What Went Well
Increased Autonomy & Participation
Modern workplaces promote self-organisation, turning people into individual operators with a high degree of autonomy, participation, and decision-making power.
In contrast, Taylor‘s scientific management theory relied on factory workers never solving problems independently.
Democratised Structures
Structures are being increasingly democratized, moving away from rigid hierarchical models to more inclusive and collaborative frameworks. Agile methodologies, for instance, emphasize self-organizing teams and collaborative decision-making, allowing employees to have a greater say in their work processes. This empowerment of workers has led to increased job satisfaction, enhanced innovation, and a more dynamic and responsive work environment.
Decentralised Collaboration & Communication
Cloud-based Software tools enable real-time interaction and information sharing, allowing teams to collaborate seamlessly across different locations and time zones. This has led to more flexible workflows and improved responsiveness.
Decreased Division of Work
In contrast to the highly standardized and repetitive work steps that characterized the industrial era, tasks have become increasingly demanding and complex. The division of labor has decreased, as new management concepts aim to utilize the full cognitive and human potential of employees. The low division of work offers a holistic understanding of the entire work process, which is associated with lower stress levels and better mental health
What Went Poorly
Increased Monitoring
Digital project management tools often include sophisticated monitoring features, raising privacy and surveillance concerns and referred to as Digital Taylorism. Practices such as time tracking, webcam and screen surveillance, browser history checks, and keystroke monitoring are common. Software like Jira monitors employees’ tasks, work speed, and efficiency in real-time, providing transparency for all team members but also causing stress and pressure. During the COVID-19 pandemic, teleworkers reported increased tension and anxiety due to electronic monitoring. The International Labor Organization (ILO) advises against digital surveillance tools, as they can demotivate employees and erode trust.
Compexity & Feature Overload
Unlike the days of Taylor, today’s workers must actively participate in designing a Gantt chart, updating task statuses, and coordinating dependencies in real-time.
The complexity is increased as many programs aim to accommodate a wide range of users from various disciplines within a single system, driven by their software-as-a-service model. To attract and retain subscribers, the programs continuously add functionalities to meet the wide range of user needs. This abundance of features can make the software cumbersome and difficult to navigate, causing frustration and reduced efficiency as users spend more time managing the tool itself rather than the project.
Dissolution of Boundaries
Remote collaboration functionalities in planning software enable more people to work from home, which many workers appreciate for its flexibility and improved work-life balance. However, teleworking also presents challenges such as maintaining motivation, managing distractions, and ensuring effective communication. It can lead to social isolation, longer working hours, and intensified workloads. Mobile software versions blur the line between work and personal time, potentially reducing leisure and rest, and increasing stress and burnout.
High Demand
Agile practices inherent to the software can also result in increased pressure and potential health risks. The need to make difficult decisions within limited time and high demands on continuous delivery during frequent sprints can lead to stress, overtime, and burnout. The integration of waste reduction and efficiency maximization can further increase workload and stress, undermining the protective buffer of sprints. The principle of self-organization is predisposed to lead to voluntary self-exploitation.
Personal Thoughts & Experiences
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Ideas for the Future
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