The future of work is being people-centric, without the burdens of hierarchical bureaucracy.
What we today call “management” was developed, essentially, for factories during the industrial revolution; it was created to respond to the need for organization, efficiency, consistency of production, and predictability – in 19th-century factories.
It was hierarchical, scientific and analytical, with little reference to “human needs” and this, to a large extent, is the management system which still dominates today.
In the 19th century the workforce was “part of a machine”; they were there to work – problem solving and decision making was not for them.
Every industry today, from start-ups to global corporations, involves complex knowledge work. Even modern factory workers need to contribute in ways that prior generations couldn’t imagine.
Organizations are moving, albeit slowly and with difficulty, away from conventional management hierarchies towards more fluid structures comprised of teams close to the customer and empowered to make their own decisions.
The future of work is clearly in being people-centric, without the burdens of hierarchical bureaucracy; people are no longer just part of a machine, their work challenges change frequently and require creative, uniquely human creative problem-solving capacities.
It is turning the tables on how authority works that will improve communication, collaboration, and clarity across organizations. Changing the way a whole organization operates and creating engaged teams and fulfilled individuals is no small task. It will require everyone in a company to think about approaching work and colleagues in new and different ways – it will require a change in habits and mindsets.
There is often fear in changing; however, the fear of NOT changing is, today, becoming a threat to survival. Without the faster decision making, the faster problem solving and the resultant acceleration of innovation that a more people-centric organization brings; companies will simply go out of business.
If you would like to know more about how we, at the PCO Group, can help you create an organization where everyone can become powerful, everyone can become entrepreneurial and in service of some larger purpose, do not hesitate to contact us at: www.peoplecentricorg.com/contact
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