Determining the "Meaningful Outside" of Your Organization

Defining the meaningful outside is the first task for leaders and for knowledge workers acting with chief-executive thinking. Results exist only outside an organization, and significant changes affecting organizations originate elsewhere. Outside components can include competitors, customers, world events, science and technology, and education. Daily internal work remains important, but it should be judged by how well it advances the organization’s purposes, goals, and values and improves other people’s lives. Insularity, complacency, operating in a vacuum, and narrowly defining duties prevent effective alignment. Regular reflection is needed to understand what is happening outside the building and how it should shape priorities.

"“to define the meaningful outside of the organization is the CEO's first task.” In the more than two decades since he made this statement it's become clear that this pertains not just to leaders like CEOs, but to others in positions of responsibility. And that amounts to pretty much everyone: “In effect,” according to Drucker, “managing oneself demands that each knowledge worker think and behave like a chief executive officer.”"

"The reason the outside world can be so crucial builds on two of Drucker's long-held concepts: 1. Results exist only outside of an organization. 2. Significant changes affecting organizations originate elsewhere. What happens on a daily basis within organizations is obviously important, and knowledge workers should perform toward maximum effectiveness. Yet Drucker believed that inside an organization, work should be viewed as how well it furthers the organization's reason for existence; its purposes, goals, and values."

"Outside components may include competitors, customers, world events, science/technology, and education. Drucker knew that “defining the meaningful outside” was not easy and was not always done well. We don't often take the time to think through what constitutes the meaningful outside world. That could come from being so caught up in one's daily work and deadlines that there is no time for determining what is happening “outside the building.”"

"Knowledge workers should regularly ask themselves how their work could best be accomplished to positively impact the lives of other people. We should take the time, ideally on a regular basis, to think through these issues and determine how they might"

Read at Psychology Today