It struck me that this team of hierarchically-arranged soldiers was so truly collaborative perhaps in part precisely because of the explicitness of the hierarchy. In a corporation, rank is informal and thus is negotiated in every meeting. People position themselves by jousting with others in subtle ways, for explicit jousting is considered pushy. In the Army, your rank couldn't be more explicit. You've got stuff sewn into your clothing denoting your precise position in the hierarchy. Thus, there's no need to joust, and teams can be more genuinely collaborative

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Interesting mini-case of the organizational side of knowledge management in the Army. While businesses have been copying outmoded military thinking, the military has been out inventing new ways of thinking and organizing.

10:19:48 AM •  • comment