Nesting Doll
Nesting Doll
Empowering Structures For Business Organizations
“Our challenge. How do we create organizational coherence…how do we create structures that move with change, that are flexible and adaptive…that enable rather than constrain? How do we resolve the need for personal freedom and autonomy with organizational needs for prediction and control?” ~ Margaret Wheatley
Nobel Prize winner Oliver Williamson describes two dominant theories of organization for complex systems – hierarchies and markets. These theories compete in the way corporations are structured. A centralized, top-down hierarchy offers more control and efficient internal operations. But a “flat” structure offers an internal market for ideas and resources that promotes innovation.
Control versus innovation, hierarchy versus markets – every company struggles with that balance. We’ve seen plenty of companies fail, even within the Fortune 500, when they get it wrong. That balance was at the heart of a recent four-day strategic planning workshop that my company, Mastek, held for its top 50 leaders. Our goal was to examine structures that would make the organization more nimble, agile and creative in delivering value to our customers.
Emerging from that workshop, I came across an article on organizational architecture by Arun Maira that offers an alternative, a third way of structuring a company to thrive in the 21st century.
Maira, the former head of the Boston Consulting Group in India and now a member of India’s Planning Commission, suggests complex, self-adaptive systems similar to those that occur in nature – and have recently emerged as the underlying architecture of the Internet.
These systems can remain on the creative edge between stifling hierarchies and unorganized confusion. An essential feature of such systems is the strength and quality of the lateral links among the various sub-units within the larger organization.
The growth and proliferation of the Internet over the last two decades is a powerful example of how complex, self-adaptive systems can thrive with just a few governing principles, frameworks and protocols, with no ‘boss’ or central agency managing the entire exercise. The Open Source Movement and Wikipedia, for example, are neither hierarchical nor market-based.
To describe Wikipedia, management experts use terms such as complex, self-adaptive systems; emergence; connectivity; simple rules; iteration; and, interestingly, sub-optimal behavior. This is like describing a human being in terms of our component senses, organs, functional systems and the like. We don’t really get a feel of the complete creature with such descriptions.
Here are my own assertions about how companies can be complex, self-adaptive systems. Organizations need to:
- Recognize their function and purpose in the context of the environment as a whole.
- See their journey as a gradual evolution – where all the component parts evolve together, and the larger system evolves in scale and impact.
- View themselves as Nested Systems – having several self-contained component parts that include smaller self-contained parts within, and so forth. While this is often easy to visualize – think of Russian nesting dolls – what is less obvious is that the organization itself is a part of a larger ecosystem.
- Maintain simple rules of engagement between component parts. Communication must be continuous and consistent, between all the parts, with each part empowered to act to benefit the system as a whole.
For example, the information about a cut on your finger is relayed instantaneously to other parts of the body, which then respond. The body does not wait for the information to reach the brain and for the brain to devise a strategy for response. Similarly, each part of an organization should be capable of responding to an opportunity or challenge on its own, instead of waiting for a command from the top.
The Connected Age requires new structures that are more appropriate than the hierarchical or market-based organizations of the Industrial Age. Do share your own thoughts on innovative organizational forms and what it would mean to individuals who are part of such organizations.
About the Author
The New Constructs is an initiative to examine our beliefs and assumptions – about life and living – that we need to reinvent in order to create a more inclusive and sustainable world. It is an opportunity for each one of us to connect, collaborate and co-create the world that we will rebuild for posterity. Do post your own examples on the Wall.
Sudhakar Ram is Chairman and Co-Founder of IT solutions provider, Mastek. He believes that creating a sustainable world would require a shift in the “constructs” that drive our attitudes and actions.
Wedding Proposal Fiascos
Everyone, man or woman, has an image in their head of the perfect proposal. Guys see themselves shouting it from the biggest billboards in the city, in the middle of the biggest sports event of the season, maybe even on your favorite TV show. The women, simply see hope that the man of their dreams will declare their love, drop down on one knee and ask her to marry him. After which she says yes, they kiss and voila! It’s time to get ready for the wedding.
Creating perfect wedding proposals does call for a little planning and forethought (others call for a lot of planning). It is quite easy for something to go, well not exactly wrong but off the planned track, and make the event not quite how you hoped it would be. Here are some examples of funny happenings at wedding proposals.
AJ had arranged to have dinner with his intended bride at his favorite restaurant. He placed the ring in the folds of the napkin she’d be using so that she’d find it shortly after she sat down. Unfortunately, she pulled the folds open too fast, and the ring flew out and rolled away. AJ had all the waiters and guests suddenly looking under their tables for the tiny golden ring. Quite a sight with everyone suddenly below deck, so to speak. The ring was found, the proposal made and she did say yes….laughing all the time.
Sam on the other hand planned a romantic dinner for two. He had everything ready, or so he thought. He had carefully placed the ring her champagne flute so that he could ask her to make a toast, then propose. He didn’t expect that she would knock back her drink so fast and almost swallowed the solitaire. Take note: a glass is never a safe place to put the ring in.
Philip and Lisa met in a charity event held in the park over a year ago. He decided to propose to her on the same spot where they met. Everything was going well. He was all set. He got down on one knee and just as he was about to ask her to marry him…the rain came pouring down. It didn’t stop her from saying yes though they did end up soggy from the rain.
Greg knew his girlfriend Cindy was absolutely crazy about these Russian matryoshka nesting dolls. He’d purchased one that she said she really liked and lay out a trail through their house for her to follow. He’d placed the largest piece about two steps from the doorway with a note asking Cindy to find the next doll. She managed to find all but the last piece he’d set up. Inside it was the engagement ring. The only problem was, the halves got stuck and Cindy couldn’t get the ring out. It took a while, but yes they managed to get the ring on Cindy’s finger and they now have very happy memories associated with the dolls.
In order to avoid these funny scenes, just keep it simple. The ladies will appreciate a simple, heartfelt proposal without the razzmatazz just as much. They’ll still say yes if you’re the one they want and you get to avoid a potentially embarrassing and funny moment.
About the Author
Lesley-Ann Graham runs
WeddingTrix.com
– a valuable
wedding planning
resource with articles, tips and advice to help you plan your perfect wedding!
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