Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership

Chapter 3. Getting Organized

It might have looked like chaos, but we always knew what was going on," says Commander Gary Deal about his service on the aircraft carrier USS Kennedy.^[6] In Commander Deal's panoramic view from the bridge, a complex, fast-moving flight deck was relatively easy to read and manage. When fully equipped for deployment, the Kennedy was home to more than five thousand men and women. About half were assigned to the ship and half to the carrier's air wing. The ship was organized into nineteen departments, while the air wing had nine squadrons. The flight deck was responsible for the safe and efficient launch and recovery of the aircraft. Fifty functional roles were involved in the process. Individuals' functions were immediately ...