Who are the 3 Wisest People in the World?

January 17, 2020

While I’d love to know the answer to that question, the more relevant question is, “Who are the three wisest people in your world?” A growing number of companies are starting to track and cultivate wisdom by asking the following question on their employee work climate surveys:

“Beyond your boss, who in the company do you seek out for advice or wisdom?”

Based upon the results, they create a “heat map” of where wisdom exists in their company and consider ways to share those bearers of institutional wisdom throughout the organization.

Some companies transition their wise execs into coaching roles, especially with young, high-potential leaders. Long ago, Procter & Gamble created a “Mastery Society” of loyal execs that are utilized for key special projects throughout the company (highlighted in this previous post: The Wisest Company in the World).

And then there is Google’s model of providing 20% time for high-performing engineers who want to pursue self-directed innovation.

How could you put into practice some of these ideas? What if you gave your Modern Elders 20% of their time to more effectively mentor younger talent in the company?