According to Peter Block, the best hope for reforming our organizations lies in reshaping the politics of our work lives — how we each define purpose, hold power, and balance wealth. In practical terms, this involves nine principles:
- Maximizing the choices for those closest to the work
- Eliminating management classes by reintegrating the managing and the doing of the work — ”no one would be able to make a living simply planning, watching, controlling, or evaluating the actions of others”
- Allowing measurements and controls to serve the core workers by means of, among other things, team and peer agreements
- Yielding on consistency across groups and supporting local solutions
- Making service the highest priority
- Deglorifying management job titles and demystifying staff functions
- Eliminating secrecy in the organization
- Demanding a firm commitment from each participant with the recognition that freedom and accountability “are in every case joined at the hip”
- Redistributing wealth since “reward systems need to tie everyone’s fortunes to the success of the team, unit, and larger organization”