Week 25, 2019
Evolution, Revolution: The What, How, and Why of the Greiner Growth Model
Hi . Each week I share three ideas for how to make work better. And this week, those ideas all pertain to the Grainer Growth Model — a theoretic framework that explores and explains the crises organisations must overcome to grow and mature:
Let’s dig right in.
What
The Grainer Model is a theoretic framework that describes the phases that organizations go through as they grow. It was developed in 1972 and updated in 1998 by Larry E. Greiner — Professor Emeritus of Management and Organization at the University of Southern California. It’s one of several models that likens organizational growth to that of biological organisms, with “a distinct conception, periods of expansion and eventually, termination”.
For more this conceptual underpinning, check out the “Organizational Life Cycle” entry on Wikipedia.
How
Grainer’s model consists of six stages of growth, each one consisting of a longer evolutionary phase characterized by incremental change and one short revolutionary stage of massive upheaval. To use an analogy: there are six levels in the game of organizational growth, and you need to beat the boss at the end of each level in order to move forward. No boss is the other alike which means you need to deploy different strategies and tactics.
For more on the inner workings, refer to Grainer’s original HBR article titled “Evolution and Revolution as Organizations Grow.”
Why
The central thesis of Grainer’s work is one of self-awareness. If we know where we are on the so-called Grainer Curve, we can anticipate problems and make sure we have solutions at the ready when needed. Importantly, it also reminds us that crises aren’t necessarily a bad thing. While difficult, they herald forward movement and the arrival of new and better things. Assuming, of course, that we’re able to weather the crises
For more this, check out Toolshero and its short-ish and practical treatment of the model and its implications.
Leadership coach Marshall Goldsmith wrote a book called What Got You Here Won’t Get You There. And it seems to me that the Grainer Model provides the same lessons, albeit in an organizational context. And in so doing, it echoes many a conversation I’ve had with managers at organizations big and small. Bar none, they’ve all had to reinvent their themselves several times over in response to new stressors.
I do have my reservations, however. I wonder, for example, if it’s realistic to expect the same sequence of events to apply across organizational paradigms (see w412018)? Perhaps Teal organizations follow a different sequence as compared to their Green and Orange counterparts? That would make sense, given differing degrees of self-management, etc. What goes for one paradigm might not necessarily translate to another.
That’s all for this week. Until next time, stay calm.
WORK! is a weekly email newsletter about the future of work — written and curated by me, Andreas Holmer. I’m a designer, reader, and founder based in Bangkok, Thailand.
