Metawork

The process of studying the nature , purpose, function and outcome of individual actions at the workplace.

Work is something we do, not something we are prone to contemplate. This reality is caused both by constraints on our time and the nature of progress. We are often too busy to stop and ask questions, and there seems to be little value in considering our current actions because of the rapid pace of change. Thinking about work does not feel like working.

Slaughter Development advocates combining the tradition of work with an emphasis on metawork. Employees should feel empowered to occasionally place efforts on hold, even if for a few minutes, to contemplate what they are doing and how they are going about their work. This self-analysis reminds stakeholders of the critical nature of their role in the organization as an individual more than as a job description. Every person has a distinct perspective and unique and powerful contributions are most likely to flourish when that individualism is encouraged.

To help companies and non-profit organizations to embrace metawork, Slaughter Development offers Workplace Diagnostics. We interview and shadow key employees to understand their functions, activities and opportunities to improve. We identify competencies and countercompentencies. The analysis process includes your collaboration, and leads us into Business Process Modeling. Using a comprehensive, inclusive approach and modeling technologies like UML and BMPL, Slaughter Development engages stakeholders in a larger metawork endeavor. Understanding how, why, and what we do at work is the only way to reliably design and upgrade workflow systems. Contact us today to learn more.