The Art of Talking About Your Organization

This is the first article I'm writing for Maxim's Musings. I hope you enjoy it and perhaps gain a new perspective.

I've often remarked that there was something beautiful about a stack of bricks.

It may seem rather mundane, but those bricks represent something inherently interesting about any organization. Firstly, those bricks have to be made; each brick must be a nearly exact copy of one another. If there is too much discrepancy, the structure that uses them would surely collapse. Therefore the bricks have to be exactly the same in dimension.

The bricks need to be transported without damage to where they need to be used. Such a journey is filled with dangers for the bricks and they can be damaged so as not to be fit to be used. After they get to their destination, the stack of bricks must be organized carefully so that the bricklayer can easily get them and start using them with minimal effort.

All of these parts of a brick's life can be understood to be examples of the importance of good organization and the system that makes it function. If one part of this organization does not work, it impacts the whole. Bricks are my example, but there are many others. I bring up this example as it shows the deep interconnection between processes that make up a successful organization. Many of you may have very specific functions within your organization, but perhaps you aren't able to see the whole. It's important that you do understand the entire business cycle of your organization from top to bottom and see where you fit in.

Test yourself: can you explain you're organization's business and where you fit in? Tell it to a friend and ask them to explain it back to you. If they cannot do so easily, you may not have explained to them thoroughly enough so they understand. This means you may not understand yourself.

Learning where you fit in can help you understand the beauty of your role and how it impacts others. Never assume that what you do is self-evident...even to yourself. Your understanding of the work you do should always be understood in the larger picture if you hope to grow your career and improve upon it. Seeing all of the parts will make you aware of how to make your own role more impactful and what other opportunities exist for improving your own career.

The bricks in my example don't see the result of the organization and the system that surrounds it. But you do...and once you see the whole, you will not fail to act.

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.

Anatole France