Globalisation is steadily reaching it's full potential. The result is that anno 2022, several multinationals have become very influential global players. It is called the rise of “The Corporate States”, the emergence of private organisations that got so big, wealthy and powerful that they rival the sovereignty of Nation States. Many free market - and globalist proponents believe that this is the ultimate capitalist democracy, and they maybe right. Yet, we all know that every advantage has its disadvantage and vice versa. And when we take a closer look at some of the consequences of these "then-smaller" but "now-much larger" organisations, the question arises:
Is bigger really better?
Most organisations originate from one individual or a small group of individuals, that conquer the market with a disruptive innovation. They all start small, highly motivated and with good intentions. But as the firm grows, and organisation structure and management make their entrance, things start to change - and not always for the better.
Size requires management layers and control. And the larger the size, the more management and control is created. The focus on internal process grows to the point where it consumes the majority of the available time. The organisation loses its adaptive capacity, they become bulky 'tankers' that don't easily change course. Bound to legacy markets and products, they also lose their innovative capacity. Management is mostly about avoiding risk, and risk-free innovation is a utopia. Income inequality between workers and management take on alarming proportions. And people start to feel unappreciated and lose motivation. Which in turn causes a rise in sick leave - 1 in 4 employees suffers an 18 month burn-out somewhere in their career. Surely size isn't everything.
Can’t this be done any better? Is there no alternative for this 20th century, Industrial Age thinking? And if so, where do we find that and what does it look like? We believe there is. And we can simply copy it's main principles from Nature. After all, we learned how to fly by copying birds.
We usually don't think of it this way, but all of nature, in fact entire universe, is a self-organising system - from the very small to very large. And to organise large groups of individuals, Nature uses self-organising SWARMS. And they are the most agreeable, sustainable and efficient organisations that we know of. These collectives have no fixed structure, management or control. Individuals self-organize around flexible roles. They are highly connected and freely share information always and everywhere. Problems are solved at the point of occurrence, based on consensus and with available individuals and knowledge. Leadership always follows purpose, motivation and skill. All individuals are autonomous and fully purpose driven. And they don't have burnouts. Scientist claim that natural self-organising swarms are 99% effective and efficient.
We’re entering a new Societal Era were technology will change the role of people in work. Meaning that we humans have find a new purpose, a new narrative and new principles for our professional occupation. At SWARM Organisation we incorporate natural organisation principles to create better organisations, that are more enjoyable, sustainable and profitable, for people and planet.
If you like to know how we do this, just give us call !
Evert Bleijenberg MBA
SWARM Organisation
Handwritten by Author without the help of A