Big Business

I've had opportunity at times in my life to study big corporations....mostly because I worked at them.  Taking it all in stride, I have found it much easier to work with smaller companies.  One family owned company I worked for a number of years ago now goes down in my history as the best place I've worked.  As I look at some of my other faves I see a line of similarity: the location or department I was in worked like a small business within a big business.

Now, to be fair, I want to own my own business so that colors my thoughts.  But recently it dawned on me why the functions in a big corporation (and I've worked for several) always seems disjointed.  It occurred to me that they are trying to function in a way that is unnatural.  Here's what I mean....

In every corporate environment everywhere (I think that's a politically correct thing to say) whether it's a church (that's probably not a politically correct thing to say), a fortune 500 company, or the little mom and pop shop down the street, the people working there know who can get the job done.  If you need this document typed out in a hurry, you talk to Jimmy.  If you need a good deal on supplies, you talk to Sue.  If you want this project on time, you give it to Ralph.  Whatever "it" is, you know who's gonna get it done.  The reality is that for things to get done in any size company, you have to deal with it relationally. 

Most big corporations, including mega churches and the like, adopt a process model that allows them to produce their widgets in the most efficient and concise manner.  I've been involved in and used those processes for many years now.  Looking at it objectively, it's obvious to me that these processes, developed by the intelligentsia of the age, are as solid as they can be.  Yet they all over look one thing; reality.  They expect humans to follow through with them.  That's really the laughable part of it all.  From what I've seen (and there may be exceptions) the process that has been adopted holds true...for a while.  But eventually, it's all gonna hit the fan and the person who has the most pressure on them will resort to that animal instinct that God placed within them to seek out another person.  They will seek out that person that will get it done, the person they feel the most safe with.  In the end, the process fails us because we need to deal with pressure and problems relationally to feel that we've actually accomplished something.

In an environment where that is not factored in, the process seems ludicrous.  The team tends to rebel against the process because "it doesn't work." Those people who were over burdened before the process came in become even more overburdened because they are expected to follow, loosely, the process for appearance sake while still accomplishing the work in the same old way.  Thus, the whole things seems, somehow, unnatural.

I have not seen an environment where this was not so in one degree or other.  However, some companies do better when they know that the human factor will kick in and they allow some leeway in the process that allows people to do what they do naturally....handle things relationally within the framework of a process.

And still I contend that work is most often done well in the case of a small, privately owned company.  They tend to live off the relationships they've built.  Take care of the people and they take care of you.  It's no panacea I know, but somehow it does seem more natural, doesn't it?

I'll have more to say about working in big corporations in the future.  For now, it is enough to know that no matter where you are and what job you do, relationships are vital.  Remember that and you will build a team around you that will get the job done.  Count on it.