[PODCAST] It Doesn't Take Rocket Science to Breakthrough Human Potential

Picture this. You are a career-long Aeronautic Engineer working for one of the world’s largest and most respected conglomerates. You’ve spent almost 20 years traveling the world, working with some of the brightest minds on planet earth. One day, you realize employees aren’t just workers on the payroll but human beings too. You recognize something is missing. You want each individual to experience the fulfillment of having a positive impact, at both a personal and professional level. Where do you begin?

In 2015, while leading an international team of rocket scientists and engineers, Milos uncovered the truth behind human potential. “You can’t remodel your kitchen by painting the outside of your house,” a mentor told Milos. Ever since he first heard that phrase, Milos understood how he could make positive change and help others do the same. Since then, he has been applying his innovative leadership and technical approach, mentoring and coaching people on how to break through whatever beliefs might be holding them back. 

To breakthrough in modern-day business and life, each of us needs to understand our personal belief system.  Milos explained that before a person can make change happen in the office, they must first understand the transformation they themselves need to make.  With Milos’ help, Honeywell workers recognize that as an individual (aka employee), we all thrive when aligned with other people that share a common belief system. Without this first step, how could anyone hope to influence ultra-smart and ultra-busy coworkers? After all, this is a major global player and results matter.  

Now you might be thinking: we don’t have time to affect personal belief systems in today’s fast-changing business era. That’s just too woo-woo for many traditional executives and workers. Participating in deep, personal conversations with co-workers and managers will go over like a lead balloon in our organization, right?  WRONG!

​According to the research, Milos and many other business/HR thought-leaders undertook, people are hungry to belong, to find purpose. It’s then up to management to create an environment and ecosystem that encourages and grows that experience.

With productivity and innovation top of mind, any business interested in growing must first identify and clearly articulate its corporate vision and values. That’s critical because a company’s belief system is comprised of its vision and values.  Next, these beliefs need to align with the beliefs of their employees. After all, how can employees succeed if they don’t know what they are doing it for? As you might imagine, this was a daunting challenge confronting Milos: getting 110,000 employees to share their beliefs with their bosses!

How would you do that? Within the hallways and offices of Honeywell’s Czech Republic campus, Milos found his answer. 

At a time when more and more people (aka employees) are starving for direction and engagement from their employer, Milos says, “it is crucial for each individual to identify their own sense of values, vision, and beliefs.”  For example, diversity-and-inclusion is bantered about as an essential ingredient to nurture a healthy company culture. But in many organizations, it’s just a buzzword. Milos explained, “diversity and inclusion go beyond gender differences, beyond ethnicity, beyond race.”  To embrace true creativity and innovation, each individual must understand and appreciate their own beliefs, what makes them do what they do and what holds them back.

Here is where proverbial liftoff takes place.

Milos shared the 3 topics he discusses with each colleague.  What is most impressive about these 3 topics is how little they have to do with the company, or the colleague as an employee and how much it has to do with the individual’s personal goals, visions, and beliefs. 

Connect with Milos Kovac

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miloskovac