Case Study : Rotating Leaders
Rotating Leaders
1. What would business organizations such as Kraft Foods gain from observing
Orpheus in action?
Kraft Foods is a traditional company with the usual board of directors, chief executive officer, and a host of other executives. Each of these officers has his own predetermined role in the company. In Orpheus, each musician is given the chance to participate in decision-making by occasionally becoming a member of the core group. Similarly, each member could also hone his leadership skills by becoming the concertmaster at one point or another. By letting its executive observe how Orpheus can function without a conductor, Kraft's leaders could take a cue on how they'd implement projects in the lower level of the organization. Since it would be improbable right now to rotate top management, like replacing the chief executive every four months, what Kraft can do is to build a core group for each project that the company would undertake. Members of that core group will include company executives and ordinary employees, who will be in charge of studying, researching and presenting the initial plan to the company's investors. I believe Kraft already has this kind of group, however, I also think this group is comprised of the same people -- usually from top management. By occasionally inviting other employees to the core group, new ideas will be borne. Additionally, those new core group members will be able to practice their decision-making and leadership skills. By having the opportunity to contribute in other levels of production, employees would feel more satisfied and fulfilled in their jobs, and become more motivated to perform well. Also, activities like these could bring out the potentials in low-level employees who are oftentimes not given the opportunity to lead and decide.
2. Orpheus rotates the concertmaster among core group members, what is the logic of rotating the leader?
Orpheus, through time, has come to understand that in
1. What would business organizations such as Kraft Foods gain from observing
Orpheus in action?
Kraft Foods is a traditional company with the usual board of directors, chief executive officer, and a host of other executives. Each of these officers has his own predetermined role in the company. In Orpheus, each musician is given the chance to participate in decision-making by occasionally becoming a member of the core group. Similarly, each member could also hone his leadership skills by becoming the concertmaster at one point or another. By letting its executive observe how Orpheus can function without a conductor, Kraft's leaders could take a cue on how they'd implement projects in the lower level of the organization. Since it would be improbable right now to rotate top management, like replacing the chief executive every four months, what Kraft can do is to build a core group for each project that the company would undertake. Members of that core group will include company executives and ordinary employees, who will be in charge of studying, researching and presenting the initial plan to the company's investors. I believe Kraft already has this kind of group, however, I also think this group is comprised of the same people -- usually from top management. By occasionally inviting other employees to the core group, new ideas will be borne. Additionally, those new core group members will be able to practice their decision-making and leadership skills. By having the opportunity to contribute in other levels of production, employees would feel more satisfied and fulfilled in their jobs, and become more motivated to perform well. Also, activities like these could bring out the potentials in low-level employees who are oftentimes not given the opportunity to lead and decide.
2. Orpheus rotates the concertmaster among core group members, what is the logic of rotating the leader?
Orpheus, through time, has come to understand that in