Autonomy and Trust in Performance-Oriented Organizations

It is generally best to assume that you have the freedom to do what you need to do unless your policy or agreement prohibits it.

This freedom encourages learning, better performance, and greater understanding. Focusing too much on execution can limit our growth potential. While making ourselves indispensable may seem like a good idea, doing so can make our teams and organizations less resilient.

It is important to recognize that freedom and autonomy are essential for motivation. Teams that create a safe environment where they can try and fail, learn, and grow.

Structural mediocrity tends to have its inertia.

The values of group members are critical in interpreting events and activities around them. There are three primary types of organizations: power-oriented, rule-oriented, and performance-oriented. Bureaucratic, rule-oriented organizations focus on protecting departments and enforcing rules on employees.

In contrast, generative organizations, which are performance-oriented, focus on improving quality and processes. These organizations rank the company’s growth over controlling individuals. Trust is the foundation upon which they build.

[¹]: Brave New Work: Are You Ready to Reinvent Your Organization?