Dear members and constituents, Ever get the feeling we are really into changing our organizational structure here at Level 3? It seems to me we should just come out and admit it. Organizational change is one of the things we are well versed at... you might go as far as calling it a core competency. While I'm in no position to comment on the logic, merit or perceived benefits this latest structural change will bring (although I understand there are many), it does occur to me we could learn a lesson or two from the humble donut. Allow me to explain. First of all, have you noticed how org charts are full or rectangles? Why not circles? I believe this subtle change, displaying names and titles in the confines of a friendly donut shape (no sharp corners to frighten the psyche) would help reduce friction and resistance to change. Second, we keep using the pendulum analogy, implying we have changed our mind about one change or another we've made in the past, to explain top management...
Donuts are part of the magic that makes life so sweet. I founded the Level 3 Friday Donut Club in 2004 and ran it until my departure in 2015. It had a three year run at Windstream and is now virtual, but at its peak, we had a rotation of 50+ folks who brought donuts every Friday. We had three simple rules: (1) five dozen (2) boutique shop donuts (3) by 8:00 am. This blog memorializes these e-mails to share my thoughts (and, once upon a time, announce the donut arrival). Have a happy Friday!