The power of Mojo

A little while ago, I posted on the the need for organisations to have an internal purpose: a clear big idea about the organisation that increasingly needs to be internally rather than externally generated (ie about how the organisation's going to be rather than what it's going to do).

I linked this need to growing interest in self-actualisation and increasing cynicism over corporate messages within employees.

I want to use this post to extend on the idea, and will then further develop it over the next few days.

So firstly, why mojo? The word apparently traces its origins back to Congo, Africa from the word moyo, meaning 'soul' or 'life force'. More recently, it is often applied to that often elusive quality (magic, personal charisma, energy) that sets a person apart from everyone else.

This is what I'm talking about on an organisational level too - the organisation's real central essence that gives it its life and character and distinguishes it from elsewhere.

And I think there are two types of organisational mojo - the first of which is something absolutely central to organisational strategy and which is going to make this strategy real and achievable. The second is a complementary focus to the main business strategy - something that will fit beside and support (if not drive) the strategy, but which will be more motivating for employees.

More shortly...