While driving to work yesterday, I heard Alan Chapman, on KUSC, discussing the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and its unusual organizational structure. The orchestra doesn’t have a conductor, but rather chooses members to interpret the pieces, and then rehearses, performs, and records without a conductor.
How does this work? By relying on the eight Orpheus principles: put power in the hands of the people doing the work, encourage individual responsibility, create clarity of roles, share and rotate leadership, foster horizontal teamwork, learn to listen and talk, seek consensus, and dedicate passionately to your mission. (George Cohn, Booklist)
Although this is interesting in itself, even more interesting is that a book was written that applies this strategy to the corporate world: Seifter, H. and P. Economy. (2001) Leadership Ensemble: Lessons in Collaborative Management from the World's Only Conductorless Orchestra. New York: Times Books, 2001.
As I near retirement, I realize that I have been privileged to work with many people who embody the eight Orpheus principles. You have made the Library a very gratifying place to work.
How does this work? By relying on the eight Orpheus principles: put power in the hands of the people doing the work, encourage individual responsibility, create clarity of roles, share and rotate leadership, foster horizontal teamwork, learn to listen and talk, seek consensus, and dedicate passionately to your mission. (George Cohn, Booklist)
Although this is interesting in itself, even more interesting is that a book was written that applies this strategy to the corporate world: Seifter, H. and P. Economy. (2001) Leadership Ensemble: Lessons in Collaborative Management from the World's Only Conductorless Orchestra. New York: Times Books, 2001.
As I near retirement, I realize that I have been privileged to work with many people who embody the eight Orpheus principles. You have made the Library a very gratifying place to work.
Excellent food for thought!
ReplyDeleteSusan and I actually attended a workshop on this at "living the future" last year. He had us conducting, and it was interesting to see how the rules and structure that he taught us pretty quickly could help make a coherent whole out of the individual efforts.
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