| Excerpt from www.NDMA.COM, © 2026 N. Dean Meyer and Associates Inc.
Analysis: The Organizational Model We Forgot to Talk About
expert comparison of three approaches to an empowered, entrepreneurial organization
by Tine Bieber
Manager, Enterprise Model & Strategy, Capgemini Invest
Tine Bieber said: "For years, organizations have tried to make people more entrepreneurial without redesigning the conditions around them. They launch innovation labs. Introduce agile teams. Remove a layer or two. Rename managers “coaches.” Ask employees to take ownership. Yet the budget still belongs to the boss. Support functions still set rules for people they are supposed to support. Business-unit leaders still accumulate staff because owning resources means holding power. People remain accountable for outcomes while decisions are forced on them from above. We ask for entrepreneurship inside systems designed around roles in processes, or responsibilities for tasks, not accountability for products and services. RenDanHeYi, Zappos’ market-based dynamics and Business-within-a-Business all challenge this contradiction. Each treats entrepreneurship not simply as a personal mindset, but as a property of the organizational system." If you’re interested in empowering your people and bringing an entrepreneurial spirit to every corner of your organization, this insightful essay is a great place to start. It compares three approaches (two of which have been widely discussed) to designing high-performing organizational operating models. Tine Bieber is well respected in the field of organizational design. She is a clear thinker, an insightful analyst, and a very good writer. Her study of alternatives will help you choose the best approach for you.
|
