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Updated Thu Nov 30, 2006 10:15am CST

Is Your Company an Asking Organization? Or, A Telling Organization?

To be an innovative company; to inspire employees to do their best; to go after new opportunities; and to be a good customer service oriented company, you had better be an 'Asking Organization'.

This thought actually occurred to me several years ago when I was working for a company - no names please - that was clearly a 'Telling Organization'. In other words, the culture was very autocratic marked by top down; bark orders; 'senior execs are everything, lower downs are expendable' attitudes. In meetings one was never asked for their opinion, we were only told what to do. I once asked one of my managers for her counsel on how to approach a problem we were having and she froze like a deer in headlights. I could not get her to talk to me. Of course she agreed with everything I said (as her superior).

Some time later, after we developed a warmer working relationship, I finally got her to admit to me that she would not tell me about any problems because that was not the way things were done in that company. I was floored at how ingrained the culture was. It was a miserable working environment and I could not wait to leave. The company no longer exists - can you believe it?!

Asking organizations are usually pleasant places to work because the employees feel they are valued. Their experience and insight is needed to keep things improving and in the best shape possible to meet customer needs. Bosses need the constant flow of street level analysis from their departments to know if policies and programs are working. Consequently, innovation has the chance to thrive, new opportunities pop up frequently and more crises are averted.

Don't get me wrong, managers have to lead and they have to make tough decisions that are not always popular with the ranks - it is not possible to treat every issue as a referendum. However, the more an organization encourages feedback; the more managers ask their people about what they notice within the operations or at customer touch-points; and the more senior executives ask "What do you think?" the better off the organization is in the long run.

So, think about it; is your department or your company an Asking or a Telling organization? Start asking your employees; they'll tell you, eventually.

Filed: On Management

Thu Feb 16, 2006 10:00am CST

I think one should update their blog once a month whether they need to or not. Seriously, I have been bad about writing entries, but I will add some additional content this week once I get the site template fixed.

Updated Thu Nov 30, 2006 10:15am CST

My first real-time entry. There are several entries within the categories on the site that represent writings from various points in time throughout the last 25 years – which represents my adult life and career. I included them because they are significant philosophies or experiences that have helped shape my point of view towards several practices within my life and career.