Galaxies interduce a management system that enables to run side by side good hierarchy (as I mentioned in one of my tweets) and NoHierarchy structures. From our point of view, proper hierarchy and #NoHierarchy are two opposites that compliment one each other and create a better management system. Our problem is with an unnatural and excluded hierarchy that still dominates much organization.
In this post, I want to explain how you can use Galaxies and EcoAutonomous management system to create good hierarchy structure.
There are several actions that you need to perform while creating a hierarchy. There are also several settings that you need to configure to ensure that you are creating the right hierarchy, with all the necessary controls and balances in place.
Creating a Hierarchy
First and foremost use the self-organized principle to create a hierarchy. We have two scenarios. The first one is that all entities (groups) that compose an entity want to set up a hierarchy (A). The second is that part of the groups that form an entity want to set up a hierarchy (B). If it is the first scenario, skip to creating a proper hierarchy.
If you need to implement the second options, all the entities that want hierarchy should create a new (hierarchical) entity and add themselves as part of the new hierarchical entity. The new entity should be one of the entities of the original entity hosting the initiating entities. This step makes sure that all entities that want hierarchy composing an entity that they are part of.
Setting up a good hierarchy
Once you have a hierarchical group (entity) that contains all entities that prefer to be part of a hierarchy, you can move to the next step. This step includes several actions to ensure good hierarchy will maintain over time.
Define the hierarchical entity purpose and responsibilities
Create a purpose for the hierarchical entity that promotes coordination and support of the entities that compose it. After setting the purpose, make sure that the hierarchical entity has a definition of all the responsibilities required for coordination and support.
Defining hierarchies functions (roles)
Now create all the functions needed to support the hierarchical entity purpose. Make sure that each one of the new functions supports the hierarchical entity purpose and performs part of the entity responsibilities.
After defining the functions needed to support the new purpose it’s time to take care of the future by setting a (representative) function for every entity that set up the hierarchical entity. The EcoAutomomous system provides autonomy for each entity. The entity autonomy granted by empowering the entity functions to change (evolve) the entity and making operational decisions. Entities that compose an entity can use the conflict resolution, but they are not part of the decision making. Therefore adding function to represent each entity ensure influence of the entities that choose hierarchy on the newly created hierarchical entity.
Adding representative functions also ensure that the newly created hierarchical entity won’t use compensation allocation to create the type of hierarchy we are trying to avoid.
Define connections
Now it’s time to set connections/relations between each role that was created to support hierarchy and all the entities that form the new hierarchical entity (you don’t need to set it up for the representing functions). Setting connection enabling each side of the connection to provide feedback to the other side of the relationship. Feedbacks are essential since the EcoAutonomous system, and the Galaxy platform will automatically release any person filling a function that got defined number of negative feedbacks. The same rule applies to an entity.
This setting enables all the entities created the hierarchical entity to impose a change if a hierarchal role or the entire hierarchal entity is not serving its purpose. Setting the connections, on the other hand, enable the hierarchical entity to influence the entities that create it by providing feedback. If you want to minimize the hierarchal entity influence, set the connections to each function in each entity (that start the effort). Setting connections to functions will take more time, but will better protect the entities as the hierarchical entity can impact functions within a group and not the entire entity.
metrics
Set up metrics for each hierarchical role and the hierarchical entity. Spend time and thinking on the right metrics that will enforce the behavior entities expect from the hierarchical entity. Keep in mind that over time the hierarchical entity might divert from its original purpose, use metrics to track such a trend. On top of ensuring purpose use metrics to validate that the hierarchical entity adds value.
Metrics are another way to enforce an entity to follow a purpose. The platform also configured to release all people from an entity or a function that has a negative trend of its metrics. Metrics are another reason for the representative function. You need representative functions to ensure metrics won’t change as well.
And if everyone wants a leader?
If all functions of an entity want to have a leader, they can elect one at any time. A leader is yet another function, and this function can be in place until one of the functions in an entity request to remove the leader function. For more details The EcoAutonomous organization p.34 – The Leader Function.
Summary
I hope that this post helps you to understand how to create proper hierarchy and how to define and use the controls and balances to ensure that the defined hierarchical entity will keep on following the principles of (good) hierarchy.