Moving Beyond Hierarchies: The Vibrant Ecosystem of /slantis
READING TIME
7:45
MIN
Jul 5, 2024
At /slantis, we're not just a company; we're a group of individuals driven to make a lasting impact on our industry.
And to do that, we needed to throw out the rules about traditional business structure and build a company organization our own way.
One that can work smarter and better – not just harder.
One that fosters a culture of care and support for all involved.
And one that has become a defining factor in our identity and success.
The result is our unique /slantis “ecosystem” – a business structure that embodies flexibility, innovation, and collaboration at its core.
We Had to Rethink Traditional Structures
Traditionally, companies have been organized in a hierarchical pyramid, a relic of the Industrial Age designed to separate thinkers from doers.
However, this model falls short in today's complex, interconnected world – where collaboration and collective intelligence lead to groundbreaking ideas.
The pyramid model's limitations—its stifling of collective thinking, inefficiency in decision-making, lack of diversity, and limited growth opportunities—prompted us to envision a new way of working.
We knew that the doers also needed to be thinkers – and the thinkers, doers.
We wanted to create a business structure that isn’t just about organizing people or defining roles; it's about creating a living, breathing environment where ideas flourish, projects evolve naturally, and individuals grow alongside the organization.
How We Work: The /slantis Ecosystem
Imagine the /slantis ecosystem as a vibrant, collaborative environment, mirroring the interdependent relationships found in the natural world.
In our office, energy and ideas flow seamlessly, and every member plays a critical role in slantis’ success.
The Living Things in Our Ecosystem: The Cells
At the heart of our ecosystem are the "cells"—dynamic groups that are defined by their function, not a pay-level or job title.
We have two main types of cells: Production and Support/Innovation.
Production Cells
The Production cells have several functions with one common goal: support our clients by developing architectural projects through the use of high-end technology.
We form a cell around each client. As projects start and end, those cells are constantly changing and reorganizing. The people who can best support each client are part of that client’s cell.
Production cells have three main goals:
Successfully deliver projects by meeting and exceeding client expectations through the integration of cutting-edge technology and creative architectural solutions.
Keep teams happy by fostering a positive, collaborative, and supportive work environment that encourages personal growth and professional development.
Impress by ensuring that clients are not just satisfied with the delivered projects but amazed.
Support and Innovation Cells
Within Support and Innovation cells, we have two main types: Open Support cells and Closed Support cells.
Open Support Cells
These cells are designed to provide direct support to the production cells.
They can be populated by anyone who possesses the skills or the desire to contribute to enhancing project outcomes and knowledge growth.
The open nature of these cells encourages a culture of continuous learning and sharing, as team members from different areas can contribute their unique insights and expertise. This collaborative environment not only supports project success but also fosters personal and professional growth among team members.
Closed Support Cells
Closed Support cells, on the other hand, are composed of specific roles requiring specialized skills to perform their functions.
These cells are:
The People Cell focuses on ensuring that every team member is evolving and supported in their professional journey, emphasizing talent development and well-being.
The Logistics Cell coordinates the company’s operations, ensuring that projects are delivered efficiently and effectively.
The Tech Cell is at the forefront of technological advances and internal adoption, keeping /slantis on the cutting edge of architectural and construction technologies.
The Smarketing Cell aims to spread /slantis’s vision to the world and secure quality sales and partnerships.
The Planning Cell thinks ahead and strategizes for our long term goals.
These closed support cells operate with a higher degree of specialization, ensuring that the organization's support functions are performed by team members with the appropriate expertise and focus.
Work Teams: Structure and Function with a Cell
Each cell is made up of a collection of work teams.
A work team within a cell is either an individual or a group of people working together on one or more functions to achieve a common goal—the cell’s goal.
As an example, within our People cell, we have the work teams:
Talent Development Team
Admin Team
Marketing Team
Work teams often become cross-functional, bringing together diverse expertise to address complex challenges. This cross-functionality ensures that projects benefit from a holistic approach that considers multiple perspectives and disciplines.
The Outside World: Interaction and Influence
The boundary between /slantis and the outside world is designed to be permeable, allowing for a continuous exchange of ideas, resources, and feedback.
The "outside world" encompasses all external entities that interact with the /slantis ecosystem in any capacity. This includes clients, suppliers, society at large, and competitors.
Each of these components play a role in shaping the projects, strategies, and overall direction of /slantis.
We recognize ourselves as part of a larger living system -our actions have ripple effects beyond the immediate boundaries of our company. We work to contribute positively to the outside world, aiming for projects and practices that not only advance architectural and technological innovation but also promote environmental sustainability and social well-being.
Our Ecosystem Becomes Alive Through the Connections
Our ecosystem isn’t made up of a system of cells that sit in isolation. We use "strings" to describe the connections between cells within the /slantis ecosystem.
These strings represent the energy and information flow that keeps the ecosystem vibrant, collaborative, and cohesive. They are essential for ensuring that all parts of the organization are aligned and working together towards common goals.
This is not just about facilitating work processes; it’s about creating a living, breathing organization where every member, regardless of their role or function, is connected to a larger purpose and community. This approach not only enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization but also enriches the work experience for every team member.
Strings enable various forms of interaction and exchange, vital for the complex, dynamic, and rich environment that we pride ourselves on.
Examples of how strings manifest include:
Onboarding processes, which integrate knowledge from all teams and share it in a structured format, welcoming new members into the ecosystem efficiently.
Project development workshops, facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing in real-time, addressing project needs and challenges collectively.
Informal networking, where team members assist other teams on specific subjects, fostering a culture of support and continuous learning.
Weekly internal newsletters, which aggregate insights and updates from across the organization, keeping everyone informed and connected.
The concept of strings emphasizes that, for us, problem-solving and innovation are not about top-down instructions but about open communication and collaboration. By fostering this level of interconnectedness, collective intelligence is harnessed, and all team members feel engaged and integral to the ecosystem's success.
The Cornerstone of Success: Accountability
In the /slantis ecosystem, accountability is assigned to one person within a function.
What do we mean by accountability? We mean simply someone with the "ability to count" – that is, to track progress and voice concerns or challenges that arise within their function.
This person does not necessarily make all decisions, but is responsible for ensuring that tasks are moving forward as planned and that all issues are communicated effectively.
Our Individual Journeys within the /slantis Ecosystem
When we decided to go with such a different corporate structure, we knew that the traditional ladder of growth and development wouldn’t work for us.
Personal and professional growth at /slantis is not a linear, upwards journey but an evolution filled with endless possibilities.
Our ecosystem encourages individuals to explore diverse evolution paths, from deepening expertise within a specific cell to engaging across multiple cells or even creating new ones.
We allow every member of our team to ask questions like What am I curious about? What do I want to do next? What am I willing to go for?
There are as many career evolution paths as there are individual slanters on our team. We are empowering every slanter to shape their own development journey.
Join Us on Our Journey to a Better Work Model
The ecosystem that we have built has enabled our slanters to thrive in ways that traditional models simply cannot match.
Our approach fosters innovation, collaboration, and personal growth, creating a workplace where creativity flourishes and boundaries are pushed.
As we continue to grow and evolve, we invite industry leaders, architects, and innovators to join us in embracing this dynamic model, creating environments where technology, creativity, and personal growth can flourish together.
