Gilda, the founder and CEO of PQE Group, presents the English Village Model as a way to approach organizational change within companies. The model emphasizes individual specialization and autonomy within a larger organizational structure, with each branch functioning as an independent “village.” This approach aims to create a sustainable ecosystem of unique working communities all working towards a common goal, fostering a sense of community within the organization.
One key aspect of implementing the English Village Model is clear communication of the organization’s strategy and goals. This helps employees understand where to focus their energy and resources, reducing confusion and aligning efforts towards a common objective. Branch directors play a vital role in communicating regional and local ways of working to decision-makers with a global remit, ensuring alignment across different departments and regions.
Unified business tools play a crucial role in enabling rapid organizational change on a global scale. Having teams working from different platforms and tools can lead to inefficiencies, wasted resources, and deviations from project aims. By providing teams with standardized tools and platforms, management can streamline processes and ensure alignment across branches globally, fostering a more efficient and productive working environment.
The rise of remote work and hybrid schedules has introduced a myriad of tools and platforms into the workplace, leading to device fatigue and multi-screen madness. To combat this, Harvard recommends adopting asynchronous communication, allowing employees to communicate effectively without being tethered to their devices constantly. This approach promotes autonomy and personal freedom, essential elements in creating a healthy work-life balance within the organization.
Leaders play a crucial role in driving organizational change and ensuring successful implementation of the English Village Model. By promoting or hiring high-EQ individuals capable of translating local ways of working into global strategies, management can bridge the gap between organizational objectives and individual tasks. This hands-on approach to change management, combined with effective communication and emotional intelligence, is essential in guiding the organization towards operational excellence and sustainable growth.
Implementing the English Village Model at their offices in the United States, Gilda and her leadership team found that employees embraced the emphasis on individual authority and specialization. The model allows team members to act as specialist agents based on their skills, fostering a sense of community and collaboration within the organization. By creating a framework that prioritizes trust, autonomy, and individual expertise, companies can build a legacy of growth and success, aligning employees towards a common goal and fostering a culture of excellence and innovation within the organization.
