Interestingly, and a real difference between the winners and all others, is that 21st Century Organizations don't wait for these disturbances. They start preparing and making changes ahead of the potential turmoil. In Wall Street, the people who made money (the “winners”) during the 2008-2009 economic collapse were the ones that bet the market would collapse around the housing bubble. They did not wait for the eventual “cataclysm.” They got in front of it - they prepared and made changes ahead of it. They were Adaptable. Southwest Airlines, when 9/11 struck, rose above all other airlines. It was their Adaptability that led them to be ready for it. They didn't know it was coming, but they were so well organized and structured, that they just took it in stride. While their competitors were all cutting flights and routes, they grew.

Change is Here; So is the Future

Another change we detected that is critical to making Adaptability work to its fullest is their steady evolution towards the new 21st Century Organization. 21st Century Organizations have shifted their informal work relationship under- standing to The New Contract and have evolved to a predominantly Adult-Adult Culture. They have distributed responsibility, and sharing of market risks. Employees are quite business literate and have made themselves accountable for results. They have taken ownership of the organization, its clients, its Vision and Organizational Mission, and of their own future. They have chosen to concentrate on creativity and innovation as the way they go about nearly everything.

Unlike traditional cultures, where the social sphere of the culture is often dominated by un- healthy postures, such as cynicism, skepticism, victim/villain thinking, by-standing, detachment of work, politics, and search for power, status, and/or control, in 21st Century Organizations we find open and flowing communications, little to no rush-to-judgment, high levels of cooperation and collaboration, and very high levels of trust. We see self-accountability, engagement at all levels, and a recognizable mutuality of purpose from nearly all employees.

In 21st Century Organizations, people are invited to participate in and are rewarded for embracing the risk of being in the marketplace. Employees choose accountability for the whole

of the business, become much more business literate, deal with their own emotional welfare, have a point of view about the business, and choose goodwill and contribution to the success of others. They maximize skills & competencies to add to the overall Mission of the enterprise, rather than just contribute to their own function.

Why Some Won, Others Didn't

Those that were Adaptable and evolved towards a 21st Century Organization crossed the finish line first, and will again and again. Others who fell short of delivering expectations usually identifiable with The New Organization made a fundamental omission. Research suggests that in nearly all instances, the root cause of the failed efforts was that they never evolved out of the Old or Traditional Culture. In these organizations where efforts failed, work groups were formed, people were trained, much empowerment was delegated, many responsibilities were transferred, numerous boundaries were reestablished, decisions were moved to lower levels, and much more was done. The problem was that leaders continued to act like “parents” and core workers continued to act like “dependents.” Although core workers took ownership of their work, they never took owner- ship of the whole. They never brought forth many improvements or ideas they had to contribute to the success of others. Some just didn't know better. Others were unknowingly or not harming efforts. In all cases, they simply failed.