A metaphor for different roles you should let prosper in your organisation
An organisation as a society
A company is a microcosm of society. Individuals come together to achieve common goals, solve shared problems, and contribute to the greater good. As communities consist of diverse individuals, companies are a melting pot of unique talents, experiences, and perspectives. The economist and philosopher Max Weber already described the similarities between political society and the social structures in a company, and its impact on modern capitalist culture.
We will push this analysis further by introducing the metaphor of social services into a company landscape. From our observations, we found that companies need different functions to work. But not only the functional from a job description, but furthermore public services that are usually hidden. The comparison is clear: while everything works as expected, both in society and companies, all socioeconomic system participants will do their best to ensure a frictionless society. It is when things become more complicated when there is a need for social services, and following job descriptions is counterproductive.
This concept may sound abstract initially, but it becomes more evident when considering how specific roles.
The roles of your public services
Every community typically has three departments to handle almost every kind of emergency. A police department, as part of a legal system, enforces rules and order. A fire department, as part of a more extensive system for technical aid, literally puts out fires and creates relief for physical problems with the infrastructure. As part of a health care system, a hospital system creates precise relief on a per-case basis. In free societies, independent journalism may be regarded as another crucial public service to observe and control the public services and public agents independently. Together, these services provide a free and secure society we all want to live in.
Engaged employees sometimes find their calling in following a role similar to the public services described here. While this work is not part of their formal job description, they are still valuable assets. They will provide substantial value to the company in a time of need. We will first examine these roles and then explain how to foster them.
The police officer
In a company's bustling ecosystem, a metaphorical "police officer" is essential for maintaining order and ensuring that everyone adheres to the rules and protocols that govern the organisation. This individual, often holds roles such as compliance officer or team leader, upholds the company's values, principles, and procedures. The police officer plays a pivotal role in preserving the integrity and efficiency of the company, much like their real-life counterpart does for society.
Here's why the police officer plays such an essential role in a company:
Ensuring adherence to laws and regulations: By insisting on strict compliance with rules and guidelines, the police officer ensures that the company operates within the boundaries set by relevant laws and regulations. This helps the organisation avoid legal issues, fines, and damage to its reputation.
Maintaining a level playing field: By enforcing protocols and procedures, the police officer promotes fairness and consistency throughout the organisation. This ensures that all employees are treated equally and have the same opportunities, which fosters a healthy and inclusive work environment.
Protecting the company's assets and reputation: By diligently monitoring adherence to company policies, the police officer safeguards the organisation's assets and reputation. This includes protecting sensitive information, intellectual property, and company resources and mitigating potential risks.
Fostering a culture of accountability: The presence of a police officer encourages a sense of responsibility among employees. By holding individuals accountable for their actions and decisions, this role promotes a culture of integrity and ethical behaviour, which is vital for any company's long-term success.
In conclusion, the police officer ensures that a company remains compliant, efficient, and ethically grounded. While they can be a pain for pragmatists, their instance on order keeps the company grounded and mitigates long-term risks of taking shortcuts in development. Depending on stage and industry, the police officers must be pickier or more laissez-faire.
The firefighter
In the complex business world, the "firefighter" plays a critical role in ensuring that companies remain agile and adaptive in the face of challenges. This individual, often found in roles such as operations manager or project manager, is known for their pragmatic approach and hands-on problem-solving skills. They are the go-to person when unforeseen issues arise, adeptly extinguishing fires and restoring order. Just as a firefighter battles flames and saves lives, the metaphorical firefighter is indispensable in safeguarding the health and resilience of a company.
Here's why the metaphorical firefighter plays such an essential role in a company:
Rapid problem-solving: In a fast-paced business environment, unexpected problems can arise at any moment. The firefighter's ability to think on their feet and quickly address these issues helps minimise disruptions to the company's operations, ensuring that productivity remains consistent.
Encouraging adaptability: The hands-on approach of the firefighter fosters a culture of adaptability and resilience within the company. Their ability to navigate challenges and implement solutions is a powerful example for other employees, inspiring them to embrace change and stay agile in adversity.
Enhancing communication and collaboration: The firefighter promotes open communication and teamwork by working closely with various departments and stakeholders to resolve problems. This collaborative spirit helps break down silos and encourages a more unified, integrated approach to problem-solving across the organisation.
In conclusion, the firefighter plays a crucial role in maintaining a company's resilience and adaptability, which are essential for success in today's ever-evolving business landscape. By addressing problems head-on and encouraging a culture of collaboration, adaptability, and innovation, this individual significantly contributes to the overall health and sustainability of the organisation. Their approach to problem-solving will run counter to the police officer. The firefighters' nature is to extinguish the fire despite all rules and regulations. While this might be a suitable approach at the loom of catastrophe, firefighters should be aware that not all projects are fires.
Typically, firefighters underperform on routine tasks while they outperform under extraordinary conditions. Don't make the mistake of assessing the firefighter on their administrative performance. They will be duly missed in the next emergency.
The paramedic
In the intricate workings of a company, the "paramedic" plays a vital role in diagnosing and addressing issues with precision and analytical acumen. This individual, often found in roles such as data analyst, business analyst, or strategist, is known for their methodical approach and keen attention to detail. They can dissect complex problems and devise well-thought-out solutions, much like a paramedic's crucial task of assessing and treating patients during emergencies. The paramedic's expertise in analysis and reason is essential for a company's success and progress.
Here's why the metaphorical paramedic plays such an essential role in a company:
Informed decision-making: The paramedic's ability to analyse data and draw meaningful insights is invaluable when making informed decisions. By providing a data-driven foundation for decision-making, they help the company chart a strategic course based on facts rather than intuition alone.
