our bus is not just any bus, it's a Flintstones bus

Using analogies or metaphors in business can swiftly convey big ideas. This shorthand narrative is nothing new and is still useful in today’s fast-changing complex business environment and the current social media driven society which values brevity and rapid information consumption.

In his book ‘Good to Great’, Jim Collins, considered by many a leadership guru, mentions the "right people on the bus" metaphor and how successful leaders have navigated the talent vs. destination dilemma to do the right thing for the good of their company.

During a round table discussion about leadership and collaboration more than a couple years ago, I mentioned that no colleague should be passively sitting in the back of the bus and that we all needed to help drive the bus together. Andy Lawson, a colleague, suggested that "our bus was more like a Flintstones bus." Impressed with his comment, I have since often used the Flintstones bus reference to fit it to our Group, to introduce and drive our culture of care and to always stay focused on what we can control so that together we manage all adversity and disruption.

"Our bus is more like a Flintstones bus."

If familiar with the Flintstones, one would immediately conclude that no person alone would be able to move this bus and that all passengers would be required to move their feet in sync to drive the bus forward to its destination. This is where collaboration and active participation come in. Even when armed with the best strategy or direction of travel, no leader can do it alone and would need the help of their team members to achieve success.

This Flintstones bus metaphor can become even more exquisite...

• Fred is currently the driver. A leader in an organization must have a clear vision and direction for their team. A leader first listens carefully to all stakeholders and then sets the direction for the bus and makes sure that everyone is on board with the plan. They communicate effectively to inspire and motivate, making sure that everyone understands the plan and their individual roles to achieve common goals together.
• On the Flintstones bus, Wilma and Betty are now navigators. They help Fred plan the route to stay on course. They communicate with Fred, with each other and with all passengers to make sure that everyone is on the same page actively working together to move the bus whist at the same time encouraging all team members to provide feedback and input to improve the plan and reach a defined destination.
• On the Flintstones bus, Barney and Dino are the mechanics. They make sure that the bus is in good working condition and along with others fix any problems that may arise on the way. They collaborate with Fred, Wilma, Betty and with all passengers who are now taking responsibility for their roles and actions to make sure that the bus is running smoothly along the journey.
• Just like any bus, people hop on and off the bus from time to time depending on their own journeys and personal destinations. But once on this Flintstones bus, no passenger would be expected to just passively watch the scenery outside, instead they immediately get involved to play their role effectively and will often be encouraged to actively contribute to the team to ensure a pleasant and fun ride.
• On the Flintstones bus, the passengers are expected to always work together and have to be willing to adapt to change. Just like the bus may hit bumps in the road or have to take a different route due to closures or construction, traffic jams or weather, an effective team must be able to swiftly adjust its plan or strategy due to unexpected challenges or attractive opportunities.

Some analogies can be truly magical and will enable great storytelling and team buy-in... No metaphor is perfect though, and when a story falters, cynics won’t hesitate to quickly point out problems in a flawed rhetoric thus creating confusion and potential embarrassment.

Success isn't built on envy or taking something away from others. Real success is the outcome of proactive collaboration between the right people on the same journey, each rolling up their sleeves to get involved, continuously learning from each other, being genuinely grateful and adjusting their behaviors accordingly to quickly adapt and execute with excellence their well defined fit-for-market flexible strategic tactics.

Readers are welcome to make this metaphor more interesting and to share insights in the comments section.

Best wishes to everyone. Stay safe and healthy.