Monday, March 30, 2009
Followup to Enterprise Gardening
A followup to Enterprise Gardening...
I received a comment that was worthy of amplification...
| | View blog reactionsI received a comment that was worthy of amplification...
- "Be wary of arguments by metaphor" OK - maybe I'm just one of those process weenies - and a slow one at that - but I'm still not sure I understand the analogy you are drawing. I would argue that if an organization is as difficult to move as a 50 foot pine tree , the problem is the organization, not the change. Granted that many times it seems that the purpose of management is more to serve themselves or their political ambitions than it is to server their stakeholders. Nevertheless, as the needs of all constituents change, there is a need to be able to adapt quickly. I am not fond of the gardener metaphor, but you may say that the manager is a gardener - constantly pruning here, fertilizing there, and occasionally removing a tree that is diseased or not serving its purpose in the garden. Having a rigid organization with strictly defined roles that don't change may provide people with a sense of clarity and consistency in their lives, but it doesn't serve the needs of business, nor does it take advantage of people's ability to think and create.
