Redundancy to relevance: Transforming businesses in the turbocharged 21st century
Revolutionizing corporate structure for modern success
Kem-Laurin Lubin, Ph.D-C
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11 min read
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Dec 6
“In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.” — Laurence J. Peter, Peter’s Principle
Ever noticed how the business world’s turning on a dime these days? There’s an amusing yet troubling trend in the corporate structure — the spotlight’s on ‘useless roles.’ You know, those positions that seem to hamper progress more than help it. And thanks to our newfound love for remote work, the spotlight’s gotten even brighter. Those so-called leaders, once the pillars of office walk about life, now seem more like relics from a corporate museum — interesting to look at but not really contributing much.
These roles, steeped in old habits or tangled in red tape, are like having a few jokers in the deck — they might add some character but certainly don’t help win the game. They blur the company’s vision and are a real buzzkill for team morale. Picture a ship where half the crew’s spinning the oars aimlessly — it’s not just a chaotic mess; it’s a comedy show!
Take a moment and look around your own workplace. Got any ‘What exactly do you do here?’ kind of people? I had an eye-opener when a high-and-mighty leader asked someone, in a meeting I attended, to squeeze an entire desktop website page content onto a mobile screen. This, after we had painstakingly explained the concept of ‘small screen real estate, big challenges’ thrice! Or consider the leader who would rather interrupt a whole meeting to ask a question that Google could answer in less time.
These moments are like sitcom scenes — hilarious yet frustrating.
It’s a classic clash of eras — the old guard clinging to their ways, creating ripples (or tsunamis) in the flow of those adapting to newer, sleeker work styles. It’s like trying to merge a horse and buggy with a high-speed train — a recipe for some amusing chaos, but not much progress.
So, what’s this blog about?
