Here I am!

Delaine Weddle and I are currently researching what is called a "flat lattice, non-hierarchical" structure for our company to use as the model for its organizational structure. We all are accustomed to "pyramid" heirarchies and "organizational chart" structures, but this is entirely different.

We are starting by investigating Gore Industries, the makers of Gore-Tex raincoats and many, many other coated-fiber related products, which has been a flat lattice organization since day one for them, way back in the fifties! We have to start out "flat" if we're going that way right from the beginning, because transitioning from a pyramid structure is very difficult to do, as the cultural aspects are so completely different from each other.

Any help researching this way of doing things or suggestions are welcome!

Gore distinguishes itself by doing away entirely with "titles" - everyone has the same title, simply "Associate". "Managers" are people who have managed to get other people in the company interested in working on the projects they've come up with themselves, and people are expected to devote some of their working time towards developing their own projects. So, it is democratic this way, as "managers" are in a sense elected, and project leaders and other roles fall into place naturally and by mutual concensus. Even salaries are arrived at by concensus - Delaine is now investigating how they arrive at fair pay structures everyone is happy with. They might use a "base plus differential" system, but we don't know yet.

Gore also uses mentorship a lot, allowing more seasoned associates to help show newer ones how they might make the most out of their being in such an organization. Believe me, the majority of people coming into this kind of organizational structure from virtually any other job experiences will be baffled for a while!

I hope to discuss this all at length at the meeting coming up ASAP. You might also enjoy these notes about Gore here and these notes from The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell about spreading of an idea by word-of-mouth. Also, a description of our creative method can be found here.

Also, the Recruitment letter page may have useful info leading to what we place into our Marketing Strategies materials later.

Terry