Why do I believe that a steep hierarchical organizational structure creates a more toxic workplace compared to a flatter one?
When you create levels, people feel less than or better than others. And it affects what they think of themselves. If we say that we’re all equal, then how come we don’t follow that by the way we organize ourselves in a company?
Very relevant as I just read a few chapters in Be Like Jesus where it talks about unity in thought, word, and deed not just on the individual level but on an organizational level.
So the reason we created levels in society is so that someone could make decisions on behalf of others. That may have been an effective way millennia, centuries, and decades ago, but not any more. Everything is becoming decentralized anyways with the blockchain. With an organization specifically, DAOs are popping up left and right. But how does that translate into the physical world, not just the digital world?
Ok so brainstorming time.
Have defined processes for the orgs at the beginning. What if you have owners of processes instead of owners of functions? The process flow goes that way anyways. Why not align it more towards that anyways? That way you get rid of the need for functional heads with supervisors and more subordinates. Instead of managing people, you’re managing a process. Or better yet, using earlier learnings: managing → enhancing. So you’re enhancing processes.
Will that eradicate the hierarchical structure? Are some processes more important than others? Perhaps. But just like the beginnings of my gov’t idea taking turns, what if you rotate people through those groups of processes every 1 year or whatever period of time. That way, they get experience doing other processes in the org and can bring a fresh perspective to improve the current process.
What about the organizational inefficiency you get by having to train people in the change of different processes? Well I could say that it would be beneficial for the org long term because 1) people are forced to define and document the process more clearly and articulate it and 2) when you teach something, you learn it twice. So they’ll get even better with that process when they’re explaining it. Then by having experience across all functions of the process, they get an even greater perspective of how their work impacts the end result.
What about the people like the founders and folk who interact with a board for funding and everything or reporting to shareholders? Like what’s at the level that oversees all the other processes? So yes there will have to be that one level. But I think it may even be a possibility to have that be a group of people that also rotates every so often. There can be rules and restrictions placed on it so that nothing disastrous happens. But definitely something I have to think about more.
I believe that the current structure diminishes people who are at a lower position. Their self-confidence and self-esteem are impacted. I believe that everyone deserves to be on the same level and have the same opportunities. And the current system isn’t set up for that.
Idk if I’m going crazy or if this makes sense to anyone else who will read this. 🤷🏿♂️
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