• The evolution of organizations from the earliest recorded tribes to present-day multinationals
• The traits of a Teal organization
• The key role that trust plays in developing a Teal culture
• The two essential elements necessary for a Teal experiment to have any chance of success in an engineering culture

OVERVIEW

Credit: 5 PDH

Length: 55 pages

Organizational theory discussion began with Henry Ford’s assembly line over a century ago in 1913.

Nearly seven decades later, its evolution led innovators and path-finders “in search of excellence”. Later, if we found our organizations lacking agility and generally restricted in the bureaucratic bindings of the past, we were exhorted to “reengineer the corporation” and break free of old constraints.

Only eight years later, we learned why some companies just can’t improve: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t explained it all to us.

In 2004, if we were struggling to stay relevant in our respective markets, we could improve our quality and speed with a martial arts approach using Six Sigma tactics and earning achievement belts of different colors.

Or, if we were not specifically focused on only items the customer valued, we could become LEANer by following the Toyota automobile model.

Today, we are trying to flatten the organization by reducing layers of management and encouraging employees to become more self-directed and actively involved in the life of the organization. We are trying to move away from our traditional ‘Amber’ and ‘Orange’ organizations and toward ‘Teal’ cultures. (All of these colors are thoroughly explained.)

The intended audience for the course is any strategically thinking professional engineer who wants to determine whether it is feasible and practical to charter a Teal culture path within their organization.

Ideally, it is someone in a leadership position who wants to gain a basic understanding of this organizational concept thoroughly enough to be able to implement it in their organization or at least participate in a thoughtful discussion if the opportunity arises.

Also, you never know when an executive will ask, “Has anyone heard about these Teal organizations? Is there anything to it that we can use in our company?”