Solutions

Modular Organisation

28 - 10 - 2010
The Agile Company: Modular Organisation
Guest speaker: Jef Colruyt

>> The Agile seminar with guest speaker Jef Colruyt was an outstanding success! Here we give a summary of what we learnt at the enjoyable talk given by Jef Colruyt:

Jef Colruyt’s speaking slot was received very favourably. What we particularly appreciated was the authenticity and sincerity he brought to his talk. Jef did not shrink from speaking frankly about the importance of inspiration, awareness, a sense of purpose and pleasure as an essential starting-point in achieving business goals. We heard messages such as ‘Have a modest attitude” and ‘The power of simplicity’ as lodestars to cost-efficient working. The great strength is that Jef Colruyt applies familiar management principles to a culture with sound values, but where those values are united to form a management tool. Thus, he sketches out his ‘rocket’ (the Colruyt management model), a powerful stepping-stone, a real source of inspiration. Jan Bellaert, a partner at MÖBIUS, outlines below how this ‘rocket’ underlies the principles of the nimble organisation. Also well appreciated was its starting-point of trusting people and employees, and the confidence thereby engendered that a self-supporting, growing organisation will be achieved. It’s all done in a steady, reflective way, with maturity inside the organisation kept firmly in view, promoting a culture of fairness. We were all amazed at the investment put into in this exercise (‘He takes it all so seriously’), and of course at the success of this approach (a 6-billion euro turnover speaks for itself...). It was striking how intensely he chatted with us on the subject afterwards over a cocktail. We all returned home with plenty of food for thought.

Jan Bellaert on how Jef Colruyt’s ‘rocket’ (the Colruyt management model) supports the precepts of the nimble organisation: By the “rocket engine” Jef Colruyt means processes. These are the driving force by which Colruyt is able to fulfil his strategy. In the study into “What makes an organisation nimble?” conducted by MÖBIUS in 2009, the modular organisation was placed at the forefront of its four cornerstones. The core of a modular organisation lies in its processes. What is central here is that those processes are designed to be modular, so that the organisation is able to respond flexibly and appropriately to change. This requires that an organisation must control its own processes, make transparent agreements among all those involved in the process, and ensure to this end that all process modules have the same level of process maturity.

We enjoyed a very successful evening with MÖBIUS, with satisfied and inspired clients for which, once again, thanks to Jef Colruyt!