ATD Blog
Time for a Change: Reinvent Your Organization to Survive
Fri Nov 04 2016
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It’s time to redefine your organization’s corporate identity. Old-style leadership—control and command—doesn’t work with younger generations of employees.
It’s time to redefine your organization’s corporate identity. Old-style leadership—control and command—doesn’t work with younger generations of employees.
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At the turn of the last century, Frederick W. Taylor developed three principles of scientific management:
At the turn of the last century, Frederick W. Taylor developed three principles of scientific management:
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Divide work into smaller parts.
Divide work into smaller parts.
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Use scientific methods to select workers, train them, and retain them.
Use scientific methods to select workers, train them, and retain them.
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Separate actual work from management and supervision.
Separate actual work from management and supervision.
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These principles are embedded in the DNA of a lot of companies, and they’re never questioned. But they may not fit with more contemporary ideas about corporate structure. For example, Frederic Laloux has written a great book, Reinventing Organizations, about his research on emerging new ways of running organizations. He believes that there’s no place for traditional bosses and strategies in a modern organization.
These principles are embedded in the DNA of a lot of companies, and they’re never questioned. But they may not fit with more contemporary ideas about corporate structure. For example, Frederic Laloux has written a great book, Reinventing Organizations, about his research on emerging new ways of running organizations. He believes that there’s no place for traditional bosses and strategies in a modern organization.
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Laloux’s ideas resonate with younger workers in particular. They want their companies to embrace collaborative leadership and encourage talent development through mutual learning processes. And most important, they want their companies to have a strong identity. They want to be able to tell and support their company’s story through the work they do.
Laloux’s ideas resonate with younger workers in particular. They want their companies to embrace collaborative leadership and encourage talent development through mutual learning processes. And most important, they want their companies to have a strong identity. They want to be able to tell and support their company’s story through the work they do.
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Skelia, an IT company, is an example of a fast-growing startup with an open, customer-driven organizational culture. The company promotes a concept called “cultural matching,” in which its employees are paired with projects and companies that best match their personality and skills. And it works. Both customers and employees are very happy with this arrangement.
Skelia, an IT company, is an example of a fast-growing startup with an open, customer-driven organizational culture. The company promotes a concept called “cultural matching,” in which its employees are paired with projects and companies that best match their personality and skills. And it works. Both customers and employees are very happy with this arrangement.
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So how do you start this reinvention process? Have a stakeholder answer these questions:
So how do you start this reinvention process? Have a stakeholder answer these questions:
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Who are we as a company?
Who are we as a company?
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What is our purpose?
What is our purpose?
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Why should people want to work here?
Why should people want to work here?
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What kind of work environment do we need to create to attract and retain top talent?
What kind of work environment do we need to create to attract and retain top talent?
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It may be difficult, but it’s worth the effort. If organizations keep focusing on only the bottom line, they will not survive.
It may be difficult, but it’s worth the effort. If organizations keep focusing on only the bottom line, they will not survive.