Imagine your organization has a unique opportunity. If you move fast, you can enter a new market before your competitors even knows it exists. You’re in a meeting exploring this challenge when a question is raised: “Should we focus more on centralizing or decentralizing to gain a foothold in this new market?”
The “Either / Or” Lens: Seeing Only Part of the Picture
Looking through an “Either / Or” lens, people in the meeting quickly join one of two camps. One group of people in the meeting believes it’s best to centralize operations. Do it well and you can standardize processes, deliver consistent quality in products and services, and share best practices across the organization. What are they worried about? Decentralize things too much and you’re on a slippery slope to inefficient processes, inconsistent quality products and services, and local leaders more committed to their own success than the success of the overall organization. These people are clear, committed and their energy is focused on one thing: the organization’s greater good. But another group in the room sees things differently.