Management strategy in the shift-age
The digital revolution has eliminated the requirement for middle men. For example, in the military war is now executed by small “stand alone” special force squads trained to execute specific missions. They are supported by air, sea, artillery, drones etc…called in by fighting squads on the ground—not by behind the scene generals.
This transfer of power to field units has made middle officers obsolete. In effect there is a “writing” component and an execution component…like the composer who creates music and scores it, so that players (think special force groups and their support units) are integrated in terms of pace and harmony. The capacity to perform is the responsibility of a conductor—who does not write music but is focused exclusively on ensuring that a plan (music) is executed as written.
In a recent electronic publication, I call the “music” of business process. Supervisors do not write music and may not know the whys and whats (supervisors are no longer the primary information source—the process is)…they ensure that parts assigned to their direct reports are executed to perfection. Assigned parts, called task processes, are check lists spelling out actions required within a strategic process.
- Task process (think a musical part assigned to a specific musician).
- Strategic process (think a musical score assigned to the complete orchestra).
In the shift-age the supervisor’s role is the same for every person who has direct reports (including the CEO). Ensuring that the check lists for each task assigned to people reporting to him/her is followed. Supervisors do not write the check lists (task processes). But they do advise writers (the process team) when the music isn’t working—and the process team advises supervisors when what is being played is out of compliance.
WARNING!
It is difficult for people accustomed an industrial-age “chain of command” environment, to grasp the flatter shift-age organization where “personal authority is subordinate to process discipline”.