A cognitive surplus exists in every organisation and is rarely leveraged.

So, what is a cognitive surplus? In the context of an organisation, a cognitive surplus is the free time and talents of a workforce that exists outside the formal responsibilities of an individual’s role. It is underpinned by the notion that most humans genuinely seek to add value and have expertise to contribute to meaningful change.

There are many things that get in the way of leveraging cognitive surplus.

Whether it is structures, hierarchies, egos, blinkers, apathy or just the fact that people aren’t looking for it, cognitive surplus often remains an unknown quantity. Overall effort and focus remain on maintaining the structure, extracting more from roles that are already well-executed and thinking of ways to inspire people to give more within the confines of their existing remit. There is another way.

One of the first things I do when I join an organisation to lead a digital transformation is open my eyes and seek out the pockets of cognitive surplus.

I do this because I believe in the following principles:

1. Digital transformation is an evolving journey that cannot and should not be prescribed in detail upfront.
2. The best ideas lurk within the hearts and minds of the wider workforce.
3. The number of people assigned to deliver the changes is never enough to get the job done.
4. Embedding the change requires involvement and buy in from as many people as possible – it should never be a program team delivering to the organisation, but with.

Identifying cognitive surplus not only brings new ideas and talents.

It brings energy, commitment and creates momentum. It connects your change to more people. It creates opportunities, sometimes in environments where opportunities have been lacking.

Here are two examples of what successfully identifying cognitive surplus has meant for both the organisation and the individual.

Case Study 1

A utility organisation was embarking on a long-overdue transformation. The transformation was ambitious and included a new operating model, ways of working and expensive technology solutions. The changes involved considerable IR implications.

The transformation budget was enough to make the executive nervous pre-day 1. A small group, including myself, initiated the change as external consultants. The team grew over six months with a sizeable external workforce complementing a small number of representatives from the client. It was a behemoth and to our client, it felt like it.

The smartest person in the organisation was not part of the initial program, nor was he recognised internally as the smartest person. He worked night shift at an operations centre and whilst being quite good at his job, he looked unfulfilled. He had the combination of brains, energy and ambition however this didn’t seem to resonate inside of our client.

He navigated his way to the program. He outperformed every program team member including ALL the external consultants, technical specialists, and practitioners. He is a prime reason for the success of the program.

Left to the client or some of the blinkered external consultants, that capability would never have been identified or fulfilled.

He was promoted post-program and has since been engaged by one of the Big-4 consulting firms.

Case Study 2

A peak industry body was embarking on a challenging and complicated transformation. While the number of people impacted were not as high as some other organisations, the complicated organisation structure and an undercurrent of mistrust created complexity. The transformation was poorly planned and to the workforce, it felt “personal” when it didn’t need to.

The organisation itself was quite static with limited opportunities. The ability for people to develop seemed to be based on personality rather than capability. A culture of avoidance saw some low performers shuffled around the organisation which was destined to impact the overall transformation. Others were dealt with strictly which created the mistrust.

This organisation had a significant cognitive surplus.

It needed warmth, trust and energy. It needed action. It needed decisiveness.

Enter the organisation’s receptionist. Stuck on a quiet front desk but still with a smile on her face. The receptionist knew everybody and everything. The receptionist had ideas, energy and a can-do attitude.

The receptionist soon became a coordinator on the transformation program while still performing some receptionist duties. Then a coordinator of the Portfolio Management Office. Then the lead of designing the new project management solution. Then the facilitator of portfolio governance frameworks, forums and record keeping. This person became the glue that held processes and people together and a warm, caring attitude led her to become a source of comfort for people.

Without their involvement, the transformation would not have been successful.

I encourage you to explore everywhere to identify the cognitive surplus in your organisation, particularly as you transform. It might just be the people who are overlooked that drive your success.

I write about digital transformation weekly. My 📥DMs are open for engaging conversations.