What are you willing to give up to change the way we work? | Martin Danoesastro

Summary

The speaker illustrates the need for a new way of working in the face of an increasingly fast and complex world, using the metaphor of birds flying in synchrony without a single leader. They share insights from a bank's digital transformation journey, emphasizing the importance of small, autonomous teams, and the difficult but necessary changes in organizational structure, processes, and behaviors. The talk concludes with a call to action, asking what individuals are willing to give up for the sake of change and innovation.

Takeaways

• 🐦 The importance of autonomy and alignment is illustrated by flocks of birds, which can act in perfect synchrony without a single leader, but through simple rules that allow for individual decision-making.
• 🌐 The world is becoming faster and more complex, necessitating a new way of working that emphasizes purpose, reduces bureaucracy, and empowers faster decision-making.
• 🚀 A bank's digital transformation journey serves as a case study for the need to change traditional organizational structures and processes to become more agile and innovative.
• 🔍 The visit to innovative companies like Google, Netflix, and Spotify revealed unconventional organizational models based on small, autonomous teams rather than traditional hierarchical structures.
• 💡 The concept of 'squads,' 'chapters,' and 'tribes' represents a shift away from traditional org charts, emphasizing flexibility and multidisciplinary collaboration.
• 🤝 The transformation of the bank involved breaking down silos and reorganizing into multidisciplinary teams, fostering closer collaboration and reducing reliance on emails and reports.
• 🛠 The challenge of change involves not only structural and procedural adjustments but also a fundamental shift in behavior and mindset, from micromanagement to empowerment.
• 🌟 Empowering teams requires leaders to align everyone around a common purpose and priorities, then trust teams to make decisions autonomously, akin to the flocking behavior of birds.
• 🗣️ Open and transparent communication is essential for creating alignment and trust, which may involve giving up control and sharing information more widely.
• 🔄 Middle managers must adapt to new roles as 'player-coaches,' actively participating in team efforts rather than merely overseeing others.
• 🚀 The result of these changes can be a more efficient, dynamic, and innovative organization, capable of responding quickly to a rapidly changing world.

Q & A

What is the main analogy used in the script to illustrate the need for a new way of working?

The script uses the analogy of a flock of birds flying in perfect synchrony without a single leader, which is made possible by a few simple rules that allow each bird to make autonomous decisions.

Why is the world's increasing speed and complexity mentioned as a reason for needing a new way of working?

The world's increasing speed and complexity necessitate a new way of working that creates alignment around purpose, removes bureaucracy, and empowers people to make decisions faster to keep up with the changing environment.

What was the bank's goal when they wanted to embark on a digital transformation?

The bank aimed to make their offering simpler, more intuitive, and more relevant through digital transformation.

What traditional organizational structure did the speaker describe in the script?

The traditional organizational structure described in the script includes departments where people in suits take elevators, sit with their peers, and have meetings with many people where decisions are not made effectively.

What did the speaker and the team of bankers learn from the innovative companies they visited?

They learned about the power of small, autonomous teams that function like mini-start-ups with product people and IT engineers in the same team, eliminating the need for handovers between departments.

What was the critical question posed by one of the hosts at the innovative company that the speaker visited?

The critical question was, 'What are you willing to give up?', which made the speaker and the team reflect on the sacrifices needed for adopting the new model.

How did the bank reorganize its employees to adapt to the new way of working?

The bank reorganized its 3,000 employees into 350 multidisciplinary teams, breaking down the old silos and having product people and engineers work together in the same teams.

What challenges did the teams face when they started working in the new multidisciplinary structure?

The challenges included physical co-location of team members who were previously working in different buildings or cities, ensuring consistency across teams, and changing behaviors to be more autonomous and empowered.

What is the role of leaders in the new way of working as described in the script?

Leaders need to ensure alignment around the overall purpose and priorities, then let go and trust their teams to make the right decisions on how to achieve those goals, embracing a new behavior that involves giving up old ways of command and control.

How does the script describe the change in the role of middle managers in the new organizational model?

In the new model, middle managers are expected to become player-coaches, doing things themselves instead of just managing others, and there is less need for them due to the elimination of handovers and PowerPoint presentations.

What is the final outcome the speaker hopes for in the companies that have adopted the new way of working?

The speaker hopes for a new culture with less hierarchy, increased efficiency, faster product releases, and an environment that feels like a very large start-up, better prepared to respond to change.