Reflecting on Brave New Work by Aaron Dignan (a book I have been reading and thinking about a lot recently), I think the concept of organisational debt is key. This would be anything where the way the work is being done slows down delivery or adds unnecessary layers of bureaucracy. In my organisation we have loads of this, and I wonder if we would do better at getting rid of it if we referred to it as debt.
I also found the list of aspects to consider when designing an organisational operating system matched quite closely to things I am already thinking of. These are listed on page 54:
- Purpose: The fundamental reason for the organisation’s existence beyond profit.
- Authority: How decisions are made and who has the power to make them.
- Structure: The organisation’s architecture, roles, and teams.
- Strategy: The approach for achieving the organisation’s goals and staying competitive.
- Resources: Allocation and management of the organisation’s assets.
- Innovation: The process and culture around new ideas and improvements.
- Workflow: How work gets done and processes are managed.
- Meetings: The role, frequency, and structure of gatherings.
- Information: How data is collected, shared, and utilised.
- Membership: How people join, leave, and belong to the organisation.
- Mastery: Development and growth of individual skills and capabilities.
- Compensation: How rewards and recognition are handled within the organisation.
So for example if processes were getting in the way of work being done, this could be classed as organisational debt logged against workflow. Or if retaining key staff was an issue then it could be logged against membership. If we come up with a problem statement that articulates the issue it might allow us to more clearly see what is slowing us down.
In the retention example above, the problem statement may actually draw out the fact that whilst retention is how it manifests, it’s actually because we don’t pay good people enough, which sits in the domain of compensation. Shining a light on particular pain points may allow us to start to address them in a meaningful way.
There are also two key concepts that come up throughout the book:
People Positive is a mindset that views people as inherently capable, trustworthy, and motivated. It challenges the traditional, often negative assumptions about human behaviour in the workplace, such as the belief that employees need constant oversight, strict rules, and external incentives to perform well. Instead, People Positive organisations believe that:
- Inherent Potential: People have vast potential and, when given the right conditions, can achieve remarkable things.
- Trust and Autonomy: Employees thrive when they are trusted and given autonomy to make decisions.
- Intrinsic Motivation: People are motivated by more than just money; they seek purpose, mastery, and a sense of belonging.
- Whole Person: Recognising that employees are whole people with lives outside of work, and that respecting this leads to better engagement and productivity.
Complexity Conscious refers to the understanding and acceptance that modern organisations operate in complex and dynamic environments. This mindset acknowledges that:
- Non-linearity: Organisations are complex systems where small changes can have large, unpredictable effects.
- Uncertainty and Adaptation: Predicting the future is inherently difficult, and organisations must be adaptable and resilient to thrive.
- Emergent Solutions: Solutions often emerge from the collective input and interactions of individuals, rather than from top-down directives.
- Interconnectedness: All parts of an organisation are interconnected, and changes in one area can impact others in unforeseen ways.
- Continuous Learning: Emphasises the need for continuous learning and experimentation to navigate complexity.
I think both of these are key, and are a different way of thinking that many organisations could benefit from.