The org chart
Hours are spent drawing organisational hierarchy charts to show the 'decision-tree' - who reports to whom, who sits at the top, who occupies the middle and so on.
Yet, these pictures never reflect the reality of work.
In truth, hierarchies and the cultures they serve are messy, especially where the work is complex. Cross-functional projects, matrix management, secondments - they all expose the structure as fiction.
You can't force this complexity to conform to a picture. True organisational agility lies in meaningful relationships and understanding how collaboration actually works.
Culture is determined by interdependent people working in small groups that follow the values of the organisation to work towards a common goal; not independent people worried about ‘where they sit’ on a structure to get the best for themselves.
Organisation charts serve administrative purposes - job grades, team membership, formal responsibilities. Yet, they tell you nothing about how work actually flows.
