Turning the Office Pyramid on its Head

Ever since I was a kid I've had the vision of businesses as pyramids that needed to be climbed. We see it all the time in the images of climbing the corporate ladder, working our way to the top, and any number of other analogies putting the people who do the front-line work, at the bottom of the organization. These are the faces that the customers see every day. Those very people who are in the mail room, at the cash registers, that do the service calls and answer the phones are the real faces and image of their organizations. A company is not a pyramid, nearly as much as it is a diamond. Let's examine the 4 C's of grading a diamond and see how your organization measures up. Cut: The two main variables in your cut are shape and quality. The shape of a diamond is largely about preference and the needs of your consumers. Some people prefer the shape of a Starbucks-like business because if feels reliable and consistent. One caramel mocha will pretty much taste the same from store to store. Others may prefer their corner coffee shop which gives them a more unique feel and the idea that it is the only place to get a particular brand, or taste. The quality of that particular cut is all about the facets. The top of the diamond. The variety of angles and faces that are seen when one gazes upon a stone, and in your company those facets, are the mail clerks, service technicians, receptionists and all the entry level positions that make up your organization. People don't buy a home theater system, or a new car from the CEO of the company. I bet most people couldn't even name the CEO's for most of the products in their home. But they might be able to name the salesperson who helped them. The quality of a diamond cut is based on the depth of the cut and the facets. The facets need to be well cared for, polished and chosen with care. The stone should not be cut too deep or it looses some of it's ability to shine. And this is true with your company too. The farther away from the front line a leader is, the less in touch the front line can be with that leaders ideas. Color: I know everyone is tired of "diversity education" and I think I can pin point why. We went about it all wrong. I'll own up to being part of that problem. So many of the diversity programs I taught in the past decade were more focused on tolerance instead of education. We told people that they were wrong to even notice our differences and we tried to make people color blind. The strongest color for a diamond is clear, crystal clear. What makes this diamond so beautiful is that when you really look at it you see every color in the rainbow. It fractures the light and the different colors within become the diamond's shining strength. A white diamond looks like quartz, pink is called champagne. Black diamonds are used mainly for industrial work and the so called colorless diamonds just don't sparkle like they should. None of them hold the value that is found in the brilliance of a diamond that uses ALL the colors to hold your attention. Clarity: Clarity comes from openness, honesty and transparency. Organizations are often so afraid that one employee might steal something that they make all of their employees feel like they are not trusted and they are always being watched. This does not produce a clear and beautiful feeling. It created flaws, inclusions, blind spots and a massive space for disloyalty and apathy. If someone can not be given the trust to know ALL they might need to most effectively do their job, then perhaps they shouldn't be working there. Carat Weight: Our society exists on a "bigger is better" mentality most of the time. We grade ourselves year over year on our growth and increased sales margins. At a certain point, bigger is just bigger, and growth becomes cancerous. Size is certainly a factor to consider. Small business assume a lot of responsibility on a few people and should anything happen to one of them, the business impact can be extreme. However large organizations often find a great deal of difficulty in maintaining the quality and clarity factors because there is just too much to manage. Keeping the business large enough to be comfortable but small enough to care for is a challenge but an important one to focus on. So as you continue to build your business or work within a company keep in mind where you sit in this diamond and how you can help to make your company shine. Cut your company to the right fit for your customers and in a way that helps the facets shine. Use all the Colors of your organization as a strength and help everyone feel welcome instead of ignored. Clarity, honesty and transparency will go a long way to reducing your personal work load and bringing peace of mind to you and your people. Remember that a large Carat diamond can be easily mistaken for costume jewelry. Keep your size where you can still maintain good cut and clarity. Bigger is not always better. 2008-06-11T21:02:19Z

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turning-the-office-pyramid-on-its-head

2008-06-11T21:51:31Z

A company is not a pyramid, nearly as much as it is a diamond. The people in the mail room, at the cash registers, that make service calls and answer the phones are the real faces of your organizations.

Turning the Office Pyramid on its Head

2009-02-24T09:44:45Z