The Stadium of Passion and Responsibility

The most radical division that is possible to make of humanity is that which splits it into two classes of creatures: those who make great demands of themselves, piling up difficulties and duties; and those who demand nothing special of themselves, but for whom to live is to be every moment what they already are; without imposing on themselves any effort toward perfection; mere buoys that float on the waves….The few individuals we have come across who are capable of a spontaneous and joyous effort stand out isolated….These are the select men, the noble ones, the only ones who are active and not merely reactive, for whom life is a perpetual striving. (José Ortega y Gasset, quoted by John Hagel in his article Passion versus Obsession)

There are two essential forces that help high performaning teams to navigate successfully through change: passion and responsibility. They both work together, and they are complemented by accountability. People who feel passionate about what they are doing are more likely to take up responsibility for getting things done. Every person has a reason for getting up in the morning; everybody has something that drives them. Finding out what makes every team member click, making this visible to peers and giving them the opportunity to do what they are passionate about is the key to a fundamental shift in the dynamics of a team and the secret for a successful organization.

Edward Deming, the father of modern Total Quality Management has clearly pointed out that ultimately quality can only be improved if people take responsibility for their work and if the can be proud of what they are doing (“Quality is everyone's responsibility.”).

Questions for Deeper Exploration

• How much do we know about what makes our team members tick?
• How much do we assign tasks related to people's passions?
• How can we align individuals with our common purpose?
• How can we motivate people to take responsibility and to be accountable to what they are doing?