I’ve practices flat organization in a few contexts: as a small business owner, as an activist, and as an employee. It feels right to me. It feels like the space wherein I’m most creative and productive. But why? Is it a quirk of my personality or personal history? Or am I on to something?
Some of my starting points, off the top of my head:
- People are creative
- People care about each other
- People want to succeed together
- Flat means no capricious authority
- Flat means you decide how you work
- Flat means you have a say in the definition of success
- Flat means you own outcomes, good or bad
- Flat means you solve problems instead of being stuck with them
- Flat means your co-workers matter
- Flat means learning
- Flat means higher expectations
- Flat means nothing is safe from questions
- Flat means decisions take longer
- Flat means decisions are better
- Flat means work is challenging
- Flat means work is meaningful