Conference rooms all have round tables, so no one can sit at the head and dictate discussions. Nobody has a corner office, and there are no titles. Everyone has access to Lotus Notes databases, and associates share what they know across practice, office, and geographic boundaries. Politics, turf, and implementation responsibilities can squelch ideas in traditional communication channels. Alagasco, a North Birmingham, Ala.-based natural gas company, provides a direct link to CEO Mike Warren via cards posted throughout the organization.
Employees jot down questions and ideas, with no signature required.
Rosenbluth has a toll-free hotline to CEO Hal Rosenbluth. Prioritize the tasks. Most companies' to-do lists contain twice as much as they could ever accomplish. A prioritization process can align brainpower and effort behind what's truly strategic. Senior leaders get together to rank all vital activities first to last, no ties allowed.