Reinventing Organizations

規模が右肩上がりに成長することをよしとする時代は終わっていることはわかっていても、では次の時代はどうなるのかに関して魅力的で現実的な方向性を示すものがなかなか見つからないと思っていたところ、この本を知りました。技術的イノベーションで競争（戦い）に勝ち抜く組織が世の中をリードする、だから日夜奮闘せよ、という考え方が人類全体の幸福につながるのかに関して疑問をもっていたので、この本がオレンジ組織のダークサイドをしっかり言語化してくれていることに安心感を覚えました。まだまだＴＥＡＬと検索入力しても組織論的な情報は何も出てこないレベルのことなので、このような組織が数年後にどのくらい増えているかは見当がつきません。しかし、飽和社会には赤やオレンジのギラギラした感覚よりは、グリーンやＴＥＡＬのクールな色調がもたらす落ち着いた感覚が必要なのだろうと直感的に思います。ＴＥＡＬ組織ぜひ増えていって欲しいです。

Reinventing Organizations Book Report Reinventing Organizations by Frederic Laloux is a book about how organizations and management have evolved since the beginning of time and what is in store for the future. Laloux postulates that, since 150,000 B.C., human organizational evolution has created 7 different types of organizations, each one more complex than the last. The seven types of organizations, color coded for easier understanding, are: 1. 150,000 B.C. – 50,000 B.C. Infra-red – Reactive (little or no understanding of the world) 2. 15,000 – 10,000 B.C. Magic – Magenta (sees the mysteries of the world through Magic and Spiritualism) 3. 10,000 B.C. – Impulsive – Red “sees the world through a crude lens of power. Power is exercised constantly by ‘Chiefs’ to keep foot soldiers in line. Fear and unpredictability hold the organization together. Highly reactive with a short-term focus, well-suited to thrive in chaotic environments. Wolf packs are a good metaphor for Red organizations.” ex: street gangs and mafias, ancient tribes. 4. 4,000 B.C. – Conformist Amber (organizations are akin to armies: rule abiding bureaucratic institutions) “The Amber stage of consciousness enabled humankind to develop organizations that could operate on an unprecedented scale. This led to the formation of bureaucratic institutions, and nation states, many of which have survived for centuries. Amber organizations strive for stability and are characterized by clear roles and ranks within a hierarchical structure. Leadership is exercised through command and control and compliance is expected throughout the organization.”. ex: armies, catholic church, public schools, government institutions. Breakthroughs of Amber 1. Long Term Perspective (stable processes) 2. Size and Stability (formal hierarchies) 5. 1750s A.D. – Achievement Orange (Organizations are akin to machines: large corporate organizations, meritocracy, shareholder focused) “Orange organizations represent the advance of the scientific and industrial revolutions. The world is seen as a complex machine whose inner workings and natural laws can be investigated and understood. This view has brought unprecedented levels of prosperity and life expectancy. Current management thinking, which is focused on competition, innovation and performance. shape how Orange organizations operate.” ex: modern-day corporations, multi-national corporations. Breakthroughs of Orange 1. Innovation 2. Accountability 3. Meritocracy 6. 1950s A.D. – Pluralistic Green (Organizations are families, with extreme egalitarianism, striving for harmony, tolerance, and equality) “Green organizations reflect the Green stage of consciousness, which strives for harmony, tolerance and equality. While retaining a pyramidal structure, Green organizations focus on empowerment to lift motivation. They go beyond the shareholder focus of Orange to embrace all stakeholders. Family is the dominant metaphor.” ex: hippy commune Breakthroughs of Green 1. Empowerment 2. Values-driven culture and inspirational purpose 3. Multiple stakeholder perspective 7. Now Evolutionary Teal “Refers to the next stage in the evolution of human consciousness. Teal organizations are characterized by self-organization and self-management. The hierarchical "predict and control" pyramid is replaced with a decentralized structure consisting of small teams that take responsibility for their own governance. Assigned positions and job descriptions are replaced with a multiplicity of roles, often self-selected and fluid. People’s actions are guided by ‘listening’ to the organization’s purpose. Structure in Teal is characterized by rapid change and adaptation.” Breakthroughs of Teal 1. Self-management 2. Wholeness - invite us to reclaim our inner wholeness and bring all of who we are to work. 3. Evolutionary Purpose - members of the organization are invited to listen in and understand what the organization wants to become, what purpose it wants to serve. Although these systems above evolved over time, Laloux states that they RED, AMBER, ORANGE, GREEN, and now TEAL organizations all exist throughout society, represented in different institutions. Furthermore, some organizations exhibit combinations of the different types, although all organizations have a dominant type. Research for the book was done by extensively examining 12 different existent teal organizations that organically emerged and predate the book. The 12 organizations range from car parts factory in France, a leading pasta sauce plant in California, a Swedish State funded at-home nationwide nursing company, a software developer, and a multinational power generation company with over 40,000 employees. From the various examples, Laloux shows how this new teal organizational paradigm allowed the companies to achieve tremendous and quick success in their respective domains, which he uses to advocate the philosophy. The tone of the book is one of optimistic philosophizing, in which all the claims made are, according to the forward, “solidly grounded in evolutionary and developmental theory.” I personally found references to scientific studies somewhat lacking, but the book addresses the issue by stating that new paradigm is cutting-edge. Most of the chapters of the book are so optimistic and so often fail to acknowledge counter arguments, that I began to draw many of my own. Of the many questions, two major ones were thankfully addressed. The first was: Is teal expected to ultimately replace most other forms of management, to which the text answered: “No, many forms of management exist and will continue to exist in society at the same time.” My second question was: “would the system of trust and a teal worker’s freedom to spend a company’s money without prior approval of any managers break down either by dishonesty or in times of crisis?” The text’s answer to the first part was: “the Teal system only works if the wages provided meet the basic cost of living needs for all of their employees,” (which I took to infer that teal organization isn’t universal applicable, for example it wouldn’t work at a low paying place like McDonalds). In questioning the efficacy of teal in times of crisis, chapter 2.3 (processes) addresses it, but barely so. The question of how employees, who can hire and fire themselves, may behave when their company is on the verge of bankruptcy is acknowledged as an untested scenario, in the text. The format of the book itself is broken down into three major sections: Part one is an historical and developmental perspective of organizations; part two defines: the structures, practices, and cultures of Teal Organizations; and part 3 is about the Emergence of teal organizations: necessary conditions, how to start a teal organization, transform a current one, and implications of a teal society. Overall, the book does provide several insights that I believe truly are revolutionary. First, the system of labeling the different organizational structures in history into memorable color coding, gives us a vocabulary to discuss and a mental way to compartmentalize common existent organizational systems around the world. Secondly, the 12 teal organizations, which are discussed at length, are remarkable in the fact that they can not only function properly, but also thrive with their bottom up management with lack of traditional hierarchies. In review, the book was chock full of insightful statements about the issues inherent in modern success-oriented corporations of today, provided an eye-opening perspective on a new way to see decentralized, self-managed business models were managers don’t even exist. I would recommend this text for anyone who may be interested in either partially changing their business or overhauling it with the revolutionary teal model, which may improve performance and employee satisfaction. Although the teal isn’t for every business or for everyone’s taste, the depth of insight gained from this book makes it worth the read. Useful chapters to take a quick look at are: 1.2, 1.3, 2.2, 2.3, 3.2, and 3.3

Frederic Laloux in this book proposes that the evolution and growth of the human consciousness have made the current structure of our organisations obsolete. He explores how some pathbreaking organisations are experimenting with new work practices, flatter structures and cultures, that set the ground to invite a fuller and perhaps happier expression of self' at the workplace. That has also helped the teams be more future-ready, as they learn to sense and respond to changes more fluidly and connect to clients more deeply. He calls them Teal Organisations. While Traditional organisations subtly invite their employees, to leave their sensitivities behind when they came to work. People go to work today wearing a mask, that reveals only a part of themselves. The part they show is the tough, logical and effective side. They cover up their vulnerable, kinder and intuitive side. It seems risky to let the sensitivities of our heart and spirituality show up, lest they’d appear too weak. If they do not seem to be smartly driving results they risk losing their place on the table. It is cliché to say that the organisation that we created for the purpose of serving ourselves, or others like us, have turned into machines. And we have become the raw materials - the human ‘resource’. Everyone from the top to the bottom are devoted, to growing the organisations, their profits and revenues. But now Authenticity is increasingly in the discussion. There seems to be a growing desire to be more authentic, reflective, holistic and even heart-centred, in our way of being. To let the whole of the self-hood shine through. Laloux writes that with the rising of human consciousness, our ways of organising and collaboration transform too. Perhaps a shift in the way our organisations are shaped is now due. Why should our time working, a significant part of our lives, be a less than joyful experience? In the present organisations, the hierarchical structure shifts critical decision-making upwards. It is no wonder, that the life of those at the top gets more and more busy, hurried and stressful. Yet, today’s society is more pluralistic and complex and, survives with more contradictions than ever before. The distribution of information is far more equitable and speedier. Could it be that the hierarchical structure is due for some reworking? Laloux shares his research in detail, on organisations that have thrived with a new kind of structure - that has no boss! I find the work compelling. The book comes in two versions the main big book version and a faster-to-read illustrated version, I would strongly recommend them both.

Skip the pretentious foreword and get straight into reading the best book on organisations you will ever read. Clear examples and case studies and yet not a 'how to' book. Lots to think about and makes us all wish we worked for these kinds of organisations.

Det var inget omslag med när jag köpte begagnad, det hade kunnat stå