The Edges of Lean — Ep 131 Unblocking the Organization with Jurriaan Kamer

We know that autonomy is one of the factors that leads to high employee satisfaction and that organizational alignment is required to achieve company goals. But how do you get both autonomy and alignment? Jurriaan Kamer believes that companies can achieve aligned autonomy, and there are specific actions leaders can take to reach this goal. He joined me at the Edges of Lean to share his experience and insights.

 

Jurriaan Kamer

 

Jurriaan Kamer is a Dutch expert in organizational change and co-founder of Unblock, a modern management consultancy. He is also a keynote speaker and the author of two influential books. His latest release, “Unblock: Clear the Way for Results and Develop a Thriving Organization,” offers practical strategies for leaders to enhance ownership, speed up decision-making, and reduce bureaucracy for better outcomes.

Previously, Jurriaan wrote “Formula X,” a business novel inspired by Formula 1 racing, recognized by Forbes as a must-read for navigating an uncertain market. With over a decade of experience, he helps organizations eliminate ineffective strategies and foster high levels of autonomy.

KEY TOPICS IN THIS PODCAST:

 

00:02:20 Agile Principles vs. Practices

00:06:34 Organizational Culture and Scalability

00:09:38 Leadership Principles and Organizational Culture

00:12:40 Organizational Dysfunctions and Results

00:18:41 Formula One Behind the Scenes

00:21:25 Unblocking Organizational Challenges

00:24:15 Strategy as a Hypothesis

00:29:17 Control Needs in Leadership

00:32:09 Types of Decisions in Organizations

00:35:44 Teamwork and Psychological Safety

00:39:32 Thriving Organizations Through Lean

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Autonomy and alignment are both important factors for organizational success.
  • Aligned autonomy is the concept of having autonomous teams that work within the framework of the organization’s objectives.
  • Agile principles may not work effectively at the organizational scale, and it’s important to explore other organizational theories and methods.
  • The goal of organizations is to achieve results, whether financial, regulatory, or other objectives.
  • Unblocking the organization involves identifying and overcoming organizational dysfunctions that hinder progress.
  • Steering involves continuously setting goals, changing direction, and measuring progress.
  • Meetings should be focused, purposeful, and used as a tool to drive work forward rather than being a distraction.

 

Memorable Quotes From  Jurriaan Kamer.

 

“Ownership is not something you can give to someone, it is something that people should take.”

CONNECT WITH Jurriaan Kamer.  

 

Website:  http://www.unblockbook.net 

Book Website: https://www.formula-x.co/ 

Linkedin :https://www.linkedin.com/in/jurriaankamer

X/Twitter: https://x.com/jurriaankamer 

IG:   https://www.instagram.com/jurriaankamer/  

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG1WPfl4intvNQy5_5bVBcw