The document discusses alternative organizational structures to the traditional hierarchical pyramid structure. It describes Liip, a company with 130 employees and 5 offices that is organized in an agile, self-organized, and non-hierarchical way. Key points of the alternative structure discussed include self-managed teams that are responsible for clients, projects, hiring and developing staff. While autonomy is given, teams still have constraints around monitoring client satisfaction, team morale, and profitability. The document suggests this structure allows for greater employee empowerment, flexibility and meaning in their work.

1. Agile Web Development
Liip.ch
–
November 13th, 2015
THE PYRAMID IS DEAD!
Creative Mornings Geneva

2. MY OBJECTIVE FOR TODAY
“Showcase that there are alternative ways to organize work
than the traditional top-down approach. And even maybe
convince you that this is the way successful 21st century
companies will be structured.“

3. 5 offices
Agile
130 people
Self-organized Sustainable
Human-Centered
Equality FlexibilityFreedom Health Openness
Meaningful workEmpowerment DiversityHappiness
Web-focused

4. "THE GREATEST
DANGER IN TIMES
OF TURBULENCE IS
NOT THE
TURBULENCE. IT IS
TO ACT WITH
YESTERDAY’S
LOGIC.”
Peter Drucker

5. ABOUT THE EVOLUTION OF WORK
ORGANIZATION

6. KEY HYPOTHESIS(FREDERIC LALOUX)
« Every time humanity has shi ed to a new
stage of consciousness, it has also invented a
radically more productive organizational
model »

7. Tribal / Impulsive / Fear, division of labour
Agrarian / Conformist / Hierarchy, trusting authority
Modern / Achievement / Innovation, profit, growth
Post-modern / Pluralistic / Culture-driven, consensus

8. ALL SOFAR ARE BASED ON A
CLASSICAL PYRAMID STRUCTURE.

9. BUT WAIT, A NEW WAY IS JUST
EMERGING AS COMPLEXITY
EXPLODES

10. Tribal / Impulsive / Fear, division of labour
Agrarian / Conformist / Hierarchy, trusting authority
Modern / Achievement / Innovation, profit, growth
Post-modern / Pluralistic / Culture-driven, consensus
Evolutionary

11. Self-management,
operating on a basis of
peer relationships rather
than hierarchy.
Evolutionary - TEAL
Wholeness,
which means the whole
person and not just the
professional self comes to
the workplace.
Evolutionary purpose,
in essence, the organization
itself having a direction and
a reason for living.

12. WHAT MAKES LIIP CLOSE TO TEAL?

13. - Lots of Liipers powered business and technology initiatives
- No middle management, no CEO, no head of’s, no team leads…
- Partners willing to let go, low salary ratio (1:3)
- 130 Liipers, roughly 4.5 FTE official management
SOME INDICATORS

14. SO, HOW DOES THAT WORK?

15. EMPOWERMENT

16. 16

17. 17

18. 18

19. SELF ORGANISED TEAMS
- Sell, produce, maintain projects
- Hire, develop, organise Liipers
- Innovate
- “Do what you want, and take the responsibility”
19

20. OK, ARE THERE CONSTRAINTS?
- Yes! A need to transparently monitor :
- Client delightment
- Team morale (or members happiness)
- Profitability

21. PEOPLE

22. LIIPERS ARE OUR
MOST PRECIOUS ASSET!

24. STRATEGY

27. - Salary
- Conflicts management
- Bigger budget decisions
- Legal limitations
- Crisis?
WAIT, WE ARE NOT COMPLETELY “TEAL”
YET, SOME NASTY STUFF IS LEFT…

28. It might look like it, but it’s not that easy :)
- It takes time
- Collaborators mindset have a big influence
- It helps to be in a growing market
- Self vs. Shelf ? Which is the best way to go forward?
SOME TAKEAWAYS BEFORE COFFEE…

29. SOME RESEARCH MATERIAL

30. Agile Web Development
Liip.ch
–
Jonas Vonlanthen
Partner
+41 21 533 13 00
jonas.vonlanthen@liip.ch
THANKS :)
QUESTIONS!!