management 3.0

is an excellent book by Jurgen Appelo, subtitled Leading agile developers, Developing agile leaders (isbn 978-0-321-71247-9). As usual I'm going to quote from a few pages:

The hierarchy is needed for authorization; the network is needed for communication.

Big species consume more and breed slower.

The Red Queen's Race is an evolutionary hypothesis describing that a complex system needs continuous improvement to simply maintain its current fitness, relative to the systems it is co-evolving with. Some scientists claim that the Red Queen's Race, or the principle of co-evolving species, is an even more important driver of evolution that any other kind of environmental change.

We can consider the internal structure of each system to be a code for the environment and the other species that it is evolving with.

There is no accurate (or rather, perfect) representation of a system which is simpler than the system itself.

We can figure out why the human heart fails (reductionism) but we can never create a heart that won't fail (constructionism).

Managers must learn that they are "in charge" but not "in control".

Recent research has shown that the copying of ideas is the most successful of all strategies.

Uncertainty results in a bias towards self-interest.

Feedback is only feedback when there is a purpose behind it.

Research shows that self-discipline is twice as important as IQ for final grades of students. Effort matters more than talent.

Focus on delivering value.

We need continuous business improvement.

hierarchy

Back to quotes table-of-contents

From Management of the Absurd

The introduction of highly participative systems tends to bring attacks on the stronger members, often the leaders, while more hierarchical systems bring attacks on the weaker members.

It is only when the balance of power is relatively equal that truly candid communication can and should take place.

From The Psychology of Computer Programming

If egoless programming is used, everyone in the group will have the opportunity to examine the work of everyone else at some time, thereby tending to prevent the establishment of strong hierarchy.

From Not Always So

When you practice your own practice together with others, the true ego-lessness happens.

From Situated Learning - Legitimate Peripheral Participation

The fact that the work was done in an interaction between members opened it up to other members of the team.

From Pair Programming Illuminated

Widespread use of pair programming involves a cultural shift in values of the organization - away from individual and toward team recognition and goals.

From Kanban

High-trust cultures tend to have flatter structures than lower-trust cultures.

From Peopleware

The structure of a team is a network not a hierarchy.

From Freedom from Command and Control

Without doubt the most important system condition affecting performance is measurement. It goes hand in hand with command-and-control hierarchical structure.

From Maverick

A conservative bunch, they adhered to a rigid hierarchy, even when complaining.

From The Starfish and the Spider

This is a book about what happens when there is no one in charge. It's about what happens when there's no hierarchy.

From Mind and Nature

In all hierarchies, it is most undesirable to have direct contact between levels that are nonconsecutive.

From The Fifth Discipline

Hierarchy is antithetical to dialogue, and it is difficult to escape hierarchy in organisations.

From Management 3.0

The hierarchy is needed for authorization; the network is needed for communication.

From Thinking in Systems - A Primer

Among all possible complex forms, hierarchies are the only ones that have had time to evolve.
In hierarchical systems, relationships within each subsystem are denser and stronger than relationships between subsystems.
Hierarchical systems evolve from the bottom up.