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1-Page Summary of One Mission

Shifting Organizational Norms

Fussell and Goodyear begin by detailing how Max Weber, a German sociologist from the late 19th century, sought to eliminate economic privilege. He wanted people to earn their positions in society through work and merit rather than being born into it. He believed that power should be taken away from autocrats (often those born into their positions of power) and given to business organizations. This was because he wanted people’s wills to bend toward what they were told by hierarchies within corporations.

Today, the norm is changing and organizations need to change their culture and structure to accommodate this. The Internet has made things much faster paced than before. Issues arise and solutions are needed quickly, but hierarchical structures aren’t able to cope with this pace of change. The military had to make changes because they were facing an enemy that was using cell phones against them in a way that required immediate action on their part. Business leaders can learn from the military’s example by making similar changes in their own businesses so they’re prepared for anything that comes up in today’s fast-paced world.

“The Hybrid Model”

Fussell and Goodyear explain how bureaucracy creates silos and makes it difficult for a company to adapt. They say that bureaucracies often contradict their own goals, as well. Networks are the opposite of bureaucracy; they’re fast-moving, ever-changing groups that can adapt quickly to change.

Fussell and Goodyear argue that neither hierarchical nor networked structures are optimal for today’s companies. Rather, they believe that a hybrid model with the efficiency of bureaucracy combined with the ability to disseminate information quickly like networks would be best.

Nerve Centers

Organizations that have a top-down structure, such as the military and some companies, are like vertebrates. The head directs the actions of the body parts (or limbs). In contrast, an invertebrate octopus is more like a decentralized organization. An example of this would be if researchers were to cut off one of its tentacles but it still tries to feed itself with what’s left.

A hybrid model requires a hierarchical strategy where smaller units understand the core goals of the company. This will help them attain their goals. For example, when al-Qaeda was operating in Iraq and Afghanistan during the US invasion, it functioned like an octopus with regenerating tentacles.

Large companies are divided into different functional units, and each unit tends to have its own goals. There’s a lack of communication among the divisions because they all interpret corporate objectives differently. This leads to intertribal conflict that makes managers distrust one another, but they do cooperate with those at similar levels or with higher-ups in the company. The distrust hinders communication and efficiency.

The authors believe that such conflict was inevitable in Khowst, Afghanistan. They cite several reasons for this: distrust among the groups, poor communication and each group’s pursuit of its own goals. These factors eventually led to a breakdown in cooperation between the groups.

An “Aligning Narrative”

Fussell and Goodyear believe that a company or military organization needs to communicate new goals in a timely way. They say you should stop focusing on the overall goal, but instead focus more on how you will operate together to reach your goal.

In the military, this required a lot of communication and collaboration. The leaders used emails and meetings to facilitate that process. They also shared stories about how they worked together as a group.