An Ideal Organisation

No organisation is ever going to be perfect, but to my mind the good ones should be working towards these ideals:

• Interesting and/or worthwhile purpose
  • The organisation pursues a business or social purpose which is inherently interesting and/or worthwhile. People are proud to work for it. This does not by any means rule out commercial organisations, but "providing a banking service" is a worthwhile purpose, "ripping customers off" isn't.

• Convenient location
  • The office location gives employees the choice of commuting by car or public transport. There are both shops and trees nearby.

• Pleasant working environment
  • The office buildings are low rise and offer all workers natural light and ventilation.
  • Employees are not expected to work in areas used as thoroughfares. The offices are laid out in a way which ensures that no employee works in a group of more than four or five, and work areas allow an adequate measure of privacy, freedom from noise and disturbance, and environmental control.

• Quiet, purposeful atmosphere
  • The atmosphere in the workplace is calm and purposeful. There is no running around, banging tables, shouting and swearing. Relationships between employees are polite and professional
  • It is definitely not a culture of skiving and clockwatching. People work hard and take their work seriously.
  • There are no uniforms, and no written dress code. However the general approach is moderately conservative and formal, and all the men wear ties. It is not a wacky place.
  • As people do not feel constrained by rules, the idea of a "dress-down Friday" would be met with puzzlement

• Fair pay system
  • The pay system is perceived as being fair. Any form of performance pay is calculated on as objective a basis as possible, and preferably by team rather than individual.
  • Employees are not required to jump through performance hoops to maintain the real value of their salaries.

• Listen, consult and involve
  • Money is not the sole motivator. It is recognised that in a successful workplace, employees are treated fairly, their views are listened to, and they are given a say in the decision-making process

• Dignified frugality
  • It is neither extravagant nor penny-pinching, but aims to practise a dignified frugality. There are towels as well as hand-dryers in the toilets.
  • People are not status-conscious about company cars. Where cars are provided, the user is given a substantial element of choice. If company cars attach to grade rather than being required for the job, a cash alternative is offered.
  • People do not join this organisation because it offers lots of fringe benefits. A "cafeteria" approach may be adopted which allows employees to tailor benefits to their own circumstances.

• Respect for people as individuals
  • It is recognised that a good team consists of a variety of different individuals, not a collection of clones. People's individuality is respected.
  • Employees are given a clear view of their job responsibilities and objectives. There are no ambiguous or muddled job roles.
  • In encouraging diversity in the workforce, more than lip service is paid to the recruitment of women, disabled people, ethnic minorities and older workers. Job-sharing is accepted as a possibility and part-time working covers professionals as well as junior staff. This is done not out of a spirit of political correctness but as a way of ensuring that as wide a range of people as possible are given an opportunity to contribute.

• Recognition of life outside work
  • The culture of long hours is visibly avoided. It is generally accepted that a valid objective in organising work is to ensure that it allows employees to keep civilised hours. The senior staff aim to set an example, and most of the time they succeed.
  • All employees, except those in direct customer-facing jobs, can work flexible hours under a genuine flexitime system
  • What employees do outside work is recognised as their own sphere so long as it does not affect their work performance

• Sceptical of management evangelism
  • Any form of "evangelical" management initiative is treated with profound scepticism. If they had to have a management guru, it would be Charles Handy.
  • Any senior person suggesting a team-building exercise would be laughed out of court.

• No Dilbert cartoons!
  • Scott Adams would think this was a pretty good place to work. The corollary of this, of course, is that there are no Dilbert cartoons on the walls because people would not see them as relevant to their situation.

(February 2003)

Return to Home Page