The Industrial Age Lives On in Tech Companies! 🤷🎉
Tech corporations are symbols of digital disruption across industries (e.g. Meta, Apple, Google, Amazon, Salesforce, Twitter …).
But, the vast majority still organize and operate like firms in the past century.
Unfortunately, they serve as role models to the startup ecosystem - incl. VCs that push their investments to follow an outdated path.
The traditional hierarchical command & control structure is still the dominant model. A CEO sits atop the pyramid, followed by executives and a layer of middle management. #bureaucracy
All we have been seeing is a shift from mills & machines to bits & bytes. Swapping hammer & wrench for laptops & smartphone. Oh, some swapped ties & suits for jeans & hoodies. Yay!
Almost no progress in how we work together to generate better outcomes for all stakeholders. (Yes, shareholders are paying the price too.)
Top-down approaches may have been effective in a stable and predictable world. They are too slow and rigid for the fast-paced and unpredictable nature of today's world. Old ways of organizing and leading no longer work.
As long as #fatcats sit atop with ultimate authority, there can't be agility.
Modern organisations must adapt to the changed nature of work and adopt progressive ways of organizing work.
E.g. organisations need to be more collaborative. A team of teams organised around customers, not functions. Give autonomy and responsibility to frontlines and democratise decisions making. This leads to a more engaged workforce, agility, and customer focus.
It's more fulfilling work - but, not a feel-good paradise. For employees more autonomy and responsibility means no hiding behind a manager.
This is not for everyone. But the majority will strive and shine given the opportunity. And this pays off for customers and shareholders too.
_Sailing Analogy_
When you let teams sail the ocean with only one goal (e.g. get to the other side in one piece) they will manage. Chances are they will find new, better ways to get there with less effort, risk and richer in learning. Compared to making them sail across in a straight line, no matter what.
Staying flexible, adaptable, keeping eyes and mind open, and letting the crew on deck make fast decisions can save your life. And your business.
Photo: Midjourney.com
About Maxim Markert
Hey! Ich bin Maxim. Ein Mensch wie du. Mit Phoenix setze ich mich für bewusstes und verantwortungsvolles Wirtschaften ein. So möchte ich Vorbilder für andere Unternehmen schaffen. Schreib dich hier ein, um meine Gedanken zu Business, Organisationen, bewusstem Kapitalismus und unkonventionellen Wegen zu verfolgen. Und alles andere, was mir in den Sinn kommt.
