In 2004, a skunkworks project called Lab126 was initiated to develop a product that would revolutionize the world. A year into the project, the tech firm behind Lab16 engaged an outside company to christen the product being birthed. The head of the appointed firm, Michael Cronan, selected for its name a word that means ‘to start a fire, to arouse’. The organization, as some may have rightly guessed, was none other than Amazon, while the product was Kindle! In Cronan’s words, “Jeff (Bezos) wanted to talk about the future of reading, but in a small, not braggadocio way.” The name had to strike the right note and tone, besides creating solid ground for multiple expected spinoffs.
Many a brand name or path-breaking idea originates from the inventiveness and merit of numerous unsung heroes. Their contributions are powerful enough to embed in and enrich our culture, penetrating it with near ubiquity over time. A Dennis Poon, lead structural
designer of some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers, or a Michael Cronan represent a section of highly competent and committed professionals who could easily claim their way to fame. Yet they prefer anonymity to limelight. Such ‘Invisibles’ are not difficult to come by in the professional world – super-efficient editors or ghostwriters behind classics and bestsellers, master instrument-technicians behind renowned orchestras, gifted perfumers behind blockbuster fragrances for the likes of Chanel, Calvin Klein, or Hugo Boss. It is interesting to unravel what makes these people tick especially in an age of aggressive self-promotion, when people desire high remunerations, perks, and job titles. Social media further intensifies this desire with its visible metaphors of achievement and quantified responses, viz. increasing numbers of ‘Followers’, ‘Friends’ and ‘Likes’. In most organizations, it is easy to take these professionals for granted or let them continue functioning silently behind the scenes. However, such key players can emerge as management challenges as they are comfortable with anonymity yet attach value to other intangibles that do not stack up against conventional standards of reward and recognition. It seems rather intriguing that these high-achievers should have such modest egos. “Fail to understand and give them what they do crave and you will lose them, along with the tremendous value they deliver.”
A study in US along with many European and Asian countries reveal that for the most part these ‘Invisibles’ have three distinguishing traits.
First, they are ambivalent toward recognition. Second, meticulous workers that they are, they worship their craft. Third, they savor and thrive on responsibilities.
When it comes to fame and recognition, the ‘Invisibles’ consider that time and effort spent in tooting their horns takes way from the important work they do and enjoy. Excellence is their motivation, not fame. Trickier the work, greater the chance of their disappearing into their shells to immerse in it. They may reappear only to take charge in crises, or to turn the needle of misdirected ventures. Meticulousness is their middle name – it shows from the conceptualization of ideas to its fastidious execution. Ingrained in their work ethic is the belief that great jobs are not bereft of great responsibilities, and that millions of dollars often ride on their endeavors. ‘Invisibles’, in general, deem it honorable that they are provided with opportunities to be their productive best and that their silent contributions are of irreplaceable value!
In a culture of noise, these ‘Invisibles’ silently build up people around them and improve upon the work people do, elevating the overall tone. For a telling analogy – there’s the ‘life of the party’ archetype, and there are people who, despite the party cacophony, prefer deep enriching one-on-ones or small-group conversations. ‘Invisibles’ are the latter type.
The management challenge lies in that without the overriding commitment and crucial service of the ‘Invisibles’ the organization wouldn’t succeed or grow. It is imperative that the leaders identify who these ‘Invisibles’ are in their workforce, deciding for themselves if they really would want such members (not all can appreciate their ethic or method), figure out what drives and works for them by talking to them, and reward them in all fairness. It would be imprudent to read their lack of self-promotion for a lack of knowledge of their self-worth. It would also be disservice to the organization to evaluate their achievement with the visible metrics and cues of Performance Appraisals.
Recognizing the worth and accomplishment of ‘Invisibles’ and satisfying their deeper needs go a long way in infusing an organization’s value and culture with their personal ethic and excellence.
