence was deafening.