Once more unto the breach .......

Success and expansion bring with them the problems of structure and discipline.
A maturing company often sees structure as its main objective when trying to reorganize after the hectic years of adolescence. Although this is necessary, discipline is far more important.

Discipline : The study, or practice, of a subject using a specific set of methods, terms and approaches

As each of us matures, we cast away the habits of childhood and aim for a more structured existence.
How often have you heard there is a place for everything and everything in its place.

We seek order out of the chaos of everyday life, but this often comes at a price.

Each of us can point to individuals who appear to be the epitome of order. They are always far more organized than everybody else. Their workspace is always immaculate and uncluttered. Their everyday routine is almost predictable.

There is no need to single out such individuals for ridicule, far from it. Such individuals can always be relied upon to provide information in a neat and timely fashion. However, throw them into a situation that is outside of their normal daily routine and they struggle.

Now picture the person who appears to have little or no order. Their workspace is always cluttered, apart from the bi-annual clear out where almost everything ends up in the bin. This person's routine is far less predictable, but no less reliable than the ordered person.

Now, put them into a situation that is outside their normal scope of work, and they thrive. The structure may be somewhat missing from their world, but the discipline isn't. They fully understand the methods and practices in use and can apply them to what ever problem is put in front of them.

Rarely will you find this person beyond the lower floors of the Ivory Tower. Yet when the foundations start to crumble, this is the one person who can be relied upon to stop the tower from crashing to the ground.

One common trait of the Technical Animal is that they will tell you what you need to know, but not necessarily what you want to hear.

These are the two extremes and most people will fall somewhere in between having both good discipline and structure.