As modern corporations grow to become global businesses, there is an increasing need for ‘replicable models’ and ‘standardized processes’. This need slowly takes the form of “Bureaucratic Creep”.
While, practically every organization and every job description demands the need for qualities like entrepreneurship, innovative and risk taking – that precise quality that is being killed every day in most organizations. Pangs of growth, they would say!
Corporations are afraid of internal entrepreneurs. They cannot handle personalities that build businesses. Most managers cannot deal with informal, anti-policy, anti-procedure style ,idea people and business builders. They want monthly reports, detailed expense accounts, personal reviews on paper, quarterly reports, year-end reports, stock reports, one hundred page business plans and many more. Do not get paper-strapped. Papers are means to an end.
Do not get paper trapped. Do not accept those handcuffs. The zillion reports, if they do not help in decision making – do not prepare them. If some report has to be done and you know no one looks at it, avoid it at all costs. If it is unavoidable, delegate it to the junior-most level staff. Just do not do anything that does not improve your company’s performance.
PS: At the same time please do document the statutory things that are important for your company existence.
“Bureaucratic Creep” is a term you will hear used a lot around leadership and management conferences. It refers to the inexorable progress of developing bureaucracy to deal with the issues that arise when a company grows past a certain point. Bureaucratic creep is really just a function of laziness, taking the easiest path to a desired end. Rather than deal with individuals, we find it easier and more efficient (at least in the short term) to set up policies and “class actions,” which say, “anyone who falls into . . . category will be dealt with by . . . means” In small companies, we see much less of this “efficient” behaviour.
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