When should you escape the Navy and start a Pirate brigade? Does it really pay off in the long run? Organizations are good at purchasing tools and technology, but often struggle to recruit the right mix of people or recognize the level of change necessary to deliver on the promise of Analytics. If you are one of these recruits, eventually you will hit the limits of your crew and command. At some point you will spy clearer sailing and greater riches in a different direction. This is normal after you’ve been out to sea for a while, but it doesn’t make the challenge any easier.

The key question is whether you can turn the ship using the existing chain-of-command and spare parts, or whether adopting the Pirate code is the best path to greater treasures. And yes, the Pirate code is much more than wearing a patch and sporting a peg-leg.

How a Group of NASA Renegades Transformed Mission Control is an excellent case-study from the Sloan Management Review of how a small team of passionate engineers created a Pirate culture within NASA to deliver a major upgrade to technology credited with putting men on the moon. Key tenants of “the Pirate Paradigm” include:

• Don’t wait to be told to do something; figure it out for yourself.
• Challenge everything, and steel yourself for the inevitable cynicism, opposition, rumors, false reporting, innuendos, and slander.
• Break the rules, not the law.
• Take risks as a rule, not as the exception.
• Cut out unnecessary timelines, schedules, processes, reviews, and bureaucracy.
• Just get started; fix problems as you go along.
• Build a product, not an organization; outsource as much as possible.

The last bullet point, “Build a product, not an organization..” is especially critical for any aspiring, analytical Pirate. The ability to navigate the existing organization and engage others (with capacity) to help you build your Analytical vision is key. Common challenges include an over-dependency on familiar tools (or outright lock-in by vendors) and a fear of downstream (hidden) disruption. One approach to recruiting a crew is to clearly demonstrate (prototype) the value your solution will bring to their voyage.

Changing Company Culture Requires a Movement, Not a Mandate is a case-study in harnessing Pirate energy for broader cultural change. The article explores how Dr. Reddy’s, a pharmaceutical company in India, took an organic approach to cultural shift. Employees were given space to internalize and respond to a new corporate purpose, “Good health can’t wait,” with the goal “to demonstrate this idea in action, not talk about it.” The article encourages managers to “look for the places where the movement faces resistance and experiences friction. They often indicate where the dominant organizational design and culture may need to evolve.”

The “Pirate Paradigm” can be harnessed to drive change, but it’s important to ask yourself whether the result will grow beyond a single project. And a very pirate question is whether you will be rewarded given the typical swamp-march, riddled with quicksand, that characterizes cultural change in many organizations. Unfortunately, the new Analytical leader is often an unwitting Pirate who realizes too late that the value from data will never be achieved due to her small voice in the existing corporate culture. Single projects are delivered, but they are one-hit-wonders eventually lost at sea.

The good news is that analytical culture can be hacked by the Pirate Paradigm. With a strong thirst for innovation and smelling the value from positive cultural change, organizations are creating new and safer paths for aspiring Pirates to follow. Some are even starting to use analytics for measuring cultural alignment.

Creating a learning environment where your crew shares in the adventure, and the plunder, is one of the most effective ways for initiating a longer-term shift in Analytical culture. More on this topic in a subsequent post…for now, find your eye-patch and get ready to fly the Jolly Roger!