I look at these things through the lens of a business developing mathematician and innovation marketer at heart.
Antipyramidal
I grew up in organizations where strategies were built at the top, big leaders controlled little leaders, team members compete for promotion…Tasks were assigned, rules defined actions. It was the perfect form of "plan-and-control": a pyramid. Only little space for change.
In an organizational pyramid the yesterday overweights the tomorrow. In a pyramid you can't enhance innovation, agility or engagement.
It is indispensable to reshape the organizational form.
Anticonform
Traditional managers want conformance to specifications, rules, deadlines, budgets, standards and strategies!. They declare "controlism" as the driving force of the organization. They hate failures and would never agree to "gain from disorder".
Not to make a mistake, control is important but freedom is important as well.
Management needs to deal with the known and unknown, ruled and chaotic, (little) losses for (bigger) gains…
Antibureaucratic
Bureaucracy is the formal representation of the pyramid and the regime of conformance.
Bureaucracy must die.
This part is inspired by Gary Hamel's Blog post in MIXMASHUP,
Change the organization
If we want to change the underlying form-and-ideology of management that causes the major problems, we may want to learn a little from the paradigms of modern risk management…and rely on technology stacks, know how packages, constructive learning arrangements…that destroy cold-blooded bureaucracy.
When knowledge and skills spread management fades
