This recent article in The Economic Times caught my attention. Huh? A company without bosses? More interestingly, without titles and without promotions? How on earth does this work? What kind of autonomy do they have which facilitates hundreds of people to work together without formal structures and egos coming into the picture?The case in point is about a company called Morning Star described as “the world’s leading tomato ingredient processor.” If you think the self-management this company professes can work only in a small outfit, stop to think that Morning Star has revenues of $700 million and has 400 employees.
I would imagine that the following are key to succeed in self-management:
- A work culture which supports equality in the truest sense of the term
- A strong environment of mutual support
- An ethos built on achievements rather than individual egos
- An inherent urge to share and learn from others
I don’t see how any company can adopt self-management without these important factors. Can you?
