Over
the last 25+ years in all sectors of the economy, we've
been changing management/leadership structures, the tools and
technologies to do the work, and the headcount of workers at all
levels.
Initially
the changes had impact very quickly – on production or operations
and on the bottom line or budget.
As we
continued to make incremental changes, the effect was progressively
less. In many cases we are at the point (or rapidly approaching it)
where the next change will have no positive effect. Let me say it
again: change now has little to no desired effect.
Why?
Picture
a boat – when under way it creates a bow wave as the hull displaces
the water and a stern wave (wake) following the boat as the water
fills in where the hull was.
Each
hull has a maximum speed that it can travel through the water – and
no amount of additional power or sail can make that boat move faster.
There is a physics formula to calculate the maximum hull
speed, but simply put, when the bow wave and stern wake meet the
boat has reached top speed.
A
similar effect has been happening as we make continuous incremental
changes. The initial modifications and work-arounds eliminate
inefficiencies and create productive gains. With successive changes
we run out of modifications and work-arounds and are limited to
swapping one task for another (analogous to the bow and stern waves
converging). The current change is possible ONLY at the cost of
forgoing an existing task or process.
Just
like modifying the design of the hull can change its maximum speed,
making dramatic changes to the organization can have a major and
lasting effect. Possibilities include:
- engaging the Doers in the process of change – tell them the goal and get their help to reach it
- Apply the principles of disruptive innovation (remove features, sell cheap, exponentially increase market reach) to reinvent the organization
- shift from a service-based entity to a platform-based entity – make heavy use of technology and automation to provide information, routine answers, intake and output of documents, filings, and reports, and use staff to address the small percent of complex situations which arise.
Do you see situations
where hull speed, disruptive innovation of government as a platform
would make a positive impact?
I like the way you put this together. One person comes up with a contest for a prize for an app that makes use of open data. The tenth time it is copied, there are few takers and not much value. Repeatedly appropriating a successful concept without adding value leads to no value.
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