SMALL BUSINESS | People vs. Process its way to greater employee productivity and management is “in charge” and old ways die hard. Then the challenge, in management’s view, becomes how it designs systems, or processes, which create freedom. Well, they can’t. Processes and procedures and rules and requirements simply do not promote an environment of innovation, contribution or collaboration. They stifle them. So maybe the time for a new paradigm is upon us. If it’s Good Enough for Big Blue is it Good Enough for You? I am reminded of the IBM commercial where people are lying down in a dark room, in perfect rows, in exactly the same position. Each of them has the same head rest and came together, for what I am sure, is a pre-planned session
scheduled during a pre-determined time. A man comes in, clicks on the light and asks, somewhat incredulously: “What are you doing?” The answer comes back in a young woman’s voice: “We are IDEATING.” “About what?” the man asks. “We don’t know yet.” she answers. To which the man rolls his eyes and says “Good Luck.” He then turns off the lights and walks out of the room. We all see this and we chuckle but do we really get the point? IBM is making fun of management that attempts to release human capabilities and innovation by creating structures and herding people into them. They are also making a very clear statement that this is no longer the way to run a company. More important though is that they are announcing that IBM sees the next horizon and, if you hire them, they will help you transform your organization into one that can operate in the 21st century.
Imagine that: Big Blue is actually poking fun at companies who still rely on structure and control to release human potential into their organizations. This is the same company that used to make tens of thousands of employees dress exactly the same way! If you hadn’t believed there is an enormous management sea change taking place across American business today then seeing Big Blue poking fun at companies who use structures to release capabilities into their organizations should get your attention. So Where Do We Go From Here? Clearly, management’s perspective and tendencies focus upon managing things. But we have seen how creativity and human potential is not bred or released though managed processes and structured systems.
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