How a Virtual
Company Creates Cohesiveness and Commitment
By Jo Ellen Roe
From At Work:
Creating a more enlightened world of business & work July/August
1998 (Volume 7, Number 4)
In 1995, Dannemiller Tyson Associates became
a virtual company - an organization where people are linked
in space instead of place. Company members have embraced the
challenge of creating an engaged and cohesive working group
and, at the same time, have been able to address other problems
that they had been struggling with for some time. Here's a report
on their progress so far.
DANNEMILLER TYSON ASSOCIATES
(DTA), which is
based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is a consulting firm with thirteen
partners who live in and work from locations scattered across
the United States. Computers and telephone lines provide communication
links, and the partners have developed ground rules that work
long distance as well as face- to-face. They share contractual
agreements and legal arrangements-in this case, a limited liability
corporate structure- that allow them to transcend the constraints
more traditionally organized enterprises often face.
Prior to becoming virtual, DTA wrestled with
the same problems that many of its client companies faced. A
hierarchical structure gave some partners more clout than others.
Connections between partners were difficult to maintain. Each
consulting partner was paying a sizable portion of his or her
income into the company to cover operating expenses, which included
the support of new members not yet adequately trained or well
enough known to be able to get work. Essentially, partners wanted
an equal distribution of power and lower overhead.
To achieve these goals, company members are
now engaged in ongoing efforts to create a democratic organization
that supports individual and team performance, facilitates company
cohesiveness, and mirrors their shared values and philosophy.
Here are some of the approaches that have worked for DTA so
far:
An Organizational Structure That Reflects
the Values of the Company. The organizational structure
of the company is flat. Each consultant has a full voice in
all company decisions and an identical partnership role, each
pays an identical amount of money into the company each month,
and each has equal liability for company debts and taxes. In
all other respects, however, each partner manages his or her
own business interests individually. Since company shares have
no equity, there is no buy-in fee for new partners.
The thirteen partners manage the company as
a team. They take turns being responsible for certain tasks.
For example, each consultant assumes the role of "Administrator
of the Week" on a rotating alphabetical basis. When appropriate,
the Administrator will use the shared phone line to initiate
discussions about a matter at hand, and then make a decision
based on the combined thoughts of the group.
To handle periodic decision making concerning
finances, computers, the course the group teaches, the audio
and video tapes the company produces, human resource issues,
and marketing strategies, DTA came up with the idea of the "gyroscope
group." In this arrangement, each consultant assumes one of
six areas of responsibility for a quarter, on a volunteer basis.
The constant change of leadership prevents any one person from
getting too attached to a particular role and thus upsetting
the balance of power in the organization. The "Beanie of the
Quarter" keeps an eye on income; determines how much the company
can spend on education, expenses, and equipment; and keeps everyone
informed. The "Propeller-Head of the Quarter" explores options
for needed computer-related decisions and makes recommendations
to the whole group. The "Yoda of the Quarter" watches over the
results and the general quality of the courses the company offers
and keeps the group aware of issues it needs to address. The
"HR Specialist of the Quarter" keeps the partners cognizant
of decisions they need to make on such things as office salaries,
performance appraisals, and bonuses. The "While You Sleep" consultant
oversees the production of tapes and videos. Finally, the "Universe
Disturber" leads the effort to drum up global business for the
company and spread the word about DTA and its work. >Like the
Administrator of the Week, each decision-maker ultimately decides
what to do based on the joint thinking of the partners.
Interactive Communication Systems.
DTA's
partners communicate with one another constantly, and in several
ways. The group schedules regular face-to-face meetings, at
which they work on projects together, continue discussions begun
on the Internet, and make decisions-all the while freely expressing
their views. Each consultant has access to a common database
- and to the other partners - through the office network of
computers. This network enables partners to exchange designs
and notes and continually improve both products and methodology.
Everyone has a voicemail box in which others
can leave messages. In addition, a 900 phone number serves,
like the Internet, as a "meeting place" for discussions, which
are often contentious. The partners have agreed that anyone
with a problem or concern will address it immediately with the
person(s) involved, whether face-to-face, over the phone, or
through electronic means.
Joint Learning Opportunities. DTA teaches
a class in Whole Scale[trademark] methodology (the foundation
of the company's work) once each quarter in various domestic
and overseas locations. Every partner makes an effort to be
there in order to both teach and learn from course participants
as well as one another. The money participants pay for the course
underwrites each partner's presence. When the course brings
in additional revenue, the group may use the unallocated funds
to finance special retreats that help members broaden their
perspectives and gain new information. The consultants also
collaborate on writing books, articles, and other materials.
Central Administrative Center with a Flexible
Infrastructure. A staff of two persons, operating as a self-managing
work team, runs the DTA office. They distribute marketing materials,
prepare course packets, provide a single contact point for clients,
maintain the company's computer and communication systems, send
out invoices, receive money, and channel it to the appropriate
partners. The money each consultant contributes to the company
each month supports all office functions.
When a prospective client calls the office for
information or a proposal and does not ask for someone by name,
the administrators refer the person to the consultant at the
top of a revolving, alphabetical list.
Balance Between Independence and Interdependence.
Each consultant has the opportunity to be flexible and adaptable
in terms of the kind and amount of work he or she chooses to
do. Typically, partners obtain work using the DTA logo and methodology,
and then partner with the person(s) in the group who can best
support the work. Often this means that a more experienced consultant
partners with a less experienced one. Each supports and strengthens
the other, both learn from the experiences, and together they
raise the level of shared knowledge in the company.
The connections among partners that DTA's organizational
framework encourages are a key factor in helping the company
to be one unit rather than thirteen separate entities. In fact,
the firm's partners say they never work alone. Even if they
are physically alone, they rely on the thoughts and ideas they
and their partners have generated and are constantly generating
together. The synergy they experience is reflected in DTA's
motto: "One brain, one heart."
Jo Ellen Roe is an independent consultant
and freelance writer who can be reached at 734-426-5872 or jeroe@compuserve.com.
For more information on At Work, contact Alis Valencia, Editor,
7026 Saroni Drive, Oakland, CA 94611, tel 510-339-6700, fax
510-339-6722, e-mail AtWorkNews@aol.com.
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