How amazing would it be to have a job where there are no bosses? What if you had the ability and authority to bottom line a purchase for the new ergonomic office chair you've been wanting to replace that old uncomfortable one you've been sitting in for too long. Would this type of work environment "work" for you? If you answered yes then you might want to consider changing jobs to a self-managed company like Morning Star, St. Luke's Advertising, or Gore Creative Technologies.
There is undisputed evidence that the nature of business is changing on a global scale. Technological advances, improved communications, and a world wide transportation network have linked more people together to form new frontiers in global enterprise. Nick Obolensky discusses the natural evolution of the corporate structure in his book Complex Adaptive Leadership. He describes the traditional organization as a functional silo where each department works independently from the other. Established hierarchical levels of management oversee the level below, and inter-departmental communication may only happen at the company Christmas party once a year. This business model reminds me of the movie Office Space where Peter is telling the "Bobs" how he has eight different bosses, so when he makes a mistake he has to hear it from eight different people.
From the functional silos a transition to cross functional matrix is the next evolutionary step. CFMs allow for a higher degree of efficiency with a more open communication structure than its predecessor. The focus is on the output instead of the input and restructuring is necessary to streamline some processes. Eventually the need to keep up with a changing environment will become stifling for the organization and the organization will make a move towards a more dynamic complex adaptive system which is even more fluid and efficient... or they face becoming outdated.
The complex adaptive system model is a very unique structure that blends efficiency with fluidity. They are people focused, technologically advanced, transparent, and incorporate adaptability as a strategy. This model is constantly on the move within its environment. It is designed to "flow" with the changing needs of its market and demands. It also a fair assessment to state that this model may very well be the future of global enterprise.
A recent Forbes article on this emerging trend of self-managing CASs states a mere 3% of companies in a survey are actually self managed. The concepts of companies like Morning Star which makes tomato byproducts are captivating to those who work in the other 97%. At Morning Star there are no bosses. Employees work on a self generated mission statement governing their actions and responsibilities to the company. They are bound by a Colleague Letter of Understanding and are subject to an annual peer review to ensure each employee is living up to the standards they have set for themselves. In the Morning Star culture there are no titles and high-powered seats of authority. Oh, and the company earns an annual revenue of around 700 million! Think that turns some heads?
Will this business model work for any company? The answer is an astounding NO. While companies like Morning Star, St. Luke's, and Gore have used this CAS concept to create a completely adaptive work environment with employee "ownership" this would hardly be feasible for a corporation like Shell, BP, or Halliburton. I actually witnessed a commanding officer in the Navy turn a sickly shade of green when I asked him how our ship would run if we had no Chiefs or officers and everyone would be accountable for their own areas of responsibilities. It just wouldn't work in large corporations spanning several continents. It works well for the 3,000 at Morning Star, but not so much for a Navy with over 350,000 enlisted personnel.
Another barrier holding back complex adaptive systems from spreading through the corporate world like wild fire is that not everyone is able to govern themselves without a boss or manager telling them what to do. Let's face it... we have a lot of order takers in the labor force. The very concept of being "boss" has its assumptions of high salaries, cushy offices, and many perks with little actual work. If we just let everyone become their own bosses how much work would actually get done?
This idea of evolution takes place over time. There is no doubt that as newer generations become more reliant on available technologies to work smarter instead of harder a cultural shift might take place in the near future and grow into what we see at Morning Star. At the end of the day if it works for you... use it. If processes need to be changed to remain viable change them, or risk being left behind in the pages of corporate history. As for me... I think I will keep an eye on self-managing companies. After six years in the Navy I kind of like the idea of being my own boss.
JP
There is undisputed evidence that the nature of business is changing on a global scale. Technological advances, improved communications, and a world wide transportation network have linked more people together to form new frontiers in global enterprise. Nick Obolensky discusses the natural evolution of the corporate structure in his book Complex Adaptive Leadership. He describes the traditional organization as a functional silo where each department works independently from the other. Established hierarchical levels of management oversee the level below, and inter-departmental communication may only happen at the company Christmas party once a year. This business model reminds me of the movie Office Space where Peter is telling the "Bobs" how he has eight different bosses, so when he makes a mistake he has to hear it from eight different people.
From the functional silos a transition to cross functional matrix is the next evolutionary step. CFMs allow for a higher degree of efficiency with a more open communication structure than its predecessor. The focus is on the output instead of the input and restructuring is necessary to streamline some processes. Eventually the need to keep up with a changing environment will become stifling for the organization and the organization will make a move towards a more dynamic complex adaptive system which is even more fluid and efficient... or they face becoming outdated.
The complex adaptive system model is a very unique structure that blends efficiency with fluidity. They are people focused, technologically advanced, transparent, and incorporate adaptability as a strategy. This model is constantly on the move within its environment. It is designed to "flow" with the changing needs of its market and demands. It also a fair assessment to state that this model may very well be the future of global enterprise.
A recent Forbes article on this emerging trend of self-managing CASs states a mere 3% of companies in a survey are actually self managed. The concepts of companies like Morning Star which makes tomato byproducts are captivating to those who work in the other 97%. At Morning Star there are no bosses. Employees work on a self generated mission statement governing their actions and responsibilities to the company. They are bound by a Colleague Letter of Understanding and are subject to an annual peer review to ensure each employee is living up to the standards they have set for themselves. In the Morning Star culture there are no titles and high-powered seats of authority. Oh, and the company earns an annual revenue of around 700 million! Think that turns some heads?
Will this business model work for any company? The answer is an astounding NO. While companies like Morning Star, St. Luke's, and Gore have used this CAS concept to create a completely adaptive work environment with employee "ownership" this would hardly be feasible for a corporation like Shell, BP, or Halliburton. I actually witnessed a commanding officer in the Navy turn a sickly shade of green when I asked him how our ship would run if we had no Chiefs or officers and everyone would be accountable for their own areas of responsibilities. It just wouldn't work in large corporations spanning several continents. It works well for the 3,000 at Morning Star, but not so much for a Navy with over 350,000 enlisted personnel.
Another barrier holding back complex adaptive systems from spreading through the corporate world like wild fire is that not everyone is able to govern themselves without a boss or manager telling them what to do. Let's face it... we have a lot of order takers in the labor force. The very concept of being "boss" has its assumptions of high salaries, cushy offices, and many perks with little actual work. If we just let everyone become their own bosses how much work would actually get done?
This idea of evolution takes place over time. There is no doubt that as newer generations become more reliant on available technologies to work smarter instead of harder a cultural shift might take place in the near future and grow into what we see at Morning Star. At the end of the day if it works for you... use it. If processes need to be changed to remain viable change them, or risk being left behind in the pages of corporate history. As for me... I think I will keep an eye on self-managing companies. After six years in the Navy I kind of like the idea of being my own boss.
JP
No comments:
Post a Comment