Assembly
Self-Similar Scaling
Purpose
An Assembly is a gathering of Bases from across the enterprise (similar to a Forum being a gathering of people). An Assembly offers a place to talk and make important decisions that apply to all participating Bases.
Bases rarely operate alone. They need guidance, structure, and a (small) amount of standardization. Without some coordination across the Bases, they might as well be independent companies.
When people get together for talking and decision-making, we call that a Forum. When Bases get together to do the same, we call that an Assembly. (And when Leagues do the same, we call this a Congress.)
Notes
Forums can extend beyond the boundary of one Base, but when participation is open to all workers, we still call that a Forum. With an Assembly, however, the participants are the Bases themselves. This means that each Base sends a representative to the Assembly. After the discussions are done and decisions are made, everyone returns to their Base.
In Assemblies, Bases discuss knowledge, trade-offs, and opportunities that serve the greater good of the League. Sometimes, ways of working need to be synchronized. Sometimes, tools and technologies need to be standardized. The autonomy of individual Bases must be offset against the needs of the entire League.
Rules / Constraints
The Assembly exists only for discussions and decision-making.
The Assembly participants are representatives from their Bases.
“Anything you build on a large scale or with intense passion invites chaos.”
(Source: Francis Ford Coppola)