The Busting Bureaucracy Hackathon

Phase 2: IMAGINING ALTERNATIVES TO THE BUREAUCRATIC MODEL

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IMAGINING ALTERNATIVES TO THE BUREAUCRATIC MODEL

In the current phase of the hackathon, we’re working to define the attributes of the post-bureaucratic organization—what new management practices can provide an alternative to the bureaucratic model of top-down control and formal rules and procedures?

In a paragraph or less, please share your idea for an alternative approach that could replace an existing bureaucratic management practice (or "like" one or more of the existing contributions below).

Hint: when trying to imagine alternatives, you might find it easier to pick an existing management practice, for example strategy development or performance reviews. Then share a new approach that you believe might more efficiently or effectively replace the existing practice. You can also get some additional context and inspiration by reading Gary Hamel’s latest blog. Please share your ideas by May 16.

Submissions

charles-ehin's picture
Develop more shared-access systems. In a shared-access system all organizational members have considerable autonomy in decision making and in resource allocations including hiring and firing of people. In a shared-access system, expertise and value-added facilitation are the dominant dynamics instead of position power. Thus, major emphasis is placed on situational leadership or catalytic leadership (Ehin, 2009), open-book management, and self-organization in solving problems or in pursuing opportunities. Here, personal commitment, rather than compliance, is the key success factor. For more details please consult, “Can People Really be Managed?’ selected as the 2014 Outstanding Paper winner for International Journal of Commerce and Management. http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=17095014
By Charles Ehin on May 2, 2022
The best alternative way for bureaucratic management is Customer centric, Expertise (technology) driven, Culture backed organization stride towards their vision and goal. The vision of the company should add value to their customers to support their clients.
By H. Omprakash on May 2, 2022
paul-cesare_1's picture
Gary - your revolution is important to all of us! The following are Peter Block's, from the book "Stewardship" alternatives to bureaucratic management practices paraphrased. watchers versus doers - everyone in the org watches and does real work - no one gets paid to watch others "do" work. Those doing the work need to have responsibility for managing the work. What is required...is the reintegration of managing the work with doing the work. This is empowerment. This is partnership. This is the right use of power. partner in charge for clarity, not control lens - paradigm replacement measure what matters
By Paul Cesare on May 2, 2022
ellen-weber's picture
Ask this two-footed question to any existing bureaucracy that shuts many out yet seems unaware of how it does so: "HOW MIGHT PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT VIEWS, BACKGROUNDS AND EXPERIENCES - BE SHOWCASED MORE IN YOUR MEMOS, EMAILS, BILLBOARDS AND BOARDROOMS?" That question will stoke refreshing new answers as people concerned will see subtle ways differences get excluded and being to understand who so many talented players drop away in current bureaucracies. There often are too few alternatives -- simply because one person, view or culture is subtly kept out front -- to the exclusion of others. Thanks for inviting new ideas on the barriers that choke off innovation or advancements. Even after we suggest we need it - we need to move it forward across differences. Ellen Weber (PhD) Director - MITA International Brain Based Center Award Winning Whole Brain Lead and Learn Tasks at http://goo.gl/6eHLE MITA Brain Based Center Web Site at www.mitaleadership.com Forbes Blog http://blogs.forbes.com/mindmakeover/ Twitter = @ellenfweber
By Ellen Weber on May 2, 2022
Sorry to be a nit-picker, but I think we should be asking whether bureaucracies being cumbersome and non-adaptive is inevitable. Bureaucracy means that the organization (bureau) rules, just as meritocracy means merit rules, democracy means people rule, etc., etc. Before bureaucracy organizations were those that owned them. The cobbler shop was the cobbler, the butcher shop was the butcher, the mill was the miller, and so on. Yes, bureaucracy is inevitable because it is evolutionary in nature. The idea that jobs exist separate from the incumbents that perform them is a bureaucratic notion. Without bureaucracy, the entire body of law around fair and equitable employment practices would be turned on its head. Shareholders invest in organizations, separate from the people who run them (although the latter is certainly important). That's a bureaucratic notion, too. Now that we have that straight, the question becomes whether these bureaucracies need be, as we clumsily say, "bureaucratic?" Now I can agree that the answer is no. I think the secret is thinking small. In digital processes, we no longer have to be locked into centralization. Centralization is notion left over from the industrial age. Digital processes can be free form it, but it will require a grand shift in many of our paradigms and management methods.
By Jim Scully on May 2, 2022
I created and applied a "Governance Compass".. It consists of the four aspects of governance; public, private, policy-maker and practitioner. This creates four governance sectors of public policy-maker, private policy-maker, public practitioner and private practitioner. The typical bureaucratic silos of government, NGO and corporations are not obsolete, but the compass allows individuals to understand the inter-relationships among individuals within each silo rather than each silo head communicating on behalf. This has greatly improve the outcomes of several agriculture-water quality projects I have managed and has brought the [transaction] costs down to the level that my business, Ag Resource Strategies can compete among the subsidized governmental entities that embrace bureaucratic hierarchies.
By Tim Gieseke on May 2, 2022
Recognize people by value and not by role. Form teams of personnel, each with an equal voice, working together to solve business challenges and achieve business outcomes. Productive teams succeed based upon individual contributions not by the role or title they have.
By Phil Weinzimer on May 2, 2022
In my view alternatives to the bureaucratic model would come from some of the initiatives being taken by the organizations struggling to come out of the shackle of age old bureaucratic set-up. One of the most talked initiatives is “Empowerment”. I have been struggling to realize the real impact of it in making an organization non-bureaucratic. Basic question that we ask to ourselves is who empowers whom. If a person who has no power empowers a person or a group then that has no meaning. On the other hand someone having power empowers wrong person or wrong group then it is disastrous. Therefore, it is important that empowerment is done with due diligence and monitored for its effectiveness. Empowerment has to spread in the organization like spring water on the plain land. But what I have observed is that although it starts from the top with good intent, it stops at certain level not ready to accept the concept of empowerment. I took this as an example to illustrate my point that while it is important to look for alternatives to the bureaucracy, it is also important that we examine its effectiveness. To me critical factor is the change in attitude of the system that has bureaucracy in the DNA. One way to handle this could be to discard those from the system who are not ready to change their attitude or generate so much peer pressure that they are forced to change.
People will be doing things differently. For this to happen people will need to let go of old frameworks, concepts and tools. So what is an example of an old framework that holds people back? The deeply held belief that man is a hierarchical animal and the FEAR shared by most people that without some form of hierarchy chaos will result. An example of an old concept? That great leaders create compelling visions to motivate employees. What of an old tool? The annual performance review. And what new framework could replace the old? The understanding that hierarchy is just a mental construct that can be replaced by a better construct. The pyramidal structure and mindset can be replaced by a horizontal or parabolic structure and mindset (see below). And a new concept? That the role of the leader is to make the most of the expression and use of everyone’s intelligence. And a new tool? One that allows leaders to build relationships, and model desirable behaviors. (I discuss one of these tools the FIBS-ROCK model in an entry to a recent MIX prize – see below) Warmly, Peter Rennie peter.rennie@leadershipaustralia.com.au See http://www.mixprize.org/m-prize/human-potential . . A parabolic structure is a horizontal social structure that can replace the hierarchical or pyramidal structure to coordinate people in order to achieve complex purposes. In parabolic structures position and status only serve the purpose and not people’s egos.
By Peter Rennie on May 2, 2022
david-deane-spread_1's picture
Getting to the heart of the root causes of bureaucracy at its worst is the key to solutions. I assert that the causes of unnecessary bureaucracy are simply fear habits and ignorance. If all members were to review each bureaucratic item in the light of these cause/s, then adjust accordingly - usually by deletion - bureaucracy would shrink naturally. Fear habits and ignorance are the causes of all human malfunction, none the least being cumbersome bureaucracies.

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