The opportunity cost of corporate bureaucracy
I’ve had lots of time to reflect on the causes and effects of corporate bureaucracy at my current job. I’ve watched it spread right before my eyes. During my first year, I actually generated some bureaucracy myself (I’m sorry!). We all know that bureaucracy is ultimately counter-productive, but lots of intelligent people seem to spread it almost by second nature. Strange.
My thesis on why bureaucracy is so dangerous is that it’s not a zero-sum game. If I spend 1 hour filling out banal spreadsheets, forms, and templates, I don’t just lose one productive hour. I lose much more–my current estimate is at least at 4x multiplier. I’ve lost the opportunity for 4 hours of creative, productive work because I spent just one hour on bureaucracy.
There’s a reason that most (all?) highly-creative jobs are done by individuals or small teams. As a working group grows, bureaucracy almost always grows with it. At some point, the bureaucracy (with its 4x multiplier) overtakes creativity as the dominant force. Bureaucratic groups are still productive, but rarely are they creative. And within those groups, the remaining creative-types tend to work in small enclaves mostly shielded from the rest of the corporate culture.
Do not give up. There is a solution (I think).
As with most addictions, the first step is admitting the problem. Judging from the popularity of Dilbert, I think most corporate-types have already done this to some extent.
The next step is to deal with the problem. Aggressively. If you’re in a leadership position, make bureaucracy-killing a highly rewarded and highly publicized skill. Find those bureaucracy killers in your organization and empower them. (Hint : they will not be found in any of the large consulting firms [see above for why]. Second hint : they are almost certainly under 30 [and probably under 25].)
Celebrate every template that is slain.
Make “team meetings” and “status updates” rare or non-existent.
Write this on every one of your team members (and your) yearly goals :
I will kill bureaucracy this year.
The word “kill” is not hyperbole. If you don’t kill bureaucracy, it will kill your team’s creativity, productivity, and passion. Don’t become the Pointy Hair Boss.
Filed under culture, work : Comments (1) : Dec 16th, 2008 by tadfad
March 14th, 2009 at 06:34
I must say, that I could not agree with you in 100%, but it’s just my IMHO, which indeed could be very wrong.
p.s. You have an awesome template . Where did you find it?