There is no doubt that if you look to the business world for a company using alpine-style principles, Uber is your go-to success story. They have ripped through the traditional public transport landscape like no other, and in doing so they have created a $50 billion company. Uber has bridged the gap and made the transition to alpine style; the taxi industry on the other hand has not. That industry is stuck in a place of reactivity and dependence upon the old way of doing things. Its time is coming to an end.

Here is a question for you, though: Who is the Uber of Uber? Who does Uber look to as an exemplar of working light and fast?

The answer is an Australian company that traded up 650 per cent in the first three months of its initial public offering. Like Uber, it is an app, and like Uber, it started from bare bones and a very simple idea. Also like Uber, it has turned the status quo of a long established sector on its head. It has seen how fear and uncertainty in the new world order can be harnessed, rather than shied away from.

The company and the app itself is called Reffind, and the concept is quite simple: using an easily downloadable smartphone app, Reffind integrates with an organisation's job opportunities, and employees are able to send available positions to their own contacts. The result? Employees get the ‘finder's fee', companies hire only from known networks, and there is no middle man of recruitment consultancies. Already on board are companies including Coca-Cola, Qantas, AMP — and yes, Uber.

It's smart, quick, and easy to use — and it works. As CEO Jamie Pride says, ‘Companies need our product … We're a home-grown product, we're highly scalable and we have global applicability'.

It's an example of people, places and technology all being used to make a light and fast, alpine-style approach come to life.

As chapter 3 demonstrates, traditional old world organisations have a number of characteristics that serve to become liabilities in the new world. New world, alpine-style organisations do not have these traits. Table 8.1 shows the contrasting characteristics of the two styles.

The terms in the last row of table 8.1 might be unfamiliar to you. This chapter explains what they mean.

When you cast your eyes down the left-hand column of table 8.1, what image springs to mind? I'm willing to put money on it being of a large, multinational commercial corporation that dominates the global marketplace. Perhaps you're thinking of one of the big oil giants, such as ExxonMobil or Chevron, or one of the diversified resources houses such as BHP Billiton or Rio Tinto.

There are literally thousands upon thousands of examples of large organisations like these around the world. Of course, not all of them are commercial ones either: for example, the US Department of Defense is the largest employer in the world, with 700 000 civilian workers and more than 2 million active duty employees.

However, regardless of the type of services provided by these organisations, they are for the most part similar in their nature and exhibit the attributes and traits identified in the left-hand column of table 8.1. And these thousands upon thousands of organisations are in danger of not surviving the VUCA storm. These large organisations have been put on notice. Transition to a new way of doing things, or die.

The Transformation Model

The Transformation Model illuminates the path. It shows us the five stages to becoming an alpine-style organisation. Inspired by psychologist Julian Rotter's locus of control (which suggests a spectrum on which people are located with regard to their beliefs about how they can control their own lives and the events that affect them), and DuPont's Bradley Curve (a model designed to help organisations develop world-class safety performance and culture), the Transformation Model can be applied at all levels: at the individual level, at the team level, and at the organisation-wide level (see figure 8.1).

As you can see, the horizontal axis represents a spectrum: the left side represents a focus on the self, and the right side represents a focus on others. The vertical axis represents another spectrum: the top represents a focus on the internal environment, and the bottom represents a focus on the external environment.

Unaware

The first stage of the Transformation Model is unaware, where there is a lack of awareness of the self, others and the surrounding external environment. Accordingly, this stage cannot be placed on either axis and is located off the model. Table 8.2 shows the key attributes of the unaware state.

Those at the unaware stage are like tourists passing through a foreign country, not even realising the language being spoken is different to what they speak at home.

Reactive

The next stage of the Transformation Model is reactive, where the focus is only on the self, and the ramifications of the external environment to the self. Accordingly, this stage is located in the bottom left quadrant of the model. Table 8.3 shows the key attributes of the reactive state.

