Primary Thinking Objective: Act
(Continuing series on the innovative thinking competencies needed for innovation.)
In 2001, the Argentinian economy was in a deep depression and unemployment was staggering. Then, in December of that year, the government froze bank accounts and the economy collapsed. There were no jobs available and plants were closing across the country.
Then an amazing thing started to happen: workers took over the plants that had been abandoned by management. At first they were fearful of using equipment that didn’t belong to them but, after weeks of waiting, they went back to work producing goods without the management and supervision of their former bosses. After expenses were paid, workers equally shared the profits and soon were making more than they had made before the crisis.
By 2005, 200 abandoned and worker-reclaimed factories were employing over 10,000 people who would otherwise be unable to find work. However, this is still an experiment in democracy as workers struggle for legitimacy and full ownership in a country dedicated to protecting the rights of private property.
The best-known of these recovered factories is a ceramic tile factory called Zanon or "Factory Without Bosses." According to an article in the "Nonviolent Activist," before the collapse, the factory was owned by an Italian family who "never paid taxes, had exploited workers and had stolen land and raw resources from the region’s indigenous Mapuche community. Under the management of the Zanón family, the factory had between 25 and 30 serious occupational accidents per month and one fatality per year.
"Since the workers recovered the factory, working relationships have been reinvented; elected committees oversee the running of the factory and all decisions are made in assembly on general consensus, everyone has the right to be heard, every worker has a vote, all workers are paid equally, there have been no occupational health and safety crises, there have been 170 new hires as of April 2005, production is higher than when the Zanón family locked out the workers, and the tiles now have Mapuche names in honor of the factory’s neighbors and allies."
Having the vision, skill and courage to take effective action is the launching pad for innovation. Without it, nothing happens. And, if oppressed, under-educated workers in factories across Argentina can step up and figure out how to work together to create a better future in the face of police threats, government sanctions and community outrage, surely those of us in organizations can also grab hold of opportunities and learn how to effectively take them forward.
** June 20, 2006 update on Zanon, the "Factory without Walls." After successfully running the plant for several years after the owner defaulted owing $170M U.S., the workers are still getting death threats and being threatened by the Argentinian judicial system. For information about how you can help, go to http://ontario.cupe.ca/www/hrcttee/15627.
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Act: Take effective action to sell and implement new ideas. The critical "get it done" mindset. Act is the third of the "primary" thinking objectives of the new Innovation Igniter Thinking Wheel series of 13 innovative thinking competencies.
The 15-minute learning module for this competency is presented by Valarie Willis, Tom Peters Group, noted speaker, consultant and writer. These thinking skills are critical for innovation and for the creative work required for today’s world. A 15-minute video module on "Engage Energy" is available at http://innovationigniter.com.
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