My world on the web
Doug Belshaw (ambiguiti.es)Instead of hierarchy or unspoken assumptions, progress happens by following a path between over-specifying the approach, and allowing chaos to ensue.
In practice, this often happens by one or a small number of people exerting moral authority on the group. This occurs through, for example:
- Successfully having done this kind of thing before
- Being very organised and diligent
- Having the kind of personality that put everyone at ease
As a side note, is the military always ‘hierarchical’?
Hierarchies are a form of organising that can work well in many situations. For example, high-stakes situations, times when execution is more important than thought, and the military.
David Marquet’s Greatness makes the argument that there is nobody on a submarine who is across everything, otherwise it would not work.
I wonder if instead organisations like military run a dual-operating system?
Hi Aaron, that post wasn’t directly responding to your question, but I guess it answers it obliquely!
In terms of the military, I’m no expert, but I would have thought that hierarchy was a way of ensuring people didn’t get out of their boxes, but instead stuck to their roles 🙂
I guess what I’m suggesting is that life is more interesting (and creative!) when people define themselves, and what they’re trying to achieve, more loosely.