EXPERT'S CORNER: Lady in the Water - the need for hope in organisations

by Eugenio de Andrés and José María Díez, Tatum

Lady in the Water, the latest film by Indian director M Night Shyamalan (who also directed The Sixth Sense and Signs) is a story of magic and reality, of hope and everyday life: contradictions that companies must address today in order to retain and motivate their own talent and obtain excellent results.

The film is based on a bedtime story that Shyamalan told his daughters. The story tells how, many years ago, water nymphs lived side by side with men, providing them with advice and living in harmony. However, as time went by the men changed and, carried away by their own lives, they forgot how to listen.

Like a true master, Shyamalan adapts this story to our times: a nymph, who has arrived from an aquatic world, tells the occupants of a small apartment building of a secret that could change humanity. I don’t want to give away any more of the plot in case I spoil the film, but this theme introduces one of the most important challenges that the modern-day company is facing: motivating employees to achieve outstanding results. .

In his film, Shyamalan makes the point that in today’s world, magic and reality can coexist. This can be seen in the complexity that managers may have to cope with when dealing with their own teams on both an “emotional” and professional level. .

Recent studies show that salary is not the deciding factor for employees when choosing to resign their current role and change companies. People are increasingly taking into account other reasons, which are both qualitative and subjective, when they evaluate alternative jobs. In response to this, companies are putting in place programmes that aim to both balance employees’ personal and professional lives and improve the company culture by espousing a set of principles and values, for example policies of corporate social responsibility, etc. .

These measures, while interesting, represent only the tip of the iceberg. Managers need to be able to extend this vision into day-to-day operations and create a feeling of “hope” that will motivate their teams by making them feel more connected to their jobs, their projects and their company. .

Optimising talent is a necessary step in obtaining excellent results, but it is not enough. The real secret lies in being able to create the “hope” that lights the spark. It is this hope that encourages people to go the “extra mile”, which makes all the difference. To achieve this we don’t need people working longer hours - this approach is obsolete. Instead, we need their creativity and involvement; added value is achieved only when people are happy with their jobs.

In Shyamalan’s film the nymph brings hope, or rather, the nymph is the catalyst that awakens hope in the main character. She provides the opportunity for change, which perfectly matches Cleveland’s personal needs and stimulates the vision he is lacking. This, along with his personal talent, allows him to realise an extraordinary project. .

Hopes have a common trait: they are personal. That is, each one of us, depending on our personal circumstances, hopes for different things. That is why the team manager must be able to look for, understand and create the hopes that will touch each person where the need is felt: a business opportunity, a difficult client, an important project, an internal responsibility…. these are all possible “hopes”, possible “nymphs” that may be able to unlock added value.

Excellent results = Talent + Hope.

This is the formula that says it all: optimise the talent in your team, try to find the best job for each person and give them the hope which makes it worth being involved. With creativity and an understanding of the needs of each person, you will obtain great results. .

The 21st century has bought with it many new management approaches, but all of them have one common element: It is with people that the power rests to reach goals or bankrupt a company; design products that make the difference or deliver a mediocre service to the customer. In an era defined by people, the art of management has, without doubt, been transformed into the art of being able to generate hope.

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