What We Learned About Bureaucracy from 7,000 HBR Readers
[H/T MOHIB EBRAHIM] -- HBR.ORG -- HARVARD -- Here are [some of] our initial takeaways: Bureaucracy is growing not shrinking. Nearly 2/3 of respondents felt their organization had become more bureaucratic -- more centralized, more rule-bound and more conservative. Bureaucracy is the enemy of speed. Bureaucracy undermines empowerment. Bureaucracy frustrates innovation. Only 20% of respondents said that unconventional ideas were greeted with interest or enthusiasm. 80% said new ideas were likely to encounter indifference, skepticism, or outright resistance. Bureaucracies are petty and political. When asked to identify the most significant barriers to down-sizing bureaucracy, nearly two-thirds of front-line associates viewed power lust as a barrier, only a third of CEOs shared that view. ...
