I've been following Sigurd Rinde's thingamy for the last few months, and now he comes up with organisational hierarchies in practice, which is a fun complaint about what happens when hierarchies get in the way of service.
[go read the story]
With some important results [of rigid hierarchies]
1) Inefficiency.
2) I'm left with the idea that the company (read "Brand") is "Stupid".
3) Boss fear is more important than pleasing a customer.... For the millionth time, awast ye scurvy hierarchies!
Isn't it funny that the people in the hierarchy believe they are enforcing efficiency (in their sphere of influence) and they end up creating less efficiency for the organization as a whole -- particularly at the customer-facing end that this story addresses.