Page 165 - (DK) The Business Book

WORKING WITH A VISION 163

Hierarchical structures tend to to manage chaos and use it as an or at a kitchen table. The important
be inflexible, so the emphasis opportunity to grow and refresh thing is that companies should not
today is on nonhierarchical the business. only offer what people want, but
structures, empowering people, also make it easy for consumers
and teamwork. Flexible businesses Business today to reach them online.
ensure that everyone is involved Business may be complex in the In addition to this is the overall
and can adapt swiftly to change. modern world, but it has never importance of ethics. “Profit at any
Such organizations collaborate been more interesting or exciting. cost” is no longer an acceptable
with external partners, rather than Physical size no longer equates maxim. There is growing regulation
merely transact with them, thus with success. The Internet changed on financial reporting and on issues
encouraging shared learning. US everything—now small can be such as bribery. Today’s consumers
scholar Peter Senge introduced beautiful. Businesses that spring are increasingly demanding and
the concept of the “Learning up offering customized products discerning: they want to know
Organization,” whereby a company in niche markets are often able to how raw materials are sourced,
facilitates the learning of its compete effectively in the global how products are made, and how
employees and is able to transform economy. Some of today’s most the company impacts the
itself on a continual basis. Control successful businesses started with environment. Some companies
by management is replaced by just one person, often in a garage have policies and procedures in
leadership and direction. place to help create an ethical
Organizations with a learning culture. In this way, employees
culture and a shared vision enable know what standards are expected.
people with different functions to And yet there are still numerous
work together to develop ideas, cases of corporate tax avoidance,
make decisions, and create new You have to have vision. It’s price-fixing through collusion, and
products and services more quickly. got to be a vision you excessive risk taking. These issues
Staff act as a group of entrepreneurs persist because individuals are
articulate clearly and forcefully
rather than as paid employees. Being often motivated by personal gain.
on every occasion. You can’t
able to learn from failure requires a High-profile cases include the 2008
blow an uncertain trumpet.
culture in which people are not Father Theodore collapse of the US financial-services
criticized for mistakes, since this Hesburgh organization Lehman Brothers early
impairs initiative and new ideas. in the global economic crisis.
US priest and scholar (1917–)
Companies have to learn not However, many of the examples
just to deal with chaos but to in this chapter suggest that
thrive. In the ever-changing companies who hold a clear vision
environment of the 21st-century’s and do the right thing, in the right
digital economy, companies have way, are most likely to succeed. ■