Re: Formal vs. informal organizations

[Steven Jong <SteveFJong -at- AOL -dot- COM>]

        In response to Andrew's posting, I started to lay out the opposite extreme,
but it's too embarrassing to list the problems I've encountered in workgroups
and companies that lack organization and structure.

        Rather than stake out a contrary view and work back toward the middle, let me
just point out that without some level of organization, you can run into
trouble with as few as two people, if one disagrees with the other on how to
proceed. Without process, every problem, even the one that crops up every
release, is a crisis. Without standards, you end up with nonstandard products.
Without management support, you can run into trouble over something as simple
as two assignments for two clients if both of them demand you make them your
top priority. Without hierarchy, an "entrepreneur" can steal your resources
for his projects. And without standards, good work is not repeatable.

        Having seen each and every one of these situations in my career, I would say
that I wouldn't work in a place without some structure.

          -- Steve

=========|=========|=========|=========|=========|=========|=====
Steven Jong, Documentation Team Manager ("Typo?  What tpyo?")
Lightbridge, Inc., 67 South Bedford St., Burlington, MA 01803 USA
mailto:jong -at- lightbridge -dot- com -dot- nospam          781.359.4902 [voice]
Home Sweet Homepage: http://members.aol.com/SteveFJong


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