The ONE Thing

Ackoff asks:

“If there was ONE thing you could do to your organisation, what would that be?”

His answer: Democratisation.

“This is the ONE thing that has the most profound effect on an organisation and is relatively the easiest to implement.”

~ Russell L. Ackoff

Definition

Democracy (n).

In a democracy:

1. Everyone effected by a decision can participate directly, or indirectly through representation, In making that decision. (Participative decision-making)

2. Everyone in a position of authority over others is subject to their collective authority.
(In a democracy authority is circular)

3. Everyone can do anything that he or she wants to do, provided it affects no others, or affects them only with their approval.

How to Introduce Democracy into an Organisation?

(Ackoff provides us with a recipe):

Give EVERY manager a board. Who will be on each such board?

The board consists of: The manager, his/her immediate boss, his/her immediate subordinates, plus optionally other members from anywhere (inside or outside the organisation).

Any board’s headcount must be less than the number of the manager’s immediate subordinates.

“Management must shift from supervision to managing interactions.”

~ Russell L. Ackoff

How democratic is your organisation? Will it fly?

– Bob

Further Reading

Ackoff, R. L. (1994). The Democratic Corporation: A Radical Prescription for Recreating Corporate America and Rediscovering Success. Oxford University Press.

Ackoff, R. L. (1999). Re-creating the Corporation: A Design of Organizations For the 21st Century. Oxford University Press.