Those at the reactive stage are like aspiring mountaineers, introduced to the mountains for the first time. They see danger and risk everywhere, and are likely to act in irrational and unpredictable ways, with their only concern being their own welfare. (This was very much me in the early days — the first time I tried to climb a big mountain, I cried. I think this may have happened the second and third times, too …)

The reactive person or team is not only not committed to their work, but because they don't understand what is happening around them, they are prone to being destructive. Any and all blame for mistakes, or a job badly done or an incomplete task is always apportioned to the external environment, and to the team or organisation for which they work.

Those at the reactive stage may understand that things are changing, but have no understanding of how things are changing.

Dependent

The next stage of the Transformation Model is dependent, where the focus is still strongly on the external environment. However, there is a recognition that others will be able to assist by providing guidance, reassurance and comfort. As such, the focus becomes less on the self and more on what others can do for that self. Accordingly, this stage is located in the bottom right quadrant of the model. Table 8.4 shows the key attributes of the dependent state.

The classic dependent individual is the mountaineer joining a commercial expedition to the Himalaya. Although they may see danger and risk all around, they are less likely to act in irrational and unpredictable ways because they have a sense of security provided by the expedition's support structure (e.g. Sherpas, guides, fixed ropes, pre-established camps, prepared food).

It is at this stage that we find the traditional, linear, hierarchical organisation. If the desire is to transition to the light and fast alpine-style approach, this is where the transition starts.

Independent

The fourth stage is the independent stage, where the focus reverts to the self. A seismic shift has occurred here. This is where self-reliance and responsibility begin to form and take root. An understanding begins to form that the outside world cannot be controlled, and instead it is up to the individual to choose how to respond and adapt to the external world, which will determine their own success. Their attention is thus initially inwards. Accordingly, this stage is located in the top left of the model. Table 8.5 shows the key attributes of the independent state.

The classic example of the independent stage is Ueli Steck soloing the North Face of the Eiger. Everything that Steck did on the North Face exemplified these attributes of the independent.

Interdependent

The fifth and final stage is the interdependent stage, where the focus is now towards collaborating with others who have also reached this level. The understanding formed at the independent stage is now consolidated and is the fundamental tenet upon which the interdependent team functions. The attention of the interdependent is both in and out, at the same time. They are always keeping a check on themselves, their team members, and the surrounding environment. Accordingly, this stage is located in the centre of the model. Table 8.6 shows the key attributes of the interdependent stage.

The classic example of the interdependent is the climbing partnership of Whimp and Lindblade discussed in chapter 7. Everything that they did together exemplified these attributes of the interdependent. From their feats on Thalay Sagar to their ascent of Jannu, they were the epitome of interdependence.

Those at the interdependent stage collaborate willingly and effectively to achieve their own personal goals, as well as those of the team, and those of the organisation for which they work.

Rather than the linear, hierarchical structure of the traditional organisation, the alpine-style organisation is decentralised and interdependent.

As the Transformation Model clearly shows, alpine style as a philosophy can only work within organisations whose people and culture have reached the independent and interdependent stages. Without these, you can only have an expedition-style organisation, and you will not be able to transition from the old world to the new world.

A special warning

Always be alert for the expedition-style organisation wearing alpinists' clothing! Many of our expedition-style organisations are starting to recognise the benefits of the alpine-style approach — and they want in. But they are not really prepared to do the hard work. You'll be able to recognise them from their sudden adoption of corporate spin such as ‘agile' and ‘innovative' into their organisational vocabulary.

A superficial makeover will not suffice: that kind of delusional and complacent attitude in the mountains will get you killed very quickly. The same thing will happen for these organisations; and besides, the workers of today are savvy enough to spot stuff like that from a mile way. And they won't buy it.

Remember, an open-plan office complete with brightly coloured sofas and an in-house coffee shop does not an alpine-style organisation make!

You'll have to go much deeper than that, and you'll have to work much harder at it. How? That's what part III reveals: how in using the Alpine Style Model we bridge the gap from old world to new and create the truly alpine-style organisation.