The Connection - Structure

When I started documenting the process of exploring the body I knew there was a connection to business, I just wasn't sure what it would be. I now realize the connection is structure, the relationship between form and function. The body is designed for movement - walking, reaching, sitting and twisting on land in relationship with gravity. There are some things we cannot do without additional technology such as fly or breathe underwater. Our innate structures contain both possibility and limitation. The same is true of business structure. There was a time where building large heavily structured organizations was useful. The establishment of railways and utilities needed this type of structure to grow and benefit society. Times have changed. Referencing The Big Shift article mentioned previously Information Technology has been adopted faster than either of the other two networks and has created more fundamental change.

As things change quickly flexibility is needed to adapt to the change. We are living in a world that is evolving with increasing speed and complexity and adaptation is crucial for survival. A fundamental shift businesses must consider is the concept of "power to the people". For decades businesses could create a product, create demand and cash in with out regard to the health effects for customers or the planet. Those days are gone. In an increasingly mobile world with more options both customers and talent have more say in purchases and employment. More and more people are starting their own businesses because companies cannot provide them what they need - flexibility, life-style and the opportunity to do something meaningful. A simple paycheck is not enough to keep people coming to work, they need to be engaged (and if you can create this engagement as an employer everyone wins). Sustainability is also becoming a bigger factor in business. Graduate Business Degrees offer sustainability options, Social Entrepreneurship has evolved beyond just a concept to an offered degree, people are considering more and more our interconnectedness and making career and purchasing decisions to support the benefit of all. The old school days of profits for profits sake are dying away. The new mode of business is following the triple bottom line: economics, environment and society. To prosper as a business all three must be considered.

The tricky aspect to the triple bottom line approach is that you won't get it from the traditional business media, at least not yet. Forbes magazine somehow showed up on my doorstep, quite a surprise since I didn't order it - a gift to read another viewpoint. I am surprised that for such a reputable magazine it is behind the trend, still supporting business as usual instead of adapting to the emerging trends. This is probably in response to customer base - leaders at the top of organizations quite separated from what's happening on the ground level. The downfall of the ivory tower... can easily be avoided by ensuring the structure of your organization is appropriate to perform the functions your business needs to be profitable.