If we are going to redesign organizations for an AI era, we need to be clear about one thing up front: Tools have almost always pulled people apart.
In organizatiomns,
Every few months someone else does a "Sam Altman" and announces that AI will make agencies obsolete. The case always sounds the same. AI can research faster. AI
Software Agile’s Manifesto famously dismissed the need for intermediaries, espousing “Individuals and Interactions” and “Client Communication.” over the use of managers, contracts and tools. So I’ve always been
Most leaders can name their “messy” client relationships—the ones full of surprises, shifting scopes, and long, meandering conversations (yes, including disputes and arguments) that somehow still move the work forward.
Part of what's so enticing about the agency business is its inherent mayhem.
Chaos sounds bad, but for agencies it's unavoidable, even essential. How we deal with it largely determines how strong the agency is. Chaos comes because each assignment is different, demands come in…
