Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Organizing is pretty easy. Shuffle some squares and you have a company. Creating an organic system where persons can thrive is much more difficult. The results, however, are amazing.

I made up the word “organi-mizing.” At least I think I did. I found some pages on Pinterest that had the word. So at least a few persons consider it a word.

Organi-mizing has something to do with being organic or some sort of natural growth. Perhaps “planting” or “seeding” is the better word.

The concept is pretty simple. Instead of “let’s get organized” how about “let’s plant and water,” or “let’s create a situation where persons can grow without our daily interference.”

I have read several books where the concept of organic management or gardening management was mentioned. (I can’t remember where I read these. If you know, please remind me.)

Organi-mizing is more difficult than organizing. Perhaps that is why it is rare when compared to its well-known cousin. Just about any “manager” I have ever met can shuffle squares in a piece of software or on a board. The squares represent generic people. “Let’s put an engineer here, an accountant there, a few HR persons over there, and viola’, we have a company!”

Creating a place where persons grow together and in a direction that improves everyone else…well…that is a bit more difficult. Too bad. When done well, the results are amazing. See, for example, a rose or a strawberry. Now those things are amazing.