This document is from Kiely & Co, a company founded by Katz Kiely that has developed a Behavioral Enterprise Engagement Platform. The platform aims to reboot enterprises by unleashing human potential through collecting and visualizing shared data, enabling employees to crowdsource, collaborate and connect, and tracking sentiment to drive ideation and power advocacy. The goal is to increase employee engagement from the current average of only 13% in companies by respecting, appreciating, sharing, connecting with, trusting, and listening to employees.
Thanks Harriet. Thanks so much for inviting me. As the lovely lady just said I’m Katz Kiely.
(Click) I built the world’s first open innovation platform for HP
(Click) re-architected the way a UN agency did business
(Click) and delivered a ground-breaking project with Intel that connected mobiles, big screens and data to change behaviour.
(Click) Now, I head up a software startup that harnesses my experience, knowledge and networks to solve a massive goal problem.
How can we build technology that unlock productivitys, not by taking people out of the equation, but by unleashing the full potential of humans.
The story starts in the Nevada Desert, miles away from the nearest city, one of the most inhospitable places in the world: days are scorching, nights are bitter and terrifying dust storms appear out of nowhere many times every day.
The Founders of Burning Man had invited me to join them at the world’s biggest and most interesting social experiment. I trusted my gut and said yes.
and embarked on 10 days of exploration with the most creative, generous …. and influential people I have ever met.
it was mind boggling to see what people are capable of. When they want to do something. When they feel valued. And when they are allowed to get on with it.
Fast forward a year. Back in the desert. This time I start to feel ill. Then worse. Then I find myself in hospital.(click)
You may think that hospital at burning man would be pretty rough. But no. I cannot imagine a nicer, more efficient hospital experience. All the basics were there, but something was different. The Doctors and nurses were professionals of course, but volunteers … And happy.
I asked why they were volunteering. They said the same thing. They signed up to help people. They could do that here. Patients were grateful. They felt rewarded,appreciated, respected. Freed from process and bureaucracy - they could just get on with the job.
After two days of antibiotics and fever, bitten by the spirit of volunteerism, I find myself doing a 4 hour shift in the coffee bar. Brewing coffee. Thousands of cups of coffee. In a hyper-efficient system manned by untrained strangers. Working as an effective team.
Those 4 hours changed my life. It struck me that even the most mundane, repetitive jobs can be enjoyable when you’re trusted to get on with it, when work is fun, when you are rewarded and appreciated, when you feel connected to the people you’re working with.
At a workshop the next day. fire-breathing furry hippo driving by, with Sir Martin Sorrel (CEO WPP - surreal I know) I became obsessed by thoughts of the way we run our companies.
I asked him “Imagine what could happen if you could unlock the full potential of every single employee inside your organisation.” He didn’t answer. But that week lit a fire in my belly. The same question kept popping back into my head.
Are there other - better - ways?
The other awesome thing about being with the founders at Burning Man is I got to spend quality time with C level leaders from the world’s most successful companies: companies like Airbnb, Zappos, Google.
Companies that thrive while so many fail. Leaders that understand that in the connected world, culture drives success. They engineer workplaces where people feel valued. Every millennial wants to work with these brands. And stay with them. And tell all their friends how fab they are to work for.
I call them talent magnets. Most companies want to be like them.
How many of you have worked for big corporates? Do you remember being slowed down by outdated processes. Putting up with customer complaints about dysfunctional systems. Getting tired of telling management who did nothing about it? Did you put up, then give up and get out.
The C-suite are are often blissfully unaware of small problems happening all over their enterprises. Small problems that add up to enormous inefficiency - and the frustration that comes from not being listened to.
What percentage of the worldwide workforce do you think are engaged with their jobs? 13% and productivity levels are at rock bottom.