Comments on: The World May Be Flat, But Organizations Shouldn’t Be http://www.missionmindedmanagement.com/the-world-may-be-flat-but-organizations-shouldnt-be Equipping Managers via Requisite Organization Systems Design. Talent Management, Leadership, Organization Design. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:30:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Michelle Malay Carter http://www.missionmindedmanagement.com/the-world-may-be-flat-but-organizations-shouldnt-be/comment-page-1#comment-3259 Michelle Malay Carter Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:58:10 +0000 http://www.missionmindedmanagement.com/?p=537#comment-3259 Hi Will, What a misinformed shame! Glad to hear you got out! Regards, Michelle Hi Will,

What a misinformed shame! Glad to hear you got out!

Regards,

Michelle

]]> By: Will Pearce http://www.missionmindedmanagement.com/the-world-may-be-flat-but-organizations-shouldnt-be/comment-page-1#comment-3252 Will Pearce Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:25:29 +0000 http://www.missionmindedmanagement.com/?p=537#comment-3252 Back in 1992, the company I worked for at the time laid off my department manager (we developed and delivered employee and customer software and operations training) and eliminated her position. About a year before, our group had been transferred from the marketing division (customer focus) to the maintenance division (repair focus) on the basis that the maintenance division had a training department (to train field repair reps). When our department head was removed, we found ourselves reporting to her former boss, the head of the maintenance training unit. The new boss was a nice guy, but had no idea what it was that we did--he didn't understand our software systems, and his group developed training based on their experience as repair techs, whereas our group consisted of trained instructional and graphic designers. Consequently, we were pretty much told "develop this training course" then left to our own devices to figure out who would do it and how we would collaborate and coordinate to get it done. To his credit, the new boss knew that he couldn't really direct our work, but his solution was not so fun for me--he took me aside in a private meeting, told me that he expected me to lead our group, but that there would be no promotion and no pay increase (because that would mean restoring the department head's position that had just been eliminated, and corporate wouldn't go for that...). Further, he couldn't tell my peers what his expectation was, because that would set up a defacto situation where I could go to HR and say that I was serving in a role for which I was being paid below grade. He expected me to lead by influence, not by positional authority. I survived, but it was rough work--I gradually won over two of my peers, while the fourth member of my group begrudgingly went along (but only with a lot of grumbling and resistance). Eventually I did get some small pay raises that put me over the top of my official pay grade--but the price to pay for that was when I was laid off in a subsequent round three years later (I was the tallest blade of grass, after all). I felt like I did what I had been asked to do with honor, but I also felt used and abused. I did not regret leaving that company in the least little bit. Back in 1992, the company I worked for at the time laid off my department manager (we developed and delivered employee and customer software and operations training) and eliminated her position. About a year before, our group had been transferred from the marketing division (customer focus) to the maintenance division (repair focus) on the basis that the maintenance division had a training department (to train field repair reps). When our department head was removed, we found ourselves reporting to her former boss, the head of the maintenance training unit.

The new boss was a nice guy, but had no idea what it was that we did–he didn’t understand our software systems, and his group developed training based on their experience as repair techs, whereas our group consisted of trained instructional and graphic designers. Consequently, we were pretty much told “develop this training course” then left to our own devices to figure out who would do it and how we would collaborate and coordinate to get it done.

To his credit, the new boss knew that he couldn’t really direct our work, but his solution was not so fun for me–he took me aside in a private meeting, told me that he expected me to lead our group, but that there would be no promotion and no pay increase (because that would mean restoring the department head’s position that had just been eliminated, and corporate wouldn’t go for that…). Further, he couldn’t tell my peers what his expectation was, because that would set up a defacto situation where I could go to HR and say that I was serving in a role for which I was being paid below grade. He expected me to lead by influence, not by positional authority.

I survived, but it was rough work–I gradually won over two of my peers, while the fourth member of my group begrudgingly went along (but only with a lot of grumbling and resistance). Eventually I did get some small pay raises that put me over the top of my official pay grade–but the price to pay for that was when I was laid off in a subsequent round three years later (I was the tallest blade of grass, after all). I felt like I did what I had been asked to do with honor, but I also felt used and abused. I did not regret leaving that company in the least little bit.

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