G O _?

The scientific foundation of Goal Organization Motivation grew out of General Systems Theory and Systems Theory. Three words provide a tool I can remember. Complex trials and applications were shaped over 14 years at Nortel. GOM became part of my intuition. 

I could use GOM during any form of meeting.  GOM provides a method to ensure I focus on reality. Time is irreplaceable and requires immediate respect.

By the time I managed a team responsible for introducing new wireless products, I was utilizing the GOM logic on a constant basis. My teams were strong technically and would work with counterparts in design. 

The challenge faced in understanding teams on the other side of the city or country created setbacks. The term "politics" was our catchall phrase for odd behaviors. 

When a political problem captured a project manager's attention they would appear at my office to talk it through. I listened and then pulled out the GOM logic to assess what we had to look for. In one case we discovered that senior managers who had bonuses tied to specific tangible goals, were influencing the team. They wanted their bonus at all costs. 

One of the "dramatic" tactics I used to teach GOM was to write on my white board G then O and "_" and stopped. I asked the person to determine the third letter. I could hear their brain screaming, "Oh crap, a holy roller at work". They assumed the last letter was "D". I held the drama for 5 seconds and filled in the M. I then described the meaning of the three words and how I use them. 

For young members I would pivot one hand behind my head to emulate an antenna. Suggesting that they listen carefully before they speak. Hokey, for sure. Maybe even passive? Sometimes, it is the silly things that resonate with people and they recognize the importance of the message, allowing them to understand and use the tool at the right time. 

After leaving Nortel, I used the GOM in all professional roles. I worked operations where delivering widgets was priority. When I did present GOM to an owner or senior manager it was considered philosophical. Ultimately it proved to be a tool to share with peers who ran into complex problems.

I use GOM to make a complex decision or take personal positions. I will also present contrary positions to allow others the option to define why they would agree or disagree. This would highlight a bias or expose missing information. 

Working for Blackberry I used GOM to profile all teams and management structures. There were people dispersed throughout Blackberry who had similar backgrounds to mine and we were able to sort through work politics with brief conversations. We went to the point of defining limited failures, in order to lead specific decision makers into the best decision. This tactic exposed the art of profiling and how well a contrary position could work.