Redefining the role of the organization
As I'm writing this chapter, we're a few weeks from a big presidential election. On the right, we have a conservative who believes in the spirit of the individual—capitalism, American dream, and small, limited government. On the left, we have a liberal who believes in redistributing wealth—that everyone deserves a fair share, even if that means taking from others. It's an extreme example of the battle of small or large government, to put it simply. I lean toward keeping government small. It should come as no surprise, then, that I feel the same way about management in organizations.
The knowledge worker has his talents and skills inside his brain. He takes his brain with him from job to job, from employer to employer. He wants to know that he contributes and that his team and his organization value him. He does his best work when he's surrounded by smart people who challenge him. He wants to be left alone at times in order to focus, yet needs interaction...
