Autonomy in software design refers to the ability of a system or component to operate independently, making decisions and performing tasks without requiring other components or systems. Autonomy goes hand in hand with loose coupling, limiting the number of dependencies between components. These concepts are crucial for creating systems that are resilient, adaptable, and capable of handling complex tasks in dynamic environments.
But could we apply the same concepts outside software design? Let's find out...
Some observations
If I showed you the following component diagram; what would be some observations, you could make?
Here are some of mine:
- Information is flowing up from components B, C and D to A.
- Probably there is some centralized decision making where most of the power is residing in component A.
- There is a high dependency on component A inside the system.
Although without extra details we can misinterpret this diagram, but the risk exists that the components in this system are neither autonomous nor decoupled. There could be a chance that a refactoring is needed to improve the efficiency and resiliency of this system.
Now what if I replace these components by people, what are now your observations?
I think the same observations still apply, although in a different context.
Remark: Last week I was in a meeting discussing a possible target operating model where (almost) exactly the diagram above was presented. A lot of operational meetings where suggested were the only goal of these meetings was to move information up so that the decision could be made at the highest level.
This is an example of a traditional hierarchical organization structure where information flows from the bottom to the top and authority only exists at the highest level. And as we learned from software design, this has a big impact; slow decision-making, innovation and responsiveness to change (no decoupling), lack of accountability and ownership (no autonomy).
What if we refactor our organization hierarchy?
What if we refactor our organization hierarchy and go to an organization where authority flows in the direction of where the information already is? An organization where we empower our employees, foster a sense of ownership and encourage innovation…
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The result is an organization that can scale more effectively, adapt to changes, and empower teams to deliver outcomes without being slowed down by external constraints.
Time to refactor!
More information
Why Great Leaders Push Authority Down, Not Information Up | Dotneteers.net