making a difference: strategies and tools for transforming your organization

title: MakingaDifference:StrategiesandToolsforTransformingYourOrganization

author: Nixon,Bruce.publisher: AMACOMBooks

isbn10|asin: 0814404022printisbn13: 9780814404027ebookisbn13: 9780585039183

language: English

subjectOrganizationalchange,Organizationalbehavior,Industrialmanagement,Strategicplanning.

publicationdate: 1998lcc: HD58.8.N581998ebddc: 658.4/063

subject:Organizationalchange,Organizationalbehavior,Industrialmanagement,Strategic

planning.

MakingaDifference

MakingaDifferenceStrategiesandtoolsfortransformingyourorganization

BruceNixon

AMACOMAmericanManagementAssociation

NewYorkAtlantaBostonKansasCitySanFranciscoWashington,D.C.BrusselsMexicoCityToronto

Pageiv

Thisbookisavailableataspecialdiscountwhenorderedinbulkquantities.Forinformation,contactSpecialSalesDepartment,AMACOM,adivisionofAmericanManagementAssociation,1601Broadway,NewYork,NY10019.

Thispublicationisdesignedtoprovideaccurateandauthoritativeinformationinregardtothesubjectmattercovered.Itissoldwiththeunderstandingthatthepublisherisnotengagedinrenderinglegal,accounting,orotherprofessionalservice.Iflegaladviceorotherexpertassistanceisrequired,theservicesofacompetentprofessionalpersonshouldbesought.

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataNixon,Bruce.Makingadifference:strategiesandrealtimemodelstotransformyourorganization/BruceNixon.p.cm.Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.ISBN0-8144-0402-21.Organizationalchange.2.Organizationalbehavior.3.Industrialmanagement.4.Strategicplanning.I.TitleHD58.8.N581998 98-22618658.4'063--dc21 CIP

©1998BruceNixonAllrightsreserved.PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica

PublishedinNorthAmericabyarrangementwithGDP,P.O.Box

187,Cambridge,C814TL,England.

Thispublicationmaynotbereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,

ortransmittedinwholeorinpart,inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise,withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofAMACOM,adivisionofAmericanManagementAssociation,1601Broadway,NewYork,NY10019.

Printingnumber

10987654321

Pagev

ContentsForewords xiii

Acknowledgments xvii

AbouttheAuthor xix

ChapterSummaries xiv

Introduction xxi

PartISeeingtheBigPicture 1

Chapter1GlobalForces-Thesituationwearein 3

Chapter2Tomorrow'sOrganizations-Principlesforsurvivingandthriving

13

Chapter3Tomorrow'sCultureandLeadership 25

PartIIPrinciples,StrategiesandBasicTools 35

Chapter4PrinciplesandToolsforTransformation-Anewvisionforlearninganddevelopment

37

Chapter5TakingaStrategicApproach-Developingyourownvisionandstrategy

48

PartIIITakingPracticalSteps 65

Chapter6RealTimeManagementDevelopment-Workingwithmanagersontheirrealopportunities

67

Chapter7UsingRealTimeManagementDevelopment-Tochangethecultureofanorganization

96

Pagevi

Chapter8GettingtheWholeSystemintotheRoom-Gainingthecommitmentofthewholeworkforcetochange

132

Chapter9GivingandGettingaGoodListeningTo-Releasingindividualpotential

159

Chapter10TransformingTeamwork-Valuingdiversityandfosteringcollaboration

186

Chapter11UsingSupportGroupsandNetworkingforChange

203

Chapter12DevelopingWidespreadFacilitationSkills

217

Chapter13UsingtheExternalConsultantWisely-Afruitfulpartnership

230

Chapter14HowtoAvoidAvoiding 239

Chapter15Ending-Includinghowourowndevelopmentisthekeytoitall

248

AppendicesToolsforTransformation 261

Appendix1EmpowermentModel 262

Appendix2InternalConsultant'sModel 263

Appendix3UsefulQuestionsModel 264

Appendix4HelpingModel 265

Appendix5ConsultingModel 266

Appendix6SupportGroupAgenda 267

Appendix7TheSunflowerorSpider'sWeb 268

Appendix8DevelopingYourNetwork 270

Index 275

Pagevii

ForewordsIdecidedIwantedtwoforewords-oneAmericanandoneBritish.Inawaythebookistransatlantic:IhavebeeninspiredbyAmericanthoughtandpractice;thebookwillbepublishedinbothcountries;myfirstproperjobwasinLosAngeles;laterIwasprofoundlyinfluencedby51/2yearsworkingjustsouthoftheAtlanticinJamaica;mywifeisAmericanandIhavespentmanylazysummersinNewEnglandwithfamilyandfriends;mytwoyoungestchildrenareproudlyhalfAmerican.ThereforeIinvitedtwopeoplewhoseworkIadmire-oneonthePacificCoast,theotherfromYorkshire,England-tocontributethefollowingforewords.Somehow,inabookwhichattemptstoofferaglobalperspective,itseemsfittingthatthetwoforewordscircletheworld.

RogerHarrisonwrites...BruceNixon'sMakingaDifferencepresentsleadingedgeideasof'organizationtransformation'forHR/3professionalsandinternalconsultantsinawaythatstrikesjusttherightbalanceofvisionwithcommonsenseandpracticality.Throughhisyearsofexperienceonthefrontlinesoforganizationalchange,hehasachievedadeepandcompassionateunderstandingofpeopleandthesystemsinwhichtheyliveandwork.Inthisbookheshareshisundimmedhopeintheredeemabilityofoursocietyanditsorganizations,welltemperedwiththerealismofaveteranofcountless'changecampaigns.'Theauthoreschewsthevagueenthusiasmwithwhichtransformationalideasaresooftenpresented.Instead,MakingaDifferenceoffersawealthofreal-

Pageviii

lifestoriesofchangeanditspitfalls,togetherwithprinciplesandpracticeswhichwillinformandenlighteneventhemostexperiencedamongus.

Ihavebeentouchedbytheheartandcommitmentwhichshinethroughtheexperiencedandpracticaltreatmentwhichcharacterizesthebook.Thepersonheisspeakseloquentlythroughhisprose,and!amtrulygladtohaveencounteredhim.Iamsurehisbookwilltouchtheheartsandmindsofmanyinourprofession.

MikePedlerwrites...Thisisaverypersonalbookwrittenfromtheheartoftheauthor'sbeliefsandvalues.Itofferstheprinciples,toolsandpracticeofwhatBrucecalls'real-timemanagementdevelopment'yetitisalsoinvariouswaysthestoryofaconsultant'sjourney.Perhapsallgoodpracticeisbiographicallyrooted,whichiswhyapplyingtheprescriptionsofthesimple'Howto'booksisinvariablyunsatisfactory,anditisclearfromthisaccountthatwhatyoudo-asaconsultantortrainer-isintimatelyboundupwithwhoyouare.

Thistruthisusedtotransformtheold,slightlydog-earedanddefinitelymaleconsultancymodel(youknow,beginwith'entry,'endwith'withdrawal')intoacyclewhichincludestheconsultant'sownpurposesandvisionfortheorganizationalongwiththeusualbits.Thisdeparturefromguaranteedsuccessandrelentlesslinearityiswelcomeanditalsomakesitclearthatwhen-asaclient-youengageaconsultant,youareenteringintoarelationshipwithanotherperson,withstrengths,skillsandenergies,butalsowithquirks,failingsandshadows.

Whateverthequirks,whatshinesthroughhereareBruce'ssenseofhard-wonself-belief,hisfaiththatallpeopleandorganizationscando

betterandtheconvictionthatsuchtransformationsareavitalcontributiontoouremergingglobalsociety.ThecasestudiesinthisbookmaymakeyoufeelprettyconfidentthatwithBruceonyoursideyoucanmakeadifference,buttheyalsoillustrateandacknowledgefailure.Thisseemsentirelyhealthy,forsomeyearsnowtheorganizationdevelopmenttextshavebeentellingusthatperhaps70%ofmajororganizationalchangeeffortsendinfailure,yetonreadingmostconsultancybooks,youwouldbeforgivenforthinkingthatyouhadsomehow

Pageix

passedintoaparalleluniverse.So,aswellasmodelsandmethods,herearestoriesofheroismandfailure,accountsofmuchpleasureandsomepain,occasionalinnocence,plentyofgoodwillbutneveranyput-downs,cynicismorworldweariness.

Bruce'sphilosophyrestsonthreemainprinciples:

wearemovingtowardsaworldinwhichweareincreasinglyawareofhowinterconnectedandinterdependentweallare...and,thatthisisaworldinwhich...

wecanallmakeadifferencebecauseweallhavesomuchmorepowerthanwethink...butonlyifweput...

ourownpersonaldevelopmentatthecenterofourpractice

Tosumup-inhisownwords:

'Whetherwearefullyawareofitornot,weareallpartofalongmarchtowardsamoreequitabIeandrespectfulglobalsociety,inwhichitispossibleforeveryonetobemoretrulyhuman.Andwhatwedoinourorganizationsisanimportantpartofthis.Seeninthislight,ourworkandlearningtogetherbecomepartofsomethingveryinspiringandexciting.'

Towhich,Amen.

RogerHarrison,PhDisapioneerpractitionerinthefieldofOrganizationDevelopment,havingparticipatedinandcontributedtonearlyeveryphaseofitsgrowthfromsurveyresearchandteambuilding,tolargesystemchangeandorganizationtransformation.HismanycontributionstotheprofessionalliteratureincludehisCollectedPapersandhisprofessionalautobiography,Consultant's]ourney,ADanceofWorkandSpirit,publishedbyMcGrawHillEurope.

MikePedler,PhDisawriter,researcherandconsultant.Heisa

partnerintheLearningCompanyProjectandRevansProfessionalFellowintheRevansCenterforActionLearningandResearchattheUniversityofSalford.AmongsthismanypublicationsareActionLearninginPractice,3rdedition,Gower1997;TheLearningCompany:AStrategyforSustainableDevelopment,2ndedition,McGraw-Hill1997;Perfectplc?:Thepurposeandpracticeoforganizationallearning,McGraw-Hill1996.

Pagex

AcknowledgmentsAcknowledgmentsbeginwithArthurWatts,HeadTeacheratKingsmeadSchoolintheWirral,whorescuedmefromtheeffectsofpreviousunhappyschoolingattheageoftenandtaughtmelessonsIhaveneverforgottenabouthowtobringoutindividualpotential.Then,ArthurGreen,myhistoryteacheratBirkenheadSchoolinspiredmewiththeideaofchangingthingsforthebetter.

ColinGillatAlcanJamaica,inthesixties,gavememyfirstpublicspeakingassignmentinKingston,JamaicaandintroducedmetoDouglasMcGregor'sclassicTheHumanSideofEnterprise.ThenAlanMarshofReedPaperandElizabethSidneytaughtmeabouttrainingmanagers.Elizabethgavememyfirsttasteoffreelanceworkandworkinafilmincludingapart.JimWickensofSunAllianceshowedmehowtousemanagementdevelopmenttoworkonrealopportunitiesandissues.Healsogavemethefreedomandsupporttoexperimentandreallylearnaboutorganizationdevelopment.Likesomany,IamgreatlyindebtedtoProfessorRegRevanswhoserevolutionaryideasaboutmanagementdevelopmentIfirstreadintheearly1970s.MelBergertaughtmeaboutproject-basedmanagementdevelopmentandaholisticapproach.DavidCaseyand,later,MichaelSimmonsintroducedmetoconsulting.ChrisBull,MichaelSimmonsandCharlieKreiner,abigAmerican,taughtmeagreatdealaboutcounseling,leadership,raceandgenderissuesandthewaysinwhichmeninparticularareoppressedbecauseoftheirgenderconditioning.ChrisBull'sChangeModelinfluencedmyEmpow-

Pagexi

otherlovingfriendsandteachers.IlearnedalotwithcolleaguesatSunAlliance,includingRichardAllen,DonHole,BrianLawrence,ChrisNutt,JohnSeddon,CarmelSilverosa,JohnThatcher,MaryThompsonandJeanWoollard.ProfessorAlanMumford,anexcellenteditor,helpedmewritebetterarticlesaboutmyworkinthosedays.

Iamindebtedtomanyclients,includingtheanonymousoneswhocontributedtothecasestudies,whogavemeopportunitiesforustolearntogether.SeveralsuggestedIwriteabookandfinallyIacceptedtheiradvice!MikePedler,anotherhelpfuleditor,firstsuggestedIlearnaboutlargegroupinterventions.ManypeoplehavesincetaughtmemoreaboutthemincludingJulieBeedon,NancyCebula,PaulCox,SandraJanoff,MartinLeith,FrankMcKeown,HarrisonOwen,RobertRehmandMarvinWeisbord.JuliaCameron'sArtist'sWaywasatremendoussupportwhilstwritingthebook-anexampleandadailycompanion.IamindebtedtoGilmourandCaroleDrummondfortheirpatientencouragementandcreativecontributionsandforgivingmethechancetopublish;StuartMacfarlaneforhisgoodworkandproductionadvice;RitaYorstonforallherpainstakingwordprocessing;mywifeSuzanneforhersupportthroughoutthewritingofthisbookandlotsofsuggestionsforimprovingthetext;andmyfivechildren,Mark,Guy,Charlie,HannahandGeorge,forteachingmesuchalotaboutbecomingabetterperson.

*

Theauthorandpublisheracknowledgethefollowingsourcesofcopyrightmaterial:

WordsfromTheProphetbyKahlilGibranareusedbypermissionfromtheNationalCommitteeofGibran1951,©allrightsreserved.

WordsfromManagingontheEdge©RichardPascale1991.ReprintedbypermissionofICM,InternationalCreativeManagement,

Inc.

WordsfromJoyceGrenfellRequeststhePleasure,copyright©JoyceGrenfell1976.(TakenfromtheBBCRadioCollectiontapeof1989basedonthebook.)

Pagexii

AbouttheAuthorBruceNixonhasover30years'experienceofhelpingorganizationsandpeoplethriveandprosperinconditionsofchangeanduncertainty.Hebelievesweneedtochangethecultureofourorganizationsandlearndifferentattitudesandbehaviorsothatwearebetterabletocopeinthesedifficulttimes.Hedoeslong-termworkwithdirectors,managersandHRpeopleintheprivateandpublicsectors.Forseveralyearshehasledopenprogramsforpeopleinterestedinorganizationchangeanddevelopment.

Hehasworkedbothontheinsideoforganizationsandasanexternalconsultant.Beforestartinghisownbusinesstenyearsago,BrucewasTrainingandDevelopmentManagerwithSunAllianceInsurance(nowRoyal&SunAllianceInsurance)whereheinitiatedawiderangeofinnovativeandeffectivemanagementandorganizationdevelopmentprograms.Hehastrainedmanydevelopersandconsultantsbothinternalandexternal.

AftergraduatingfromOxfordUniversityinPhilosophy,PoliticsandEconomics,hisfirstjobwasinadepartmentstoreinLosAngeles.HethenworkedinvariousHRrolesinPeekFrean,BirdsEyeFoods,AlcanAluminium(intheUKandJamaica)andReedPaper.

Alwaysinterestedinpioneering,heparticularlyenjoyedhelpingsetupthepersonneldepartmentinanewplantinJamaicaandhelpingtransformthepersonnelfunctioninSunAlliance.Henowenjoystheunpredictability,freedomandadventureofworkingforhimselfandtheopportunitiesitoffersforlearninganddevelopment.

Pagexiii

Hehaswrittenmanyarticlesandpapersabouthisworkandhascontributedtoseveralbooksoneofwhichheedited(nowpublishedinChina).HeisanactivememberoftheAssociationforManagementEducationandDevelopment(AMED)onwhoseexecutiveheservedforsixyears.CurrentlyheistutorfortheDevelopmentStrategymoduleoftheAMED'DevelopingtheDevelopers'CourseleadingtotheHenleyManagementCollegeDiplomainManagementandOrganizationDevelopment.HeisaFellowoftheInstituteofPersonnelandDevelopment.Thisishisfirstbook.

MarriedtoanAmerican,hehasthreegrown-upsonsandtwoyoungerchildren.HelivesinBerkhamsted,England,andoftenspendswarmsummersinNewEngland.

Pagexiv

ChapterSummaries

PARTISeeingtheBigPictureChapter1GlobalForces-thesituationweareinGlobaltransformation;Consequences;Changinghumanaspirations;Benignandshadowside;Historicalperspective.

Chapter2Tomorrow'sOrganizations-principlesforsurvivingandthriving

Wintheheartsandmindsofallstakeholders;Empowerandenable;Learnhowtobothvaluediversityandunitepeopleincommoncause;Beexcellentinrespondingwelltouncertainty,complexityandchange;Loveourworkandloveourselves;Haveanattitudeoflong-termstewardship.

Chapter3Tomorrow'sCultureandLeadershipAdversarialculture;Partnershipculture;Oldleadershipmessages;Enablingleadership;Anewculturefororganizations;Keysurvivalskills.

PARTIIPrinciples,StrategiesandBasicToolsChapter4PrinciplesandToolsforTransfformation-anewvisionforlearninganddevelopmentPrinciples;Howtoencourageculturalchange;Toolsfortransformation.

Chapter5TakingaStrategicApproach-developingyourownvisionandstrategyThetroublewithorganizations;Afreshmind-set;Anewmodelforinternalconsultants;Doingthisworkinteams;Someeffectivestrategies.

Pagexv

PARTIIITakingPracticalStepsChapter6RealTimeManagementDevelopment-workingwithmanagersontheirrealopportunitiesThewaywedevelopmanagerslagsfarbehind;Butthetruthisneverthatsimple;Aradicallydifferentapproach;Principles;TheoverallstructureofRTMD;Starting-buildingreadinessandplanning;WorkshopI;WorkshopII(twodays);HowdoesRTMDchangeattitudesandbehavior?;Creatingcriticalmassandembeddingchange;Keyfactorsthatmakeforsuccess;Benefitstobusiness.

Chapter7UsingRealTimeManagementDevelopment-tochangethecultureofanorganizationFourcasestudies;Havingrealisticexpectations;Casestudy1:bottomup;Casestudy2:workingnearthetop;Casestudy3:topdown;Casestudy4:stuckatthetop.

Chapter8GettingtheWholeSystemintotheRoom-gainingthecommitmentofthewholeworkforcetochangeMyjourney;Thecaseforgettingthewholesystemintotheroom;Backgroundhistory;Futuresearch;Openspacetechnology;Realtimestrategicchange;Searchconferences;Comparingthefourapproaches;Conclusions.

Chapter9GivingandGettingaGoodListeningTo-releasingindividualpotentialListeningisanimportantpartofyourstrategy;Whyone-to-onefacilitatingissoimportant;Howwereacttowhatisgoingonoutthere;Usefulassumptionsaboutpeople;Howourpotentialgetsblocked;Stereotypes;Culturalandorganizationnormsthatlimitpeople;Practicalimplications;Givingpeopleagoodlisteningto;Continuouslearningandimprovement;Givingfeedback.

Chapter10TransformingTeamwork-valuingdiversityandfosteringcollaborationWhatgoesoninteams-thepatterns;Breakingthepatternsandcreatinganewvisionofteamwork;Symbols;Starting;

Groundrules;Corework;Taskandprocess;Cross-culturalteambuilding;Conclusion.

Chapter11UsingSupportGroupsandNetworkingforChangeWhyyouneedsupport;Whenitworksandwhenitdoesnot;Gettingrobustsupport;Callitwhateveryoulike;Choosingmem-

Pagexvi

bership;Avoidingthe'cosyclub';Basicprocessesforasupportgroup;Self-love,selfesteem;Trustyourthinking-theprincipleofthefirstthought;Networking-creatingoneteam.

Chapter12DevelopingWidespreadFacilitationSkillsTheneedforfacilitationskills;Usingalltheopportunitiestodevelopone-to-onehelpingskills;Successfullyintroducingworkshopstodevelopone-to-onehelpingskills;Developinggroupfacilitationskills;Workshopsingroupfacilitationskills;Someadditionalmodelsforgroupwork.

Chapter13UsingtheExternalConsultantWisely-afruitfulpartnershipWhyuseanexternalconsultant?;Phasesintherelationship;Along-termrelationship.

Chapter14HowtoAvoidAvoidingResistanceispartofbeinghuman;Healthyanddysfunctionalresistance;Planninganddesigningtoworkwithresistance;Handlingresistancewhenithappens;Theinnerworkweneedtodo;Avoidingourownavoiding.

Chapter15Ending-includinghowourowndevelopmentisthekeytoitallThemesrevisited;Uncertaintyandcreativity;Resolvingconflict;Stayingintherealworld.

Pagexvii

Introduction'Ifthere'soneoverridinglessonfromourexperience,Ithinkit'sthotthereareindeedgreatrewardsfororganizationsthatpayasmuchattentiontotheengineeringgoingonintheso-called''soft"sideoftheirbusinessasthe"hard"side.'BobLutz,PresidentofChryslerCorporation.QuotedinTomorrow'sCompanyTheRoleofBusinessinaChangingWorld,RoyalSocietyofArtsInquiry,publishedbyGower,1995.

'In1993,Toyotasetitselfthegoalofhalvingproductioncosts-whilecontinuingtoimproveperformance-withinsevenyears.Itisontarget.'Tomorrow'sCompanyTheRoleofBusinessinaChangingWorld,RoyalSocietyofArtsInquiry,publishedbyGower,1995.

'Weareapoorcountrybutarichpeople.'ACuban.

ThesituationweareinOrganizationsandpeoplefaceatidalwaveofglobaleconomic,technologicalandsocialchange.Formany,thenameofthegameissurvival.Wearenotgoingtosurviveintheglobaleconomythroughtechnologicalinnovationalone.Ifwearegoingtowithstandrelentlessglobalcompetition,weneedtoradicallychangeourwayofdoingbusiness.Growingnumbersatalllevelsbelievethat,tohaveabetterchanceofsuccess,organizationsneedtoengagetheenergy,creativityandintelligenceofthewholework-forceandinvolveotherstakeholders,likecustomers,suppliers,

Pagexviii

investorsandthecommunity.Wehavetogiveuptheoldhierarchical,adversarialapproachwhichwastesindividualtalentsandsapsenergyinunproductiveconflict.Insteadweneedtobuildtrust,driveoutfearandcreateproductivepartnershipsinwhicheveryonecanoffertheiruniqueknowledgeandtalents,otherwiseweshallseecontinueddeclineinourbusinessesandanincreasinglyimpoverishedsociety.Peoplewhoknowhowtohelptheirorganizationsdothiscanmakeadecisivedifference.

Mostofusearnourlivingsbyworkinginorsupplyingorganizationsofonesortoranother.Formanyofusthisworkisourchiefmeansofself-expressionandthemainwayinwhichweofferourgiftstotheworld.Andyetourorganizationsandthedriveforeconomicsurvivalandincreasingprosperityarenoteverything.Appreciatinghowinterconnectedallthemembersandstakeholdersofanorganizationareisastepintherightdirection.Butwealsoneedtoencompassinourvision,ourfamiliesandfriends,ourcommunities,thecommunityofpeoplethroughouttheworldandtheEarthonwhichalllifedepends.

Workinginorganizationsisdifficult.Wefaceincreasinguncertaintyaboutthecontinuedprosperityandsurvivalofourorganizationsandourpositionsinthem.Therearegreatpressuresonthefewerpeopleemployedandthewaysinwhichpeopleinorganizationsbehaveandtreateachotherareoftenpainfulanddysfunctional.Manyorganizationshaveexperiencedtraumaticchangeandthereisaneedforhealing.Sometimesweareawarethattheworkwedoortheworkoftheorganizationisnotwhollygoodwork-itmaybeharmfultosocietyinsomerespectsorbadforus.Wefacedilemmasbecauseeveryoneneedstoearnaliving.Alsoitdoesnotmakesensetoadoptapositionofmoralsuperiority.Weareallinvolveddirectlyorindirectly.

Theimportanceoforganizationsishuge.Theyprovidethemajorityofthegoodsandservicesweneed,alivingforpeopleinpaidworkandmuchofthewealthuponwhichacivilizedsocietydepends.Withoutsufficienthealthy,thrivingorganizationsandtheemploymenttheycanprovide,thereisarealdangerofsocietydisintegratingintodisorderandchaos.Organizationsarethechiefmeansthroughwhichhumanbeingsdevelopandexpresstheircapacitytoformacommunity,co-operateandworktogetherincommoncause.Togetherwiththefamily,organizationsprovideoneofthemostimportantarenasinwhichweexpressourselves.learn.developandgrow.Organizationshavea

Pagexix

hugecontributiontomakeinbuildingabetterworldsociety.Ifsocietyistochangeforthebetter,itwillhappen,toalargeextent,throughthechangesthattakeplacewithinorganizations,theresponsibilitytheytakeandtheinfluencetheyexertontheworldoutside.Theyareimportantplacesinwhichwecanexperimentandlearnhowtoworktogetherlessexploitativelyandwithgreaterrespectforeachother.Justasorganizationscanbealienatingandfrustrating,theyhavethepotentialtobeandoftenareexciting,rewardingandfulfilling.Itisourchoice.Wecanmakethemorourpartsofthemwhatwewantthemtobe.

Wehumanbeingsareengagedinajourneytogether,somewouldsayaspiritualjourney,inwhichwearelearning,albeiterraticallyandwithdifficulty,tolivetogetherassistersandbrothersandwithotherformsoflifeonthisplanet.Increasinglyweareappreciatingtheextentofourinterdependence.Ourprogressislaborious,sometimesdestructiveandsometimesbenign.Wetakesomestepsforwardandthensomeback.Historygoesbackwardsaswellasforwards.Wetryoutoneway,discoveritsinadequaciesandtryanother.Sometimeswemovefromoneextremetoanother.Inthiswayprogressis'dialectical.'Takingalong-termhistoricalperspective,wehavemadegreatprogressinmanyareas.Itisasifweareconstantlybeingconfrontedwiththeconsequencesofouractionsandforcedtolearn,partlythroughtheeverpresentprospectoflossofourliving,chaos,pollutionoftheplanet,orannihilationifwedonot.Enlightenmentandself-interesttendtoconspiretogetherinthelong-term.

Inasensethereisnothingnewinthesituationweface,andyetitisnew.Wehaveneverbeenherebefore.Wecannotknowhowtorespond.Wecanonlydiscoverandinthissensewearealltravellers.Manyofushavelearnednottotrustpeoplewhoclaimtohavetheanswersorspeakwithcertainty.Itisatimeofmajortransitionfromonekindofsocietytoanother.Thesituationatonceoffersgrave

threats,richopportunitiesandhopeforabetterworld.Perhapsmorepeoplehavemorechoicethaneverbefore.Itisanexcitingtimewithhugepotentialforcreativity,partnershipandfulfillment,especiallyifwecanlearntobringouteveryone'spotentialandrespectourdifferences.

Pagexx

WhothebookisforThisbookisforpeoplewhoarepassionateaboutwantingtheirorganizationstoflourishandbecomebetterplacesinwhichtoworkandwhobelievetheycancontribute.Itisforpeoplewhosharetheviewthatweneedtomakeamajorshiftinmind-setawayfromthehierarchical,adversarialapproachtowardsaninclusiveandempoweringonethatgetsthebestoutofeveryone.Itisalsoforpeoplewhohaveawiderperspectiveandcareabouttheircommunities,societyasawhole,theworldofnationsandtheEarth.Ifyouhavereadthusfaryouareprobablyoneofthesepeople.

Thebookisprimarilyaimedatthehumanresourcedevelopment(HRD)practitionerordeveloper-thecompany's'internalconsultant'or'facilitator.'ButyoucouldbeaCEO,director,manageroranyothermemberofthecompanywhowantstoexertyourinfluenceonhowyourorganizationleadsitspeople.Therearemanyquietrevolutionariesallovertheworldworkingawayathelpingorganizationsadaptandtransformthemselvessoastosurviveandthriveandbegoodplacestoworkin.Ifyouareoneofthese,thisbookisforyou.

Thebookiswrittenforpeoplewhoworkinordinaryorganizationswhichmaynotbeparticularlypioneeringorinnovativeinthewaypeopleareledandmanagedbutwanttobecomemoreso.Itisforthosewhowanttoworkwiththeparadoxofhowtobeethicalandresponsibleworldcitizens,makeworkintheirorganizationsabetterexperienceforeveryoneandsurviveandprosperinaworldthatisfiercelycompetitiveandincreasinglyuncertain.Itisforpeoplewhowishtoseeprosperityandsustainabledevelopment;whowishtobestewardsratherthanexploitersandusetheirskillstogoodpurpose.Itisforthosewhorecognizetheyaretravellersinalargelyuncharted

terrain.Itisnotforpeoplewhoexpectsimpleanswersorcertainty,northosewhobelievetheyareentirelyincontroloftheirlives.Itisforthosewhobelievetheycanmakeadifferenceandwanttoexerciseleadershipatwhateverlevelintheirorganizationsinchangingthemforthebetter.

Pagexxi

ThepurposeofthebookChallengingtraditionisnoteasyespeciallywhenyouareimmersedinthepressures,opportunitiesandchallengesofdailylifeinthetypicalorganization.Youanditarestrugglingtosurvive.Myintentionistoprovideyouwithbothinspirationandsupportforyourownvisionaryideasandeffortsandpractical,readilyaccessibleideasandtoolsthatwillhelpyoumakeadecisivedifferencetoyourorganization.

Themesofthebook'Wehaveflownintheairlikebirdsandswumthesealikefishesbutwehaveyettolearnthesimpleactofwalkingtheearthlikebrothersandsisters.'MartinLutherKing.

AlmosteverychiefexecutiveImeetsaysinsomanywords:

'Technicalinnovationwon'tbeenough.Iwantpeopletotakeindividualresponsibilitybasedonanunderstandingofthewholepicture.Ialsowantpeopletoworktogetherasateam,realizingthatweareallinterdependent.Wehavetodothisifwewanttocontinuouslyimproveanddeliverconstantlyincreasingqualityatdecreasingcost.Thatistheonlywaywewillsurvive.'

Thereseemtobetwobigissuesinorganizationstoday.Theyhavebeenaroundforalongtimeandwearestillstrugglingwiththemaftermanydecades:

Howcanwebringouteveryone'spotentialandenlistitintheserviceoftheorganization?

Howcanwelearntorespectandvalueeverydifferentpersonandworktogethertoachievecommongoals?

Thetwoareofcourseinterrelated-youcannotdoonewithouttheother.Peoplewillnotdeveloporoffertheirfullpotentialinanorganizationwhichdoesnotvalueandrespectdifferenceorinwhichpeopledonotworktogether.Andforpeopletocontributewithoutreservationtheyneedtofeelthatthereisasuffi-

Pagexxii

cientdegreeoffairnessandequityintheirtreatmentandrewards.

Theseareequallybigissuesonanationalandglobalscale.Amajorthemeofthebookislearninghowwecanresolvethesetwoissuesanditofferspracticalwaysandsuggestionsfordoingso.

RealtimedevelopmentAsecondmajorthemeofthebookiswhatIcallrealtimedevelopment.BythisImeanbringingaboutchangeandtransformationandlearningatthesametime-notseparatingthetwo.'Learningbydoing'ifyoulike.Ibelievetherichestseamforlearningistherealopportunities,issues,difficultiesandsuccessesthatpeoplehave.Thereisnoneedtoseparatelearninganddoing.Thedidacticapproachisfirstyoulearnandthenyouapplyitordoit.Itusuallyemploysallsortsofcontrivedexperienceslikecasestudies,roleplays,simulationsandpsychometricinstruments.Idon'tbelieveweneedtodothistolearn.Sometimesitiscertainlythemostappropriateapproachandthenitisinvaluablebutinmyopinionitisgreatlyoverused.Themore!listentopeopleinbusiness,themoreIampersuadedthatmuchofthedidactictrainingwhichcompaniesspendtheirmoneyonmakesverylittledifference-particularlyifitisnotcombinedwithrealtimedevelopment.Myexperienceisthatmostpeoplelearnfarmorefromworkingwiththeirownreality,the'hereandnow'andhowtheywanttochangethings,althoughitcanbeverychallenging.Incomparison,thedidacticapproachiscomfortableand,becauseofthelackofchallenge,itisrelativelyboring.Alsothedidactic,contrivedapproachtendstobefundamentallydisempoweringasIshallenlargeoninthebook.

Idonotthinkwecanaffordtheluxuryofoldparadigm,classroomdevelopment.Wecannotaffordtolearn,thentrytoapplyitandshow,

ifwecan,thatitmadeadifference.WhatwehavetodoIbelieveiscreatenewparadigmdevelopmentexperiencesinwhichpeopleworkontransformingtheirbusinessandlearninsodoingatthesametime.

Somepeopletellmethatthereisnothingnewinallthis,theyarealreadydoingit.ButwhenIgetcloserandfindoutwhattheyareactuallydoingitiswhatweweredoing20and

Pagexxiii

moreyearsago-essentiallyclassroomteaching.Despitetheirprotests,theyarestuckintheoldparadigm.Thisisaformofcomplacency.

Thisthenisanothermajorthemeofthebook-howtotransformdevelopmentsothatitmeanstransformingthebusinesswhilstlearningatthesametime-continuouslyimprovingandlearningandgettingabusinesspay-offareintegralpartsofit.Thismeansembeddingdevelopmentintohowwedobusinessandseeingitaspartofdoingbusiness.Thebookaimstoprovidemodelsforrealtimedevelopment.

However,thetruthisneverthatsimple.Everyoneisdifferentandpeoplelearninarichvarietyofways.BarryOshry'swork,brieflymentionedinChapter6,isanexampleofsimulationsbeingusedtopowerfuleffecttostimulatelearningandchange.

Howthebookworks-therationaleThebookisbasedontheEmpowermentModelanditslayoutbroadlyfollowsthatstructure.Puttingitsimplythisistakingindividualresponsibilitywhilstseeingthewholepicture.Puttingitanotherwayitisthinkingglobal;actinglocal.Ibelievethatifwearegoingtomakeadecisivedifferenceweneedtohaveanaccuratepictureofthewholesituationtowhichmanypeoplefromthewholesystemhavecontributed,beclearaboutourvaluesandpurpose,haveaninspiringandpersonalvisionofthefuturewewant,decideclearstrategiestobringthisabout,understandandworkonwhatmaygetintheway(outthere,inourgroupandinourselves)and,finally,makeplanstoactandgetthesupportweneed.

Thedesignofthebookreflectsthismodel.PartISeeingthebigpictureisaboutglobalforces,avisionfortomorrow'sorganization,

principlesforsurvivingandthrivingandtomorrow'scultureandleadership.Thisisverymuchapersonalinterpretationandvisionandyouwillneedtocreateyourown.PartIismine;youneedtocreateyours.PartIIStrategies,principlesandbasictoolsdescribesyourroleasan'internalconsultant'or'facilitator,'thecontributionyoucanmake,setsoutsomestrategiesyoucanadopttomakeadifference,theunderlyingprinciplesofrealtimedevelopmentandsomeofthebasictoolsyoucanuse.PartIIITakingpracticalstepsdescribesthestrategiesinpracticalde-

Pagexxiv

Figure1.1EmpowermentModel

tail.Italsoattemptstoexplainwhatgetsinthewayofreleasingindividualandteampotentialandsuggestssomethingswecandoaboutit.TherearemoredetailedtoolsintheAppendices:Toolsfortransformation

Pagexxv

HowtousethebookYouneedyourown'BigPicture'togivemeaning,energyandpassiontoyourwork.UsePartItostimulateyourownthinkingandthencreateyourownPartI.Youalreadyhaveitdeeplyembeddedwithinyouandyoujustneedtoarticulateit.Butthisbookwillhelpbringitoutintotheforefrontofyourmind.

'Havingapictureofthecathedralasyoumixthemortar.'

UsePartIIandthe'InternalConsultant'sModel'inChapter5todevelopyourstrategicvision.YoucanusethestrategiesdescribedinChapter5butmostlikelytheywillsuggestothersthatcomefromyourowncreativitybasedonthesituationyouarein.UsePartIIItohelpyoutodevelopyourstrategiesintopracticalworkwithyourclients.

Youcanusethepracticalmodelsinthisbookforyourownworkandtofacilitatetheworkofothers.Nodoubtyouwillwanttochangethesemodelsandcreateyourown.Alsoyouarewelcometousethefiguresinthetextasabasisforflipchartsoroverheads.Youcancopythem,modifythemandcreateyourown.IfyouusethemodelsorfiguresIshouldappreciateitifyoutellpeoplewheretheycamefrom.

MakingadifferenceInthebookIfrequentlyusethephrase'makingadifference'becausethatisallIbelievewecando.Toclaimmoreistobeimmodest,grandioseandpretentious.Itistoappealtotheego.Yetmakingadifferenceisveryworthwhile.Weareallinterconnectedanditisbymakingourdifferencethatwetransformthesituation.

DialogueandfeedbackIhopethisbookwillhelpyoumakeadifferenceinyourorganization.Mayyouprosperwithyourendeavors.Ishouldbedelightedtohearfromanyreaderwhowishestosharewithmehowtheyhaveusedthisbookandtheeffectsthishashadorto

Pagexxvi

exchangeviews,insightsandexperiencesindoingthiswork.Iofferashortopenprogramforpeopleinterestedinfacilitatingtransformationandbuildingpartnershipsintheirorganizationsandcansendyoudetailsofthis.Imaybecontactedat:

BruceNixonAssociates'Hillway,'2CastleHillAvenue

BerkhamstedHertsHP41HJEngland,UK

e-mail:brucenixon@mcmail,comTel/Fax:+44(0)1442864856

(onlyduringofficehours(localtime))

PartISeeingtheBigPicture

1GlobalForcesThesituationwearein'Whenyoulookatamassiveproblemitisgoodtorememberabouteatinganelephant.Thereisonlyonewaytoeatit:onepieceatatime.Theseaisvastbuttheseaisjustdropsofwaterandeachdropcounts.'DesmondTutu.

Globaltransformation

Weliveinatimeoftransformation.Itisatonceexciting,liberating,developmental,fullofopportunityandpromiseandalsothreatening,frightening,daunting,painfulandexhausting.Itisatimeofdifficulty,complexity,uncertaintyandhugepressuresforthoseinoroutoforganizations.Itisaworldinwhichtherecanbenomoreillusionsofsecurity,predictabilityorsimplesolutions.Itisaworldforwhichmanyofusfeelillprepared.Wesearchfornewparadigmstounderstandandhelpuswithwhatishappeningandnewsurvivalskills.

Itiswidelybelievedthatweareinthemidstofatransitionfromoneformofsocietytoanothercomparabletotheagriculturalandindustrialrevolutions-ashiftfromindustrialtopost-industrialsociety.Butthechangesarehappeningfasterthaneverbefore.

Themainforcesinthistransformationarethewidespreadhumandesireforahighermaterialstandardofliving,technologicalrevolutionandglobalizationoftheeconomy,itselfaidedbytech-

nologicaldevelopment.Atthesametimethereareotherpowerfultrends.Thereisaworldwidedesireforgreaterinvolvement,participationanddemocracybothinsocietiesandinorganizations.Manypeoplewanttobreakoutfromdictatorshipintheircountriesorauthoritariancontrolintheirorganizations.Differentsocietiesaretryingtodiscoverhowtoencourageindividualenterpriseandcreateprosperitywithoutunleashinggreedandsleaze,howtoprovideequalityofopportunity,fairnessandsocialjusticeand,atthesametime,offerindividualfreedomandchoice.Manypeoplearestillstrugglingtobreakoutfromexploitationandeconomicimperialism,particularlyintheThirdWorld.AndhowcanwesolvealltheseproblemsandprotecttheEarth?Inourdifferentwayswearealllookingforanswers.

Amongstthekeyadvancesarethoseinmanufacturing,informationtechnology,telecommunications,medicine,transportationandagriculture.Inthefuture,wealthinthesocalledFirstWorldislikelytobebasedonknowledgeandhightechnologywhichrequirehighlyeducatedandtrainedworkforces.GlobalizationofmarketsisresultinginasteadyshiftofmanufacturingandeconomicenergyawayfromEuropeandNorthAmericatotheeconomiesofEasternAsiaandtoalesserextentLatinAmerica.Amajorglobalreadjustmentistakingplacewhichhasthepotentialtoredistributematerialprosperitymoreequitablybetweennationsandisalreadydoingso.Often,butnotalways,economicdevelopmentgoeshandinhandwithpoliticaldemocracy.

Thesedevelopmentshavethepotentialultimatelytoofferallofusontheplanetabetterandmoresecurelife,particularlyifwiseratherthangreedychoicesaremade,culturaldiversityisfullyvaluedandrespectedandwepursuesustainableeconomicdevelopment.Howeverthepicture,asitdevelops,isverymixedandaprocessofmajorreadjustmentisoftenpainful.Wecannotpredictorcontrolthe

outcomebutwecanexertaninfluence.

Consequences

ManyoftheeffectsofeconomicandtechnologicalchangeonWesternsocietyhavebeenbenign.Formostpeopletodayworkisphysicallymuchlesshardbothintheworkplaceandinthehome.Inresponsetothepressureofglobalcompetition,muchinefficiency,waste,complacencyandbureaucracyhavebeeneliminated.

Inmanyinstancesquality,valueandservicehavedramaticallyimproved.Abreathoffreshairhasblownthroughmanyorganizations,muchofitinspiredbyJapaneseinfluenceonmanufacturingandbyAmericanideas.Insomeorganizationspeopleateverylevelhavebecomefarmoreinvolvedindecisionmakingandproblemsolving.

Therehasbeenmuchrestructuringinboththeprivateandpublicsectors,someofwhichhasbeenclearlybeneficial,somelesscertainlyso,andmoreistocome.Somelargeorganizationshavebeenbrokenupintomoremanageablepartsandothershavebeenflattened,providingmorescopeforenterprise,initiativeandflexibility.Tosomedegreehierarchiesarebreakingdownandmoredemocraticandmorechaoticformsoforganizationsareemerging.Networkedorganizationsareunfolding,corporatecentersarebeingdrasticallyreducedandwholefunctionssub-contracted.Newtechnologyismakinginformationmuchmorewidelyavailableinorganizations.Someenlightenedbusinessleadersarekeentousee-mailtogetfeedbackfromanyemployeewhowantstogiveitstraighttothetop,insteadofthroughintermediaries.Thenotionofstakeholdersandpartnershipisincreasinglyimportant,includingpartnershipwithinorganizations,withcustomers,withsuppliers,withinvestors,withthecommunityandevenwithcompetitors.Asallbutcoreworkiscontractedouttherearenewopportunitiesforself-employmentandentrepreneurship.Morepeoplearebecominghomeworkers.

Moreradicalchanges,aidedbyexcitingadvancesintelecomsandinformationtechnology,areontheway.Somepredictthatweareontheedgeofarevolutionineducationbasedoninternationallylinkedmulti-mediainteractivetechnologies.Therearelikelytobemoreandmoreinterconnectedsmallbusinesseswhichconstitutemajorplayersintheglobalscene.Thesedevelopmentsconspiretobreakdownhierarchies,teamsinthetraditionalsenseandlargescale

organizations.Oldconceptsofleadershiparebeingrenderedobsoleteandtheconceptofpartnershipbecomesmorerelevant.Itisasiftechnologyandhumanaspirationsforgreaterautonomyandequalityconspiretothrowtheexistingstateintoturmoilandchaos.

Forsomethisisanexcitingpicturebutthedownsideisthedisenfranchisingofpeopleinoursocietieswhohavedifficultyswimminginthissea.Whilstforsomeitmeansopportunitiesforanewandmoreindependentlife,forothersitmeanslowerpay

andbenefits,heightenedinsecurityorunemployment.Peoplewhoareinsufficientlyeducatedortrainedwillnotgetalookin.Thehopesofsomeself-employedhaveendedinadebt,repossessionandfamilybreak-up.AninterestingdevelopmentisthatmanymenarefindingithardertogetworkwhilstwomenaremoreemployableandtheproportionofwomenintheUKwork-forceissettoexceed50%bytheendofthecentury.

Restructuringanddown-sizinginorganizationscanhavetraumaticeffectsbothonthosewhohaveleftand,sometimesworse,onthosewhoremainemployed.Asaresultthereisagreatneedforhealinginmanyorganizations.Eventhosewhocontinuetoenjoythematerialbenefitsofemploymentfindthepacegruellingasfewerandfewerremaintocarrytheload.Whilesomepeopledon'thaveenoughwork,othershavetoomuch.Manydiscoverthatthetalkofempowermentandreductionofhierarchyhasahollowring.Thecommandandcontrolmodelstillprevails.Undertheskin,theirorganizationsarejustascontrollingandoppressiveandmanypeopleliveinastateoffear.Thisisnottosaythattherearenotmanygenuineandbenigninitiativesindemocratizingtheworkplace.Itisthatoldhabitsdiehard,particularlyindifficulttimes,andwefinditeasiertotalkaboutmission,vision,valuesandbeliefsthantoputthemintodailyandconsistentpractice.Ofcourseithastobeaddedthatsomeleadersare,toputitbluntly,primarilymotivatedbytheattractionsofpower,controlandmoneyanddon'twanttochange.Someengageinthedoubletalkofsayingonethingandquiteplainlydoingsomethingelse,perhapsnotawarethattheyaredoingthis.

AsmanyindustriesinEuropeandNorthAmericadieorstruggletosurvive,unemploymentgrows.Onceagainthereisanincreasinggapbetweenrichandpoor.Wearealmostbacktothesituationexistingattheendofthe1930s.Similarly,thegapbetweenrichandsomepoornations,particularlyinAfrica,iswidening.Althoughitbenefits

peopleintheWest,concentrationongrowingcashcropsforexporthashadadverseeffectsontheabilityofpeopleintheso-calledThirdWorldtofeedthemselves.TheeffectsofWorldBankandIMFpoliciesonthepoorintheThirdWorldhavebeenharsh.Amongsttheresultsareanabsolutedeteriorationineducation,healthandwelfareservicesinmanyofthesenations.(Paradoxically,Cubahasinsomerespectsabetterhealthservice,bettereducation,andmorelocalparticipationthanmanydevelopeddemocracies.)Poorpeopleinsuch

countrieshavemostoftenbornethebruntoftheeffectsofarmssalesmainlyemanatingfromEuropeandNorthAmerica.IndirectlyweareallimplicatedinwhathappensintheThirdWorldandarelikelytobeaffectedbyit.

Intheso-calleddevelopednations,increasingburdensareplacedonthesmallernumbersinworkbygrowingunemploymentandagingpopulations.Theprovisionofeducation,health,otherpublicservicesandwelfareisunderincreasingstrain.Thelevelofunemployment,particularlyamongsttheyoungandblackpeople,andthegrowinggapbetweenrichandpoorpresentarealthreattocivilizedsociety,orderandstability,notonlyinWesterncountries.ItisbecomingclearthatitisnotsensibletopursuelimitlesseconomicgrowthastheanswertounemploymentwhilstignoringtheeffectsontheecologyoftheEarthandthequalityoflifeuponit.Limitlessconsumptioncannotprovideasatisfactorysolution.

Wealreadyhaveenormousecologicalproblemsowingtomodernagriculture,industrialprocesses,growinguseofmotortransportandothersourcesofatmosphericpollution.TheseproblemsarelikelytoworsendramaticallyaseconomicdevelopmentandWesternstyleprosperityspreadthroughouttheworld.Itisnotonlytheecologicalconsequencesthatthreatenthequalityofourlivesbutalsothenoise,stressanddestructionofbeautifulnaturalandmanmadeenvironments.

Changinghumanaspirations

SofarwhatIhavewrittenhaslargelybeenabouttheconsequencesoftechnologicalchangeandglobalizationoftheeconomy.Atthesametimethereseemtobechangesinhumanconsciousnessrunningparallelwith,andpartlyasareactionto,technologicalandeconomicdevelopment,despiteorperhapsbecauseoftheharshrealitiesmany

peopleface.

Itisnotonlythatmaterialexpectationsarerising.Inotherrespectsourhorizonsandexpectationsaregrowing.Membershipof,andmaybetheinfluenceof,singleissuegroupsornon-gov-ernmentalorganizations(NGOs)isgrowingandfarexceedsthatofpoliticalparties.IntheUK,therearesignsofagrowingimpatiencewiththeegotismandadversarialismofpartypoliticsanditsdominationbymen.ThenewlyelectedHouseofCommons

hasover100womenmembers.TrustinpoliticiansisatanalltimelowandintheUKasignificantminoritywantradicalconstitutionalreformincludingproportionalrepresentation,devolution,aBillofRightsandfreedomofinformation.Thenewlyelectedgovernmentistryingtorespondtothesetrendsinpublicopinion.Peoplearemuchbetterinformedandmoreaware.Inconsistenciesandabusesare'outed'veryquicklybyalertandinquisitivemedia.Themassofpeoplearefarmorecriticalandquestioning.Newtechnologyismakingithardertosuppressinformationeveninoppressiveregimes.Notonlydoesanimageconsciousorganizationhavetooffergenuinequalityandvalue;ithasalsotoshowevidenceofbeingaresponsiblememberofthecommunityandaworldcitizen.

Peoplearefarmoreecologicallyaware.Moreandmorepeoplecareaboutpollutioninallitsformsandthefutureoftheplanetasanenvironmentforhumanandotherlifeforms.Thereisgrowingconcernabouttheadverseeffectsofincreasinguseofthemotorcarandtransportationoffoodovervastdistances.Thepublicarebetterinformedabouthealthissuesandtheimportanceofdiet.Morepeoplecareaboutthetreatmentofotherspeciesandtheirsurvivalandareawareoftheimportanceofbio-diversity.Morepeoplearebecomingvegetarianandwantorganicfood.Theycareabouthowfoodisproducedandarenotimpressedbythosewhotalkonlyofcosteffectivenessandefficiencyinitsproductionasifthatjustifiedtheadverseconsequences.

Thereisgrowingawareness,aspeopletravelmore,ofthevalueandimportanceofculturaldiversityandreactionagainstbusinesseswhichareoutofstepwiththis.Insomewaysweareallgrowingmorealikeaswelearnfromeachotherandenjoytherichnessofourculturaldiversity.Forexample,peopleintheWestareenjoyingahugevarietyoffoodandcuisinefromallovertheworld.Nationsarecollaboratingmore,formingregionaleconomicunionsandgivingupsome

sovereignty.Sovereigntyisbeingerodedbythepowerofmulti-nationalorganizations.Yetinotherrespectswecherishourdifferencesanduniqueness.ThelargeNationStateconceptofthenineteenthcenturywhichignoredregionaldifferencesisbeingchallengedinmanypartsoftheworldwherepeoplearestrugglingforindependenceordevolution.

PeoplecareaboutfairnessandjusticeandtheeffectofWesterneconomicpoliciesontheso-calledThirdWorld.Theycansee

theinadequacyofanuncriticalbeliefinmarketforcesandcapitalism.Theycareaboutequalopportunitiesandfairnessandaremoreawareofandattunedtoissuesofgender,race,age,disabilityandotherdifferences.Theyrecognizetheneedforabetterbalancebetweenyingandyang,masculineandfeminineandtheleftandrightsidesofthebrain.Theyaredisenchantedwiththeblatantgreedofthe1980sandleaderswhoarepreoccupiedwithbuildingempiresofmoneyandpower.Thereisconsiderablepublicdisquietaboutallegedboardroomgreedandsleazeinpubliclife.Aslongastheycansurviveeconomically,manypeoplewanttodosomethingthatis'worthwhile'andcontributestosocietyandfeeltheproducttheymakeortheservicetheyofferis'good.'Theywanttodogoodworkratherthanbehugelycompensatedforworkwhichisnotgood.Thereisgrowingrealizationthatunemploymentisnolongeracyclicalproblemandgrowingconcernaboutthewideninggapbetweenrichandpoor.Consequentlyenlightenmentisbecominggoodbusinessand,atamoresuperficiallevel,goodmarketing.

Peoplearefarmorecynicalorskepticalandquickertospotorsuspectinsincerity,inconsistencyoralackofintegrity.Wehaveanincreasinglysophisticatedandeducatedpublic.Manypeoplearelookingformeaningandqualityintheirlivesandrecognizethattheyarespiritualbeings.Iseeagrowinginterestinvariousformsofspiritualityandhealingperhapsasaresponsetotheuncertainty,pressuresandpaininvolvedinworkinginorganizationsorsurvivingoutsidethem.ManypeoplehavecometotheconclusionthatCartesianthinkingandtotalbeliefinscienceandthemachinearenotadequate.Theyseetheuniverseasmysteriousandwonderfulandnotwhollyinthecontrolofhumanbeings.Theyseetheinterconnectednessofallthings-inaglobaleconomyitiseasiertoseejusthowinterconnectedweare-understandingtheimportanceofparadoxintheirlives,realizingtherearenosimplesolutionsor

answers,attractiveastheymightbe.Thepursuitofpowerandmoneyforitsownsakedoesnotimpressorinspiresuchpeopleand,givenachoice,theylookforwork,employers,productsandservices,customersandinvestmentsthataccordwiththeirvalues.TheyalsorealizethatnotallprogresscanbemeasuredintermsofGrossNationalProduct.Theydonotbelievethatunrestrainedcapitalism,consumerismandfreemarketforcesnrovidethebasisforahealthysociety.Trickle-downtheoriesof

Globalizationoftheeconomyandglobalreadjustment.

Technologicalrevolution.

Desireforahighermaterialstandardofliving.

Desirefordemocracyandindependence.

Decline,downsizing,restructuringandunemployment.

Theecologicalcrisis.

Growinggapbetweenrichandpoorwithinandbetweennations.

Demographicchange-agingpopulations.

Higherexpectationsofqualityofworkandlife.

Growingappreciationofourinterconnectedness.

Thedeclineofdeferenceanddesireforrespectfordifferenceandpartnership.

GrowingconcernabouttheThirdWorld.

Thesearchformeaning,healingandspirituality.

Figure1.1Globalforces

wealthcreationhavebeenshownnottofulfillwhatwashopedforthem.

Thereisagrowingdesireamonggrowingnumbersofpeopleintheworldofworkforautonomy,interdependenceanddemocracy.Theywanttoseeamoveawayfrompatriarchy,controlandcompliance.Ifdeferenceinorganizationsisnotdeaditiscertainlyindecline.Anincreasingnumberoforganizationsarepioneeringnewandenlightenedwaysofdoingbusinesswhicharefarmoreinclusive-seeLewis&Lytton,1995;Murata,1991;Roddick,1992;Semler,1993.

Manybusinessleadersacknowledgethatrespondingtothesetrendsis

fundamentaltobusinesssuccess.TheRoyalSocietyofArtsinquiry,Tomorrow'sCompany-TheRoleofBusinessinaChangingWorldmakesinterestingreading.Itisbasedontheviewsof48companyleaders.TheyseethemajorobstaclespreventingUKcompaniesfrombecominggloballycompetitiveas:complacencyandignoranceofworldstandards,overrelianceon

financialmeasuresofperformanceandournationaladversarialculture.ConfrontedwiththeUK'slong-termcompetitivedecline,itslowproductivityandlowquality,theinquiryparticipantsseeawayaheadthatplacesemphasisonpartnershipandinclusiverelationshipswithallkeystakeholders,includingemployeesatalllevels,suppliers,customers,investorsandthecommunityasawhole.Theinquiryfoundwidespreadagreementthatsustainablesuccessdependsonthemanagementofallkeyrelationships.Companiesthatdoso,asopposedtosettingprofitsastheirprimarygoal,showaboveaveragelong-termfinancialreturns.

Thisisthebenignside.Thereisalsotheshadowside-noteveryoneseestheworldinthiswayorwouldsupporttheseaspirations.Thesearebenignforceswhichcanbesupportedorresisted.Onthewholebenignforcesseemtoprevail.Fromahistoricalperspective,perhapsnothinginthisrespectisnew(exceptthepossibilityofcompleteandtotalannihilation).Therealwayshasbeensuchaconflict,butthisistheformittakestoday.

Lessthan500yearsagoWilliamTyndalewasburnedatthestakefortranslatingtheBibleintoEnglish.Ithinkthishelpsputthingsintoperspective.Inthepasthundredyearswehaveseenhugestepsforwardinmanyaspectsoflife,forexample,thelivingconditionsofordinarypeopleinWesterncountrieshaveimprovedenormously;workwhetherathomeorintheworkplaceismuchlessarduous;thepositionandinfluenceofwomeninsocietyandinorganizationshaveadvancedgreatly;relationshipsbetweenmanyfathersