On Organisations That Work

What do organizations that work for everyone look like?

Work how? For whom? 

Three main components come to mind here:

• organizations where people thrive - they belong, they grow, they find joy
• organizations that lead their respective business field in terms of key metrics
• organizations that are inherently sustainable and resilient to external shocks

All organizations aim for these outcomes, right? 

Then, why is this such an impossible challenge?

Organizations start with a spark, an idea, and just a few people dedicating time and effort. 

Startups often claim how much they go against the grain of established businesses, not only in terms of product innovation and overall strategy but also as an organization. There are no levels, nearly zero management, and the old adage "we are flat" comes up repeatedly in conversation.

And then product-market fit kicks in, and startups start hiring in droves. With little thought, they add a few levels of management and expectations around full-fledged people processes build up. Suddenly, people are not doing a small thing together. There are the managers who are asking and expecting and the teams who are asking and expecting. 

Fast-forward a few hundred / thousand people later, and depending on how bad it gets, you might find yourself running an organization that has stifled the human ingenuity we all carry—an organization stuck in its ways, slow to innovate, and with diminishing financial performance. 

Does that sound familiar? 

Scale can cost organizations speed, innovation, and individual ownership once the company's size exceeds the Dunbar number. Unless, they find a better way. 

What does a better way look like?

Designing collaboration at scale is a topic I've researched for a decade, and I've only begun to scratch the surface of it. But what I know to be true (also in my heart) is this:

• Scaling impact means scaling purpose, not (just) profit.
• The boundaries of organizations are fading away, and work happens in a fluid community instead.
• Trust and alternative controls take the place of traditional command and control practices.
• Static job descriptions transition towards fluid roles and clear responsibilities on both tasks and decision-making.
• We need to consciously decide how we make decisions and push decision-making toward the organization's periphery, as close to the problem as possible. 
• Growth should lead to a network of small, multifunctional teams rather than ever more complex hierarchical structures.
• Default to open—we should make as much data as possible freely available within the organization to feed everyone's mind and ability to serve the organization's goals.

How does that sound? Feasible or not? 

One thing is sure: transitioning an organization from deeply ingrained to new ways of work is a difficult change on many levels. It requires energy, intention, and persistence. And all those organizations we read about—those that have crossed the chasm and created a successful business and thriving organizations behind it—know that. 

Much like in other fields, when it comes to organizational design that works

"Success isn't finding the one trick or secret nobody knows; it's doing the boring things everyone knows about but is too undisciplined to do. Get good at boring." - Mark Manson 

Where to start

Well, with yourself first. As with any other change that we look to see in the world. 

How do you know if you have what it takes to challenge yourself and the organization you serve to embark on a new path? Consider your assumptions, your expectations, and your determination.

How do you perceive people at work? Do they work because they cannot avoid it or because they find joy and meaning at work? 

Are you looking for quick fixes or seeking a better path to grow individually and as a community?

Are you willing to take the road less traveled and turn the organization you create behind your business into a significant part of your legacy?

I've taken the time to compile all that inspires me, all that I believe in, in the hope that it will serve those among you who need just a little nudge to take the plunge and experiment with better ways of work.

I would love to connect and hear more about your journey in design an organisation that works. For everyone.