Business Archives

Non-Hierarchical Organizations: 3 Different Approaches

Are middle managers necessary? What are some ways to get around a top-down structure? In Reinventing Organizations, Frédéric Laloux describes “teal organizations.” The most radical departure of these visionary organizations from modern structures is the elimination of the top-down pyramid. They aren’t “flat” but fluid, with complex interrelationships determining how power and resources are shared. Read more to learn about three different structural approaches that non-hierarchical organizations use based on their size and the nature of their work.

Managing Complexity: Fred Brooks’s Experiential Advice

Looking for practical advice for managing complexity? How can you improve performance for large teams and complex projects? The Mythical Man-Month by Frederick P. Brooks offers guidance to managers leading large teams, especially teams coordinating detail-oriented projects with lots of moving parts. Its advice centers on managing and reducing complexity. Read on to learn Brooks’s groundbreaking strategies for managing complexity at IBM in the 1960s.

What Is Organizational Health & Why Is It Important?

What is organizational health? Why is organizational health important? Patrick Lencioni’s book The Advantage talks in great detail about organizational health and its role in helping businesses reach their fullest potential. Further, he claims that there are four steps that you can take to reach organizational health. Read below for Lencioni’s definition of organizational health.

A History of Organizations: From Kingdoms to Corporations

How have organizations changed over time? What accounts for these changes? Where are organizations headed next? In order to understand the future shape of organizations, it’s important to look at how they’ve developed. In Reinventing Organizations, Frédéric Laloux traces a series of paradigm shifts in organizational structure over the past 10,000 years, arguing that each transition goes hand in hand with a change in how we think about the world. Continue reading to understand the history of organizations from ancient kingdoms to modern corporations.

The Man-Month Myth & How to Manage Large Teams

What is the man-month myth? How can you best manage large, complex teams? Fred Brooks originally wrote The Mythical Man-Month as a management guide for the burgeoning software industry. However, managers from diverse fields began adopting his strategies, turning his work into a business classic. Read on to learn about the man-month myth and how to manage large teams, according to Brooks’s advice.

How to Build a Healthy Work Culture for Team-Building

What is a healthy work culture? Why is a safe environment important for employees? A safe working environment doesn’t just mean preventing injuries, it means creating a psychologically healthy place to work in for employees. According to Patrick Lencioni in his book The Advantage, a healthy work culture is crucial for building an effective team. Keep reading to learn how to build a healthy work culture for your business.

Fred Brooks’ Mythical Man-Month: Book Overview

Looking for an overview of Fred Brooks’ Mythical Man-Month book? What are the book’s key takeaways? In The Mythical Man-Month, Frederick P. Brooks offers a guide to managing large teams and completing complicated projects. The book covers strategies for streamlining your process so that you can keep your staff working together smoothly and finish your most daunting projects on time. Keep reading for a brief overview of Fred Brooks’ Mythical Man-Month book.

Reinventing Organizations by Frederic Laloux: Book Overview

Which is it better to use—job titles or job roles? What will the role of the CEO be in the future? In Reinventing Organizations, Frederic Laloux identifies an emerging breed of company that operates from a new set of rules. Laloux claims that humanity is on the cusp of a new paradigm in how we organize ourselves and suggests ways that businesses can adapt to this transition that will elevate how we work and how we live. Keep reading for an overview of this intriguing book.

5 Standards for Leadership Team Development

What is leadership team development? What does a leadership team do? A leadership team is a group of people who are responsible for establishing and pursuing company goals. In The Advantage, Patrick Lencioni suggests building this team under five standards that they should uphold. Let’s look at these five standards and how they contribute to your leadership team development.

The Right-to-Repair Movement: How It Started & Its Future

What is the right-to-repair movement? Should the manufacturer be able to dictate whether you can repair something if it breaks? The right-to-repair movement argues for laws establishing your right to fix your stuff. Proponents of right-to-repair argue that we should encourage people to repair products rather than replace them to protect the environment. Read on for an overview of how the right-to-repair movement started and predictions for its future.