founder of naked leader

Organisational De-Structures

Organisational De-Structures

One of the big fads of the last ten years was so called “flat structures,” and I wrote a chapter in Naked Leader that blamed them for indecision, inaction and poor results.

I was wrong.

Just as I would have been wrong to blame traditional, top down structures in the same way.

Just as many people in organisations today are wrong to blame “matrix reporting” for them not being successful.

Because organisational structures, or destructures, may be simple, they may be complex, they may be traditional or they may be new, but they are never the reason for you not doing what you have to do, to achieve what you need to achieve, every single day.

Not sure you fully understand how your team or function or organisation is structured?

Get over it, and get on with your job.

With my love and best wishes

David
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10 Responses to Organisational De-Structures

  1. …get over it and get on with your job…maybe, but don’t let it drop entirely. As a leader you have an obligation to communicate how things work and to come up with models that your employees can work with to help them know where to go and what to do. Not good enough just to waive your hand at persistent confusion without providing your team with definitive guidance on what’s expected of them and/or the parameters within which they can feel free to operate.

    • Thanks Chris good point well made – agree we need a balance between people knowing where they stand, while not using structures as an excuse DT

  2. I agree with Chris, a large part of what makes organisations successful is hiring the right people – people who have, amongst other things, personal responsibility and drive as a fundamental part of their psyche. These people “get on with the job” and always try to overcome obstacles in pursuit of achievement rather than looking for an excuse. However, even these superstars can be demotivated by structures and/or misaligned goals that constantly undermine or destroy their chances of being successful.

    Personal motivation and a can-do attitude are vital but they need to be coupled with goals, incentives and structures that align those people perfectly with the needs of the customer. All these things must be right as simply expecting good people to clamber over silly procedures, processes and structure is a route to disenchantment and failure.

  3. I don’t agree with the above two comments.
    Structures and organisational functions – they aren’t important.
    The right people will meet every challenge head on, and make it work.
    That is what good people do. They see through the mess and just make sure they get the results it is they want to achieve. With or without a structure.

  4. I agree that people have to have motivation and guidance if they are to get on in a company.
    The right structures do need to be in place. Otherwise it will all go wrong for the individual.

  5. Procedures are important for the people to flourish.
    All very well having good people but they need to know what they are doing!

  6. People will flourish whatever the procedures.
    They will make it work.
    that’s how people get on and get noticed.

  7. You have to have a structure in a company otherwise there is no platform for the staff to perform!
    People need structure.

  8. Obstacles will always be in the way of those who want to achieve and it’s up to those individuals to make sure they have the strength within them to deliver, every time, by overcoming those obstacles.

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