Enhancing efficiency: By examining processes and systems critically, the paramedic can identify areas to improve efficiency. Their precise and exact approach ensures that resources are allocated optimally and that the company operates at peak performance.
Fostering a culture of continuous improvement: A paramedic within the company encourages a mindset of constant growth and learning. By applying their analytical skills to evaluate the effectiveness of existing processes and practices, they inspire a culture of continuous improvement and drive the organisation towards excellence.
In conclusion, the paramedic ensures that a company operates on a solid foundation of data-driven insights and well-considered decisions. By harnessing the power of analysis and reason, this individual contributes significantly to the organisation's overall growth, efficiency, and credibility, helping it navigate the complexities of the business world with confidence and precision. Compared with firefighters, the paramedic has more time to solve their problems. Thus, their solutions will be long-lasting and more sustainable. On an Eisenhower chart, the paramedic would solve important issues, whereas the firefighter would solve urgent ones. Since most real emergencies are urgent and important, firefighters and paramedics must sometimes work together. There, project management's task is to define handovers and responsibilities to ensure smooth operations.
Bonus: the journalist
In the dynamic landscape of a company, the "journalist" serves as a critical voice, shining a light on injustices and bringing attention to pressing issues. Often being a conscientious team member, these individuals are known for their keen sense of justice and the courage to speak up when they witness unfair practices or pressing concerns. The journalist's role in promoting transparency, ethical behaviour, and fairness is essential for the integrity and long-term success of the company.
Here's why the journalist plays such an essential role in a company:
Safeguarding integrity: By raising their voice against injustices, the journalist helps uphold the company's values and ethical principles. They serve as a moral compass, reminding the organisation of its responsibility to act with integrity and fairness.
Encouraging transparency: The journalist fosters a culture of openness and accountability within the company. By highlighting pressing issues, they push the organisation to confront its shortcomings and work towards addressing them, ultimately promoting a more transparent work environment.
Empowering employees: A journalist within the company can empower other employees to speak up and voice their concerns. This helps to create a more inclusive and supportive work environment where employees feel heard and valued.
Driving positive change: The journalist can catalyse positive organisational change by pointing out areas where improvements are needed. Their efforts can lead to implementing new policies or processes that benefit the company and its employees.
However, the role of the journalist can sometimes be frustrating for managers. They will want information when the company does not have resources for anything but working on their challenges. They will challenge the status quo by addressing injustices. This can make managers uncomfortable, as it may require them to confront brutal truths or acknowledge mistakes. They bring attention to problems or ethical concerns, sometimes slowing the decision-making process.
Despite these challenges, it is crucial to recognise the value and importance of the journalist in a company. Their dedication to upholding justice and promoting transparency ultimately contributes to a more ethical, accountable, and resilient organisation, benefiting everyone involved. Arguably, the best societies thrive on openness. And while journalism is an annoyance for all decision-makers sometimes, the benefit of transparency heavily outweighs the short-term irritation.
Friction in society
Importantly, not all employees find their calling in these social sectors, nor do they have to. At least 10 % of the workforce should double in public services to create a productive company.
The four functions within a company – police officer, firefighter, paramedic, and journalist – each play a unique and essential role in ensuring the organisation's success, integrity, and resilience. While they often work together harmoniously to address various challenges, there can be friction points due to differences in approaches, priorities, or objectives. Furthermore, there will be friction between public functions and management at times. Understanding these interactions and potential friction points can help managers facilitate effective collaboration among these roles.
Process focus: While the police officer and the journalist are process focused, the firefighter and the paramedic are problem-focused. The latter group wants to solve a challenge with reduced interest in proper conduct or administrative rules. Still, the first group might be right in insisting on following protocol for several reasons. A straightforward reason in project management might be documentation, which is usually enforced by management and police officers.
Level of detail: Firefighters and journalists tend to think in bigger pictures. In contrast, police officers and paramedics tend to work more on deeper information. This can be frustrating for each group as the others don't see what they see and want to work on different levels of abstraction
Communication needs: In practice, paramedics and journalists are more eager to talk things out when compared to firefighters and police officers. For example, paramedics and journalists enjoy post-mortems, project briefings and team building. Firefighters and police officers are more ok with going from one project to the other with less talk about lessons learned, which they sometimes might consider a waste of time. Also, their communication evolves more on a factual basis, while paramedics and journalists need more interpersonal communication.
To encourage the formation and collaboration of these roles, managers can adopt the following strategies:
Promote open communication: Encourage open and honest communication where team members feel comfortable discussing their concerns, ideas, and opinions. This enables the various metaphorical roles to understand and appreciate each other's perspectives and fosters a collaborative environment.
Establish clear expectations and goals: Clearly define the expectations and objectives for each role, and ensure that all team members understand the organisation's overall goals. This helps to align everyone's efforts and minimise potential conflicts arising from differing priorities.
Provide support and resources: Ensure that the police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and journalists have the support needed to perform their roles effectively. This includes providing training, information access, and skill development opportunities.
Foster a culture of respect and empathy: Encourage team members to respect and appreciate the unique contributions of each role. Managers can reduce friction points and promote a more harmonious working relationship by cultivating an environment of compassion and understanding.
Encourage cross-functional collaboration: Facilitate opportunities for these roles to work together on projects or initiatives, enabling them to learn from one another and better understand each other's approaches and priorities.
By understanding the potential friction points and fostering an open communication, respect, and collaboration environment, managers can encourage the formation and effective interaction of these crucial roles, ultimately enhancing the organisation's success, resilience, and integrity.
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