The gatekeepers and the catalysts

Inscribed on my business card next to my name are the words: Idea Designer and Instigator.

The word 'instigator' in many people's minds conjures up images of chaos, uncertainty, instability, loss of control and crashing off the rails.

In any company there are the gatekeepers and the catalysts. No guesses for naming the genre that often takes offence at my job description.

The gatekeepers are the holders of the corporate baton and the people that do most to keep a company aligned with words like certainty, stability and continuity.

The catalysts are the people that raise silly ideas and ridiculous objections to decisions about budgets and do most to keep the company identified with words like uncertainty, instability and continuity.

Yup, that's right, folks. Continuity is the name of the game. It brings momentum and sustainability which in turn brings healthy balances and increased sales and market share.

But continuity, momentum and sustainability are not givens regardless of the gatekeeper/catalyst mix. The critical factor is that companies operate in a dynamic environment that changes both internally and externally rather more often than most of us would like.

The gatekeepers instinctively fight change and the catalysts just as instinctively ride with it or even instigate it.

Funny but these seemingly diametrically opposed creatures are essential to any successful venture.

What is even more suprising is that within the ranks of these supposedly different genres lie many devil's advocates.

Many people may be suprised or even shocked at how much creativity is contributed by the gatekeepers in a dynamic environment and many more may be unaware of the levels of solidity that catalysts can bring to a corporate zone.