Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Too much control curbs creativity
Business Standard - 31st Jan 2007
Companies should guard against depending only on tried and tested ways of doing things.
Q.We are a multinational IT company, based in Bangalore, with operations spread over 25 countries. We provide technologies to our workforce that help in sharing learning, knowledge and connect better with each other. However, to our frustration, they are not utilised properly. Information is not updated in databases.
Employees still prefer to contact only colleagues located in their immediate physical proximity, thereby missing out on a better idea developed two continents away. We have held communication workshops and tried reward schemes to encourage people to share and communicate. I think other companies probably also face this issue. What do you think about our situation and the remedies you suggest?
A: You are right that you are not alone in this. I have seen one common characteristic in companies that have reported success with these programmes— employees use these knowledge programmes and communication—related technologies to become more successful at whatever they are responsible for. So, to my mind, the accurate question is how an organisation can achieve such a state, where employees rely on these programmes for their success.
In my experience, the fundamental reason why organisations are not able to achieve this state is that their cultural ethos is based upon ‘command and control’ principles.
These are typically reflected in a static organisation structure- only the senior management are the thinkers and approvers for resources, middle management are responsible for taking on organisational/ departmental objectives, while the junior management is there to actually execute.
I am not at all suggesting that there is absolutely no basis for the response of the management in the above statements. The truth is that there are always erring employees, but the ‘command and control’ orientation makes the entire population responsible for misdemeanours instead of the limited few that caused it. The common refrain among employees in a command and control culture is that tried and tested ways is what are accepted in such an organisation.
Knowledge programmes, intranets, bulletin boards, etc. are the most important tools for connecting large numbers of employees— allowing them to exchange information, form relationships and communicate the common identity of their organisation.
These three abilities are the essential pillars of success for any organisation. The ‘command and control’ culture allows only a select few in the organisation to operate this way. This happens even when the top management genuinely wants to empower employees and wants them to be creative.
I suggest that you look for the vestiges of the command and control culture within your organisation. Examine how these affect the behaviour of employees towards freely sharing information, building relationships and communicating a common identity.
Honestly decide if you as an organisation are willing to change these, and your leaders are truly willing to work and behave consistently with the new cultural ethos. And finally, once you have set the newer contexts of culture, allow it to evolve. Meet the emerging needs of the employees. Over a period of time you will see employees developing a discipline about managing these systems and using them effectively.
The author is Associate Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers. This column will appear once in four weeks, and readers may address their queries to: powerzone@business-standard.com. The answers will appear in the next instalment.
Companies should guard against depending only on tried and tested ways of doing things.
Q.We are a multinational IT company, based in Bangalore, with operations spread over 25 countries. We provide technologies to our workforce that help in sharing learning, knowledge and connect better with each other. However, to our frustration, they are not utilised properly. Information is not updated in databases.
Employees still prefer to contact only colleagues located in their immediate physical proximity, thereby missing out on a better idea developed two continents away. We have held communication workshops and tried reward schemes to encourage people to share and communicate. I think other companies probably also face this issue. What do you think about our situation and the remedies you suggest?
A: You are right that you are not alone in this. I have seen one common characteristic in companies that have reported success with these programmes— employees use these knowledge programmes and communication—related technologies to become more successful at whatever they are responsible for. So, to my mind, the accurate question is how an organisation can achieve such a state, where employees rely on these programmes for their success.
In my experience, the fundamental reason why organisations are not able to achieve this state is that their cultural ethos is based upon ‘command and control’ principles.
These are typically reflected in a static organisation structure- only the senior management are the thinkers and approvers for resources, middle management are responsible for taking on organisational/ departmental objectives, while the junior management is there to actually execute.
I am not at all suggesting that there is absolutely no basis for the response of the management in the above statements. The truth is that there are always erring employees, but the ‘command and control’ orientation makes the entire population responsible for misdemeanours instead of the limited few that caused it. The common refrain among employees in a command and control culture is that tried and tested ways is what are accepted in such an organisation.
Knowledge programmes, intranets, bulletin boards, etc. are the most important tools for connecting large numbers of employees— allowing them to exchange information, form relationships and communicate the common identity of their organisation.
These three abilities are the essential pillars of success for any organisation. The ‘command and control’ culture allows only a select few in the organisation to operate this way. This happens even when the top management genuinely wants to empower employees and wants them to be creative.
I suggest that you look for the vestiges of the command and control culture within your organisation. Examine how these affect the behaviour of employees towards freely sharing information, building relationships and communicating a common identity.
Honestly decide if you as an organisation are willing to change these, and your leaders are truly willing to work and behave consistently with the new cultural ethos. And finally, once you have set the newer contexts of culture, allow it to evolve. Meet the emerging needs of the employees. Over a period of time you will see employees developing a discipline about managing these systems and using them effectively.
The author is Associate Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers. This column will appear once in four weeks, and readers may address their queries to: powerzone@business-standard.com. The answers will appear in the next instalment.
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