Vodka Martini: “Bonded” for High Performance
The most memorable films that I have seen are almost always set against the backdrop of great historical events and/or have great story lines which showcase the human spirit under demanding circumstances. The Oscar winners (and this is my personal theory) are the ones that combine both of the above (Gone with the Wind, Dr Zhivago, Titanic, Enemy at the Gates; the list is endless). However, there is a certain genre of movies that do not have great story lines, nor do they showcase the triumph of the human spirit. They are not set against backdrop of any memorable events and yet are classics because they have one key character that holds the entire story line (however absurd it may be). This character makes the story believable, compelling and most of all it is this central character’s presence & performance that makes this movie a super hit or a classic.
While these men & women do not have any superpowers, they however possess a certain trait that attracts us to them…they are super performers and go-getters and leading this faction is the character we all love so much...007!!
007 is Sexy, Good Looking, Suave & Uber Cool, loves his vodka martini (shaken not stirred) and most of all he is a super achiever. He works with singular focus on his mission and does what it takes to get the job done. He has a ‘devil may care’ attitude and dislikes authority and orderliness. While he is the agent who always gets the job done, he is aware of the fact that he cannot do it on his own. He is always supported by Q, who backs him up on his mission by giving him fantabulous gizmos and amazing cars. Now Q is a master of his trade and while he knows that James Bond will mostly not return his inventions in one piece he continues to support Bond & other agents. He knows the fact that only 007 can get the job done and he can best serve his country & queen by supporting Bond from the background. Bond on the other hand has a deep respect for Q and knows that it is his gadgets that bail him out of impossible situations.
Then there is M. She is the ubiquitous, process oriented, objective and cool headed supervisor of James Bond. While she is opposite of 007 in her attitude and aptitude, M is well aware of the fact that she cannot do what Bond does. She knows that her skill sets are different from 007. While M has a lot of agents who report to her, she has understood that the most difficult jobs need difficult men and therefore she relies on Bond. M is aware that if the assignment is given to Bond, there will be damage to property and people will get hurt & killed. M is also conscious of the fact that 007 is abrasive, a philanderer and she will end up cleaning up the trail of mess that he leaves behind while completing his mission. Yet she chooses him!! M knows that 007 is a super performer and is sanguine that he can get the job done like none of her other agents…so she has to manage his performance. Bond, while having a dislike for authority is also conscious of the value that M brings to his mission by providing significant intelligence and he frequently taps her vast network & connections while on his assignments.
007’s exists in all organizations, though they may not have all the 007 traits (especially the vodka martini & philandering bit) they are certainly the special breed that gets the job done. They face tough situations and work against competition and deadlines to meet targets and achieve objectives. They are the men & women we turn to when the job just needs to be done at all costs.
These 'Bonds', however need back-up from the rest of us to complete their missions as well. The support organization, like Q need to understand that they need to back-up these super performers wholeheartedly, as they are the only ones who can get the job done in highly competitive and challenging situations. Sometimes their actions may involve collateral damage; but if business is war, and getting the work done is critical, these assets are invaluable to their organizations.
The supervisors of these “Bonds” also need to understand that managing this breed of men and women is different from managing the rest. These high performers, like 007, are probably impetuous, competitive and overconfident. These performers are habituated to pushing the envelope and their bosses need to develop the capability to manage them. Like M they need to learn the art of giving a high degree of freedom while supervising them. They also should be willing to manage the chaos later if they want these difficult assignments done at all costs. They need to understand that the difference between a great performer and an average one is the support structure and supervisory talent that backs them up in tough situations and assignments.
007 is an iconic figure, who holds the performance of the entire movie based on his individual charisma, style and capability. Whilst the movie has the most unbelievable story lines, it is 007’s individual performance that makes the whole experience of watching a James Bond flick memorable. While many of us aspire & work to inculcate his style and ability (I personally love the vodka martini and the omega watches) in our own individual ways, what we ought to gun for is his level of individual performance and of course hope & pray for a Q & M to support, manage and back us up all the way. It is indeed this perfect cocktail of M, Q & Bond that can propel the organization to a higher trajectory of Growth. Well, get cracking 007!!!
