There’s an interesting story about eBay (or is it Skype?) that details an organization that has the best of both worlds: decentralized and centralized organizational structure. Not too many companies operate in this fashion. Decentralized leadership permits the opportunity for more people (workers) to yield more power in decision making. Centralized models are your typical top down CEO to manager to manager to manager to manager to you.
Some of the best lead organizations try not to settle in a particular structure for too long, and adapt to their need and size rapidly (or as fast as they can handle change). Generally speaking top down forms of organizational structure tend to be more inefficient. Conversely, purely decentralized models don’t get anything done.
Case in point: OWS.
OWS will fail not because the so-called 99% will never mobilize. OWS won’t fail because many of the participants are regular middle class suburbanites. OWS in its current form will fail because it’s too decentralized. What’s been a catalyst to get fragmented groups together will ultimately lead to the pittering out of the current movement.
When you’re too decentralized you lack a centralized purpose/vision/message. What is the message of OccupyCalgary? I have no idea. I found some documents, but because nobody is actually running the event the purpose changes from blog to blog.
I believe we’re seeing a change in our country fuelled by growing discontent. The current form of protest will do nothing to change the actual system, however. What will help OWS succeed mobilize in greater support and eventual change will be some form of centralization for message.
This doesn’t have to be a person necessarily, or even a group. Think about Tahir Square, I can’t think of a single leader (although there were many) but I can remember the message.
Your organization is probably stuck on the extremes of organizational paradigms. My sense the solution isn’t falling into the opposite ditch, but a mish mash of both worlds. Something that maintains efficiency while retaining creativity. Something that clarifies current vision and objectives while sharing decision making to reach those objectives.