Are Ad Hoc Organizational Structures Trustworthy?
By Michelle Malay Carter on September 2, 2008
As a follow up to my Boundaries are Liberating train of thought, I’d like to do some more stumping for the necessity for more thoughtful, intentional, requisite organizational structure.?
I live in the US and we are fortunate to have a fairly sophisticated, safe road system.? As I drive around each day, I am not gripped by fear and paranoia.? Why??
Because I trust the system.? Why??
- Because drivers have to prove their competence and knowledge before being licensed.?
- Because it’s consistent.
- Because all drivers, aside from public safety officials,?are treated equally.
- Because the?accountabilities and authorities of drivers?are clear.? (We know who has the right of way under all circumstances.)
- Because there are rapid feedback loops.
- Because there are fully sanctioned auditors of the system armed with accountability and authority.
- Because there are consequences for noncompliance to include death!
- Because compliance is extremely high.
Every Man for Himself?
So how do you suppose I’d feel if every 1,000th person decided s/he would no longer stop at red lights?? How do you think I’d feel if every time I approached a stop sign, I had to negotiate with the other drivers to determine who had the right of way??
Set aside feelings, what about productivity?? How do you think this would influence my ability to get from point A to point B?
But yet, within organizations, we do not clarify accountabilities and authorities.? We expect people to “be adults” and to work it out.?
Structure is So Yesterday
Worse yet, some people are calling for the eradication of clear organizational structures.? Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Do we really want to have to re-negotiate our working relationships every time we enter into a task that involves others?? When there is conflict, who decides?? The person with the strongest personality, the person with the most connected network?
Introducing Paranoia into the System
Another problem is we tend to tolerate work-arounds rather than question and fix the system that necessitates them.? Once we begin to accommodate work-arounds, we’ve introduced paranoia into the system.? It’s no longer trustworthy.
A Linkback to Engagement
Trust is a precursor to engagement.
Systems Drive Behavior – Are you Driving Paranoia or Trust?
Most organizations ignore the impact of their paranoia-inducing systems, while offering free dry cleaning as a means to engagement.
I’m OK. You’re OK.? Let’s fix the system.? Have you ever worked within a paranoia-inducing system?
Filed Under Accountability, Employee Engagement, Organization Design, Requisite Organization
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