We know our world is changing fast and that our organisations will have to adapt. But have you ever asked yourself what properties organisations will need to have to be successful? And does your company fit the bill?
We believe successful organizations in the 21st century will have these characteristics. They will be socially relevant, involved and empathic. They are purpose driven, intrinsically motivated and engaged. They must be creative and innovative. They are autonomous and role based, operate in flexible cells or networks and they create inclusiveness. In other words, they are completely in FLOW with their operating environment. And here is the really interesting part. If you are working in a small or medium sized enterprise, chance is you’re already doing all of this!
SME’s account for 90% of all businesses worldwide. They provide 7 out of 10 jobs and it’s estimated they contribute up to 70% of global GDP. SME’s often operate regionally and they have strong ties to their local operating environment. They know their employees, suppliers and customers personally, and take ownership for their wellbeing. Due to their size, they have to be flexible and operate in complementary business networks. This also makes them innovative, adaptive and connected. They are in resonance with their surroundings. And despite what many ill-informed global ‘leaders’ want us to believe, it’s the SME’s that are the backbone of our society – not the multinationals. Yet for some awkward reason we still allow the global players to call the shots.
But to us it’s clear that the tides are changing. We see that many regions are taking back control over their local economy. They promote local for local business initiatives, create cooperation’s and support small and medium enterprises. They focus on the well-being of regional citizens and protect their natural environment. Furthermore, they try to limit the influence of global players with protective laws and educating the local population about the benefits of local economics. We believe that the future of business is in decentralized autonomous self-organising SME’s. Organizations that stick to the "global rules-based order", are destined to disappear.
At SWARM Organisation we create organisations that are more enjoyable, sustainable and profitable, for people and planet, by taking lessons from the self-organising principles of Nature. If you like to know how we do this, give us call!
Evert Bleijenberg MBA
Founder