The movie Office Space was a demonstration of the beginning of our new world of microcosm workplaces. Several managers disconnected from each other and their workers, nobody really knowing what another person does and each person’s responsibility shirked down to a tiny bubble.

You only have to look at the corporate (and government) bureaucracy of today to know we’ve accelerated into that future. Despite the open office spaces, work performances, professional development, we still remain in silos.

We assume somebody out there has the big picture and we’re meant to just focus on what’s in front of us.

While focusing on the tiniest level and (potentially) going deep on it sounds good to the psyche, there’s a disconnect happening. The disconnect is a failure to see how the different pieces connect with each other and why it even matters.

What’s more concerning is this attitude is making its way to the top of the supposed ladder where decisions are starting to be made on small scale issues. It’s the reason we wonder why certain businesses decide to focus their attention on a minute detail when they have much bigger issues to contend.

It’s also the reason why major companies (ahem Google*) create products people don’t want and remove products people do. Or why support staff can’t go off script because they (may) not have any idea what’s outside their predefined roles (hence the constant need to transfer you).

It’s the reason politicians now focus on specific issues instead of speaking about a vision for their elected area.

We are in a world of fragments and niches, but we must be willing to take a step back and see the big picture again. Then we can answer what this is all for in the first place.

*I’m still bitter about them getting rid of their RSS reader