My Mentors
Thanksgiving is a time that many of us reflect on our relationships with friends, family, and community. I’m fortunate: my career–past and present–produces gratitude as well. During the Thanksgiving season, I like to thank my clients for trusting me to guide them to where they want to BE. It is indeed a privilege to work with people who recognize they need assistance to realize their greatness. This week, however, I’d like to give thanks to two people who have impacted my career: my treasured mentors, Dr. Elliott Jaques and Kathryn Cason of the Requisite Organization International Institute.
These two people were passionate about the world of work. They contributed to the body of knowledge about organizational design and structure. They understood the development of human potential capability throughout one’s lifetime. A behaviorist until meeting them in the mid 80’s, I too was keenly interested in the concept of human potential.
My consulting business was turned upside down when I met Dr Jaques and Ms Cason. Elliott’s findings, from years of social analysis of work systems around the world, made total sense to me. Kathryn co-authored Human Capability which emphasized the development of potential capability over one’s lifetime. The book took a powerful stance, debunking the then-popular belief that people plateaued in their growth of human capability.
At the time I was emphasizing employee behavior as a key factor of organization effectiveness. After being introduced to Elliot and Kathryn’s research, I was stopped dead in my tracks. I delved deeply into Requisite Organization (RO) and never looked back. I knew in my bones that what they uncovered in their research was essential to an organization’s success as measured by profitability and employee engagement.
Both Elliot and Kathryn were brilliant, both as a team and as individuals. After Elliot died in 2003, Kathryn, along with the couple’s daughter Rebecca Cason, took up the mantle of the work. From that time forward Kathryn was always available to discuss client work in great detail. We’d spend hours on the phone or in one of our offices. I’m thankful that after Elliot’s passing, Kathryn’s mentorship continued to play a critical role in the arc of my career.
I recently learned that Kathryn Cason transitioned in early 2022 without much fanfare. It is with deep sadness that I acknowledge her passing. During this season of gratitude, I am deeply indebted to Kathryn and Elliot for their mentorship.
What about you? Are you grateful for your mentor? Are you thankful for your star employee? Does your intern make your day at the office even better? I’d love to hear from you, so let’s chat today.
Although the photo on top of this blog is not as clear as I’d like, I hope you’ll indulge my including it, as I wanted to share a picture of Kathryn Cason with you all.