If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing.
Edwards Deming – Quality Guru
I’ve introduced the Handy Work Model to thousands of VUCANs in workshops and seminars. The common refrain I hear is: ‘it’s so bleak and negative’.
Good point. It is what it is. This is what’s happening in the competitive and disrupted workplace.
When Handy first proposed his bleak vision of the corporate workplace thirty years ago, it was considered too radical. Middle managers were considered indispensable. Quality, information systems, accounting, training, IT, engineering, and human resource professionals were considered necessary to sustain the organization. But, things disrupted, many core functions moved to the middle ring and were considered outsourceable.
Many middle management functions were downloaded to first level supervision and self managed teams. Managerial and technical professionals became part of Handy’s middle ring and were retained as long as they added value, otherwise the functions were downsized and the services outsourced to middle or outer ring workers.
The middle ring continues to evolve. Middle ring VUCANs work on special projects that complement or supplement the organization’s core processes. For example, a company may want to develop a complex new product. The company doesn’t have the resources internally so it’ll hire suppliers or contractors to complement its existing core team with specialized skills. Or, if a fast-food restaurant anticipates a spring or summer rush of business, it’ll hire temps to ensure there are sufficient VUCANs to prepare food and service customers.
Work Lesson Earned: Handy model is one of the prevalent work models that companies throughout the world have adopted and use in COVID time. Do I like it? Not really! However, it makes business sense, not particularly people sense. Live with it! Figure out how to adapt and add value within the model.