Red tape and protocols, fail-safes and check points. We constantly use these and plenty of other less kind catch phrases to ensure the longevity of workplace bureaucracy. The American Heritage Dictionary offers the usual definitions for the word, bureaucracy. But I like their third definition best. It reads "an unwieldy administrative system". Sounds like they hit that nail on the head. If you're stuck with a business mired in bureaucracy, you need to get control of it or, as the government has so readily taught us, it will control your business and, sadly yes, you.
Now, not all employees will respond positively to changes in the bureaucratic system. Sometimes removing a long time employee that is so entrenched in his niche work becomes a painful reality of dealing with the problem. Other times, simply moving that employee into a totally new setting and giving him fresh territories to conquer will revive his desire to excel. You are the instrument of change. You are the liberator. And, ultimately, getting a handle on your business's bureaucracy starts at the top… with you.
It is your job to open their blinded bureaucratic eyes to new vistas. It won't mean eliminating the chain of command. You'll need that. And employees on whatever rung of the proverbial ladder will always need parameters to operate under, but the lightening of the bureaucratic burden will free your staff to explore new ways of accomplishing the goals of your business, bringing innovation and insight to bear that might otherwise never have seen the light of day.
But how does one get a grip on the monster. Well, fortunately for most businesses that have been around long enough to develop bureaucratic hierarchies, the monster in question is not likely to be moving very fast. In fact, it is very likely mired in old-fashioned, deeply ingrained patterns of behavior that will make it easy to lasso. Unfortunately, those same behavior patterns make it very difficult to change. People, as a rule, fear change. It is the unknown and the known, though often slow and grossly inefficient, is at least something they feel safe with.
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