Many of us speculate what it may be like to work in a human and not an institutional way. All most of us have known is the Plato's Cave of the Institutional World - that includes many young people whose only view has been watching their parents and school.
Well here is a view based on experience of Dan James the "President" of silverorange, a small but vibrantly successful group of young men on PEI
Here is a snip of how they see some issues that strike at the heart of difference between what they experience and what most of us live in the traditional set up
• Fear of not having enough money – We move more money now than we ever thought we’d be moving. Money is a result of what we do. The more we fear not having enough the more likely it is that we will not have enough. Scrambling for cash, worrying about cash, doing work for cash and cash only, selling our souls for cash, and sacrificing our ideals for cash exhibits an attitude of scarcity. There is always enough. Money has appeared at times to have been tight but looking back we’ve always had it when we needed it. We’ve always gotten that great project when we needed it. We’ve always gotten a raise when rent went up at our apartments. In reality and relative to most others in the world, we’ve had an abundance of cash. I cannot for the life of me remember when a single good idea has ever been sacrificed because we didn’t have the money to do it. Money should always be an afterthought. Money is an enabler. We own the money. The money does not, will not, and never will own us. This is not an excuse to not be prudent, wise, and responsible with our money. This is simply saying that being prudent and responsible out of fear is as good as wasting it on useless things.
• Fear of conflict – Holding in emotions, thoughts, anger, resentment, and bitterness. When we stop saying what we feel. When we no longer see conflict as positive we lose out. When this happens our team will die a slow confusing death. We have ups and downs. Jobs change. Promises are sometimes left unfulfilled. Mistakes are made. People get offended. We need to continue to have conflict. We need to sometimes almost come to blows during a heated argument. We need to be held accountable to each other and our promises. We need to be a living breathing hurting and healing team. We need to say the things in the pit of our stomachs and trust the team to deal with it fairly.
• Fear of failing – The reason for our drive and work cannot be the fear of what happens if we fail. We will not last long if the reason we all come to work is to ensure that we get our paycheque to pay the mortgage payment or tuition. The reason for us coming to work should be to build something cool. To find a cool project. To sort out that problem with that design. To present that idea to the group that you’ve been dreaming up. To be with your friends. To tell the CEO he’s a idiot. To watch the Madden Bowl. To admit to the group that your heart’s not in it anymore. To find the passion that once was there.
• Not playing together – We’ve historically done this well as of late we’ve lost touch with it a bit. We need to play as a team. Computer games, Frisbee golf, paint ball, it doesn’t matter what the game is, it’s just important that we all join in.
• Not Accepting that we’re old and married – Ok, not everyone is. But if we don’t realize and accept that the personal lives of those involved in silverorange are changing and maturing we may regret the amount of time they’re spending at the office, or the time of day they’re at the office. Part of our plan with silverorange has been to build a platform from which we, as individuals, could live life. Part of this is how we mature and evolve in our relationships, marriages, education, and geographical location. We, as a team, need to realize and accept that we will all change over the years. The more flexible we are the better the chances are of our survival.
• Not Resting– We do not take enough time off. We have been gradually tiring over the past few years. Each and everyone of us has. We need to take as much time off as we each need to recharge. This will change for each person each year and that’s ok.
• Bureaucracy – The moment we start to have programs and systems to manage people we loose trust. The day we start tracking vacation and sick days we loose our souls and freedom. The day we punch in and punch out is the day the doors might as well be locked for good.
• Pride – Personal and collective pride will undo us in the long run. If one of us feels we are more important, more popular, more influential, more crucial than any other on the team our team will start to misfire on all cylinders. Likewise, if we collectively think we are too good to deal with “petty” client problems, or look down on that up and coming company we will all fail together, publicly.
• Guilt , shame, and resentment – If we as individuals feel guilty for our lack of skill, or lack of contribution to the team as a whole this will cripple us. We should not be trying to be better as individuals only because we feel we owe the team something or have let it down. Also, on the flip side, no one should resent someone else on the team for their success, or stature. We are a team. No one is more or less important than the next. Being a team means having different kinds of work and each of us having our days in the spotlight.
• Lack of Equality – If we don’t continue to operate on the premise that we are all equal participants in this team and this company then we will tear each other to pieces. Everyone should be equal. From the CEO to the junior programmer. (ed note they are all paid the same)
• Corporate and individual lack of philanthropy and charity – No matter which way you measure it, we have a lot. We have been lucky/blessed/successful or whatever you want to call it. It is our moral and human duty to distribute what we can to those who have less. (ed note - they don't just give they act)
This is the opposite to the norms and goals of the traditional. So does it work? You bet!!!
