Perpetual Anarchy
I’ve always admired the oximoronic idea of “organized chaos” or “creative pandemonium” or “efficient tumult.” For me, organizations spend way to much time perpetuating their institutional structure and not nearly enough time on their stated mission. Organizations, as they mature, get increasingly rigid, and less creative. Maybe they even have life cycles just like all of God’s creatures. It is difficult for aging institutions to stay vibrant and young, to maintain their creative juices. They frequently don’t know when to die.
I have frequently argued that a much less rigid organizational structure is what is needed. That good employees require only minimalist management. That everyone doesn’t necessarily need to be pulling in the same direction. That performance is more important than the time clock. That it doesn’t matter where you sit or work. That most meetings are a waste of valuable time. And bag the 5-year plan. Conditions are changing too fast.
With the advent of the Internet, a much less structured work environment is certainly possible. Gathering group input can now be accomplished by twitter or email or wiki or blog or whatever. Exchanging information, ideas, and opinions can now be accomplished electronically. While person-to-person contact is still important, organized meetings are less so.
But lately I’ve started to have doubts about some of my anarchical views. First, belonging to an agency that provides a service, it is sometimes difficult for the customer (who is more familiar with a rigid organizational structure) to relate to chaos. Second, somebody (or some group) needs to identify a general organizational direction. Third, in order for an anarchical structure to survive you may need a benevolent, but powerful, background force (in religion this should be God). Think of a Don Hewett or a Paola Lugari here.
Maybe more rigid organizational structures are necessary for the umbrella organization. But maybe the real power evolves toward the shadow or underground electronic sub-organizations. In the LDS Church, the latter would be represented by the various blogs, wikis, chat rooms, etc. Here individuals can assemble into informal cabals that reenforce or question the wit and wisdom of the official organization. I suspect, it will become increasing difficult for GAs to keep control over these underground movements (They have probably already lost it. The genie is out of the bottle.). And these shadow or underground movements will increasing affect the direction the Church needs to head.