Facebook or Fortune 500? Or both?

As a veteran of corporate America, insurance and financial services division, I’d say the notion that creativity and progress was overly stifled by the stodgy old guys in senior management was pretty well accepted. And although management is certainly getting younger and somewhat more diverse, I’m not so sure that much has changed today, beyond the bare minimum, like the occasional day care center or pizza party. It’s a shame to see so much time and talent wasted in bureaucratic clutter. And at least some if not all of the 12 Web Ways would be a big improvement, with their greater emphasis on substance over form, but there’s plenty of institutional resistance to plow through. I do wonder if today’s economy may push that process along a little, especially if the trend toward growth in successful startups that demonstrate more of those values continues, as many of the more established firms decline. The one exception I’ve seen is an enthusiastic embrace of #11, since substituting intrinsic rewards for actual salary increases can really save the company a bundle!

But that was my old life. Looking forward, I’d like to think that just because I’ll never be in the Facebook generation doesn’t mean I can’t play. There’s a lot of appeal to an environment where you can be productive by sharing good ideas and having fun. Is there a risk to a world where there’s so little structure and control? I suppose so, but no more than the risk of ignoring its benefits. There’s got to be a best of both worlds solution here somewhere, and with any luck, we’ll find it, and society will be the better for it.