lifeoutside the lines

I was at a supermarket in London yesterday, and I was struck by the domino effect of the automated checkouts. Clearly they are rapidly replacing service staff, but it’s what comes next that I am curious about.

As Ventha, scanned my oatmilk, I asked what she thought about the rise of the machines. She replied that she would soon finish her studies at college and would get a better job. That’s all she cared about. Good for her.

People (arguably) accept that this is how the world works. Simple, mechanical jobs are rapidly being replaced by faster, cheaper (and annoyingly more obtuse) robots.

But don’t worry. You’re safe. You’re a manager.

Nope. Management is an Industrial Age legacy, designed to organise human resources in such a way that they would do as they were told and maintain the status quo. Managers were (once) essential to maintaining the moving parts of the human machine.

@danielpriestley thinks of it in terms of Functionality vs Vitality.

A functional role is one that does not require thought. It does not require the individual to be creative or autonomous. It simply requires them to do what they did yesterday again today.

A vital role is different. A vital role demands individuals who are autonomous, inspired, creative sell expressive, engaged human beings.

Vital people don’t like managers because management kills vitality, dead.

If the moving parts of the machine can be automated, so can their management. It’s already happening;

Free, scalable, online project management and communication tools like Basecamp, Skype and Google Docs allow vital, non local, self organising teams to collaborate effectively without a moderator or manager.

These teams are organising around more than a paycheck. They come together with a common bond. A communal vision, achieved by honouring and leveraging each others skills, talents & differences. Instead of a management model that suppresses individuality, this new open system exalts it.

Leadership, creativity, innovation and art are the vital roles that stand the test of time. They are the last refuge of the human spirit.

@michaelhyatt inspired me when he said ‘Leadership is more than influence. It is about reminding people of what it is we are trying to build – and why it matters. It is about painting a picture of a better future. It comes down to pointing the way and saying “C’mon. We can do this!!”

And so we can.