Cultivate an Organic Organization
Dr. Ben A. Carlsen, MBA

Is your company alive or dead?
Most businesses are still organized in a "mechanistic" fashion. This model developed
in the 1800's during the Industrial Revolution when machines were viewed as King.
And, the design has held up well. The "One Best Way" philosophy led to Frederick
Taylor's "time and motion" studies and efforts to turn employees into extensions of
machines; predictable and efficient. (Principles of Scientific Management, Taylor,
1911). The organization, as a "well-oiled" machine is a view that continues to this
day.
The quest for optimal organizational structure and functioning continued with Max
Weber's concept of the "Ideal Bureaucracy" (The Theory of Social and Economic
Organization, Weber, 1947). During this period, functionality, structure, hierarchy,
reporting relationships, division of labor, job descriptions, etc., were all standardized
to produce greater efficiency.
The machine model began to be reexamined in the second half of the twentieth
century as its limitations in a rapidly changing world became obvious.
Organic vs. Mechanistic
Machines are not alive; organisms are
Machines do not adapt well to environmental changes, they just continue to function
in a predictable fashion no matter what changes are going on around them.
Organisms, on the other hand, interact, adapt and evolve to meet environmental
requirements. The survivability of organisms depends on their ability to adapt to
environmental changes.
Organizations are, importantly, social systems as well as business systems. The
social and human-interactive nature of these entities results in many changes in the
way they function and adapt. This human component, while making them more
adaptable, also makes them less controllable and less predictable. Whereas
command and control are the essential elements of the mechanistic organization.
New machines can be developed to meet new requirements, although this is a time-
consuming and futile process. Obsolescence is pervasive and unavoidable.
Of course, in the final analysis, organizations are not alive whether they are
mechanistic or organic but we can appreciate the difference between a relatively
static mechanism and an evolving, changing entity.
Organic is "healthier"Whether in the Boardroom or the Supermarket, organic is healthier! The poisonous
nature of a stagnant, outmoded, unresponsive, difficult to change, business
organization is apparent to those immersed in one. There is an inertia, partly as a
result of "resistance to change," largely due to "vested interests," and to some
extent the delusion that there is, in fact, "one best way."
Having the characteristics of a living organism, the organic organization seeks the
best and most synergistic "match" between itself and its environmental conditions.
Organizational health is largely dependent on the model in place.
How do we make the transition from mechanistic to organic?
Let's be up-front.. This is not an easy task. There is over one hundred years of
history, organization theory and practice supporting the existing structures. The
inertia is huge, and there is always a fear of, and resistance to, change. Of course, it
can be accomplished.
The mindset must be changed. In order to do this the leader must "cultivate" the
growth of the "organism." How is this done?
To continue with the "cultivation" analogy, the leader begins by:
First, select an area that's fertile. Find an area that's fertile to plant "change". Start
with a small garden. In many businesses this will be the research, product
development or marketing areas.
Second, begin tilling the soil in preparation for planting. The tilling is "stirring up" the
status quo, and preparing the selected area for growth. The old patterns must be
deconstructed before movement toward the new can begin.
Third, plant the seeds of change and growth. The leader plants seeds (ideas) of
change. Then once a few take root, he protects the fragile plants (change initiatives)
with careful care and attention. As anyone who has grown a garden knows this is
challenging.
Fourth, nurture and promote the plantings by using fertilizer, pulling "weeds", etc.
Fertilize the new crop of ideas and relationships with support, praise, attention,
feedback and caring. When the "weeds" of doubt or dissatisfaction appear, pull them
out with participation, trust and communication.
Fifth. Then, as the growth and change mature, harvest the crop. The rewards of the
process will become apparent. The outcome should be productive, yielding valuable
results; improved organization function, improved communication, teamwork,
appreciation for individual talents and contribution, reduced territorialism, better
adaptability to the environment.
Put it all together
Recognize if your formal, traditional, hierarchical organization is doing the job for
you. In some industries it works better than others. If you decide you want tochange the way you operate, consider a more organic form. Try the "cultivation"
model described above.
Modern times require new approaches suited to rapidly changing conditions, better
able to deal with more intense and broader competition, and more conducive to the
sociology of the enterprise. Breaking down the artificial barriers of rigid organization
structure, well-suited to a prior, more stable context may be your best solution.