How to organize for decentralized, autonomous and purposeful learning? Becoming a ‘learning organization’ is on the top list of many business leaders (source). Whether Agile, Lean, Product-led, or autonomous ways of working, they all need a learning culture. I’d argue that purposeful, self-directed learning will help foster proactive learning behaviors as opposed to traditional ways…
An experiment in Open Allocation – co-determining and self-selection of work
This blog continues the story on Open Allocation and dives into my experience applying some aspects of it as an MVP. In a former role, I was part of a team experimenting with self-management. We were part of a boutique consulting firm, and most were engaged in one or more external projects and/or other internal activities. What…
Open Allocation: co-defining and self-selection of work
This piece explores the why and what of Open Allocation. This follow-up piece is about how an MVP might work in practice based on my experience. 🇪🇺 3-minute read Autonomy or self-management is becoming a trending principle for improving how work gets done and designing organizations. What might explain this is the growing need among (Gen…
Autonomous teams: from aligned autonomy to ‘free due to synergy’
🇪🇺 3-minute read In The Democratic Organization (1994), Ackoff explores why in society, we tend to be allergic to autocratic patterns, while in organizations, we adhere to them willingly, if not naturally. The way we understand our organizations determines both their shape and substance. Let’s explore and reflect on his 3 perspectives. First, Ackoffs systemic…
Organizations should work towards their last implementation
🇪🇺 4-minute read TENET: increasing the degree of team empowerment, renders ‘implementation’ increasingly obsolete. Or: over-zealous leadership increasingly taking the initiative to change things in the org is negatively correlated with teams taking the initiative. In traditional hierarchical organizations (most of them still are) there is a ruling assumption that’s been alive since Frédéric Taylor…