50,000 Data Chiefs
Over-centralization is a common trap in today’s enterprise. Because data is valuable, it’s protected by IT, locked up in a castle, protected like a king on a throne. Innovative companies go the other way. They democratize data and empower the people who know the data best.
Panera Bread democratizes their data. But their secret isn’t technology, it’s their culture of teamwork and responsibility. Everyone on the Panera team is the king of the data they know best. Tim Kastelle put it this way:
“Maybe you’ve heard the old cliché: if you’ve got “too many chiefs,” your initiative will fail. Every time I hear it, I wonder, “Why can’t everyone be a chief?”
- Tim Kastelle, Hierarchy Is Overrated, Harvard Business Review.
Data centralization makes IT the master and business people slaves. The business makes requests, they wait to hear back, and they do their best with what they’re given. When the data gets bad, has errors or takes too long to produce, they protest.
Good thing happen when you trust your team with data. Noel Nitecki is a leader in Panera’s IT organization. He said it this way: “It’s been great to see the business not only embrace managing their data but also, they come up with great new ideas on how we can improve the product so we can make their lives easier.” From chefs to supply chain managers to food quality specialists, everyone on Panera’s team of 50,000 is the king of their data.
When everyone is a chief, innovation happens.
This article was originally called “Teamwork,” but this image still works!
Tim McKenna captures the team spirit of surfers in Mexico. Each has a unique relationship with the ocean.
This post is part of a series of entrepreneurial lessons from Panera Bread. Subscribe below for updates as each is released.
