At election time you will find a politician strategically working their electorate in an attempt to win as many precious votes as possible. The politician will tell you what they have done in the past, and what things they will do in the future to ensure your personal interests are being maintained. If you find the political sell credible, you have the option to vote them in, or out of their parliamentary seat of power.
What if this voting concept was utilised in the corporate office? Why shouldn’t senior managers, such as the CEO, MD, be voted in or out of their role by a range of key stakeholders which includes their shareholders, peers and more importantly their subordinates? Some senior managers typically sell themselves exceptionally well to their shareholders, but typically do not view their direct reports in the same manner, nor with equal importance.
Why shouldn’t the senior manager on a regular basis be required to promote themselves, just like a politician at election time, to their employees where they outline their vision for the organisation, how they will achieve it and the future benefit derived for all workers? At the end of the promotional and lobbying period all employees would vote on the senior manager’s performance and credibility. If the vote is poor, this would result in the immediate dismissal of the senior manager as it would be apparent that they have not inspired their staff sufficiently to deliver the required business strategy. It would also benefit shareholders as it would be a good indicator of the future performance of the organisation under the leadership of this senior manager.
It’s just a thought, but the concept could also lead to greater transparency in the corporate environment where all levels of the organisation feel as if they have some political control, ownership and influence in the future direction of their business?
Thoughts that might just be useful in the future 
BigE
/ September 11, 2013They say that people join a company, but leave a manager. Employees vote with their feet.
Steven Cramer
/ September 11, 2013So true!!
Liz
/ September 13, 2013you may have covered this in an earlier post, Steven, but do you work in corporate? You have the most intriguing concepts!
Steven Cramer
/ September 13, 2013Very perceptive..yep, I am a marketer in a global corporate!
Liz
/ September 13, 2013ah ha…’splains a lot of things 😉
Steven Cramer
/ September 13, 2013My goal…to create a culture of innovation in these large corporates to make people think a lot more creatively and differently….and have a lot of fun along the way!