Each company is a particular case, each organization is different from the others. This is how “canned” programs sometimes don't give the best results.
During the long time that I work advising entrepreneurs, I observed that, before applying the management tools that, supposedly, should provide solutions to problems, a deep analysis of the causes of the problems, the business culture and convenience must be carried out. to apply the tools as they are conceived, adapt them to the circumstances or, failing that, design the specific treatment for each case.
The changes that occurred in the education, disposition and paradigms of the new generations that enter the companies, also force a review of the "dogmas" of management and leadership.
We can design the most perfect organizational structure, apply the most modern management tools, have the latest technology and the necessary material resources but, finally, it is the people who articulate these pieces and components of the company in action.
When people don't know, can't or won't, nothing works, or at least several things don't work well.
Two pieces of this organizational "puzzle" are: one is the traditional ORGANIZATION CHART based on the military command-control obedience-punishment structure. The other is LEADERSHIP, which is intended to be put together as a set of insert pieces, adding skills to an employee who was given the “cap” of leader, boss, driver, or whatever you want to call them.
These two pieces, organization chart and leadership, are closely linked and are part of a traditional conception that, at present, is highly questioned.
Those of us who work at many different companies have seen countless cases where the org chart, if designed, is systematically violated from above, below, and from each side, and pre-made leaders have no bearing on who should lead.
This situation prompted me to reflect to define a different organizational structure, the " Functional Table " and a management model based on " Natural Leaders ".
The FUNCTIONAL TABLE is made up of FUNCTIONAL UNITS, which are nothing more than cells that agglutinate similar stages of value addition within the process map. These FUNCTIONAL UNITS are related to each other and to all those that make up the Functional Table, but without dependency or hierarchical relationships. We can graph it as satellites that orbit around a central nucleus that, finally, are the OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES of the company.
These FUNCTIONAL UNITS, or satellites of this universe called company, are composed of FUNCTIONAL POSITIONS, which are the positions that have been designed for the effective fulfillment of the tasks that resolve the functions of that unit that contains them. These functional positions are functionally related to each other, but without hierarchical dependence. There is no boss and employees or supervisor and supervised, appointed from the management of the company.
Precisely this organizational structure enables each member of the organization to perform in line with the company's objective, the function and task of their functional position and their own life and work objectives.
This management method begins in a previous stage that is that of "Selection and Incorporation of Personnel", a key process so that all those who are part of the company's staff have the specific and generic competencies that make it up. a "Talent". The work is also carried out with the people who have been in the company since before the start of this process, educating and training them to perform within this management model.
In this Selection and Incorporation work, from the consulting firm, we try to be professionally rigorous, because the success of this task depends on the proper functioning of the entire organizational structure. Not only do we make a rigorous selection but, once the applicant is incorporated, we carry out what we call the “Strengthening in the Position”, because we have observed that many selected and incorporated find difficulties in the agreements and commitments that must be made between them. and the rest of the participants of the "Functional Units". Bearing this situation in mind, we hold weekly, biweekly and monthly meetings with the recruited and the work team, until the company culture and management method are established.
It may be difficult to accept that a driving method in which hierarchies and line drops are not registered can work efficiently, but I assure that if the specific design for the company and the application are carried out professionally, the involvement and motivation of the staff is surprising and the operation of the complex meets the highest expectations. The " Natural Leaders " are going to appear and function, as such, with incredible efficiency.
This method occurred to us in the consulting firm as a result of analyzing, in depth, the functioning of Functional Units such as, for example, the group of Uruguayan rugby players who fell in the mountain range and the miners of Copiapó, units that did not have heads nor supervisors, however, natural leadership and functional positions were defined, according to the extreme need for survival.
The "Natural Leaders" are those who, beyond all the competences that we find described in the abundant literature on the matter, have a professional and human formation that is perceived by the "Mirror Neurons" of the co-workers and who tend to imitate them, respect them, listen to their advice and opinions, comply with the instructions and form an efficient work team.
Confidence is the "sister" of predictability and one gains confidence in another person when their attitudes are predictable. Her actions respond to her sayings and her sayings are consistent over time. That person is trustworthy because you know what is going to come from him and you are not going to find surprising and unexpected events that dislodge you. When this situation occurs, the brain does not use energy to take care of itself or be defensive, it enters a desired comfort zone that ends in a pleasant relationship that is cared for and fostered.
In this way, a work environment is generated that makes staff choose to go to work at your company every morning, because they are comfortable, recognized and have the possibility to improve themselves and achieve their personal goals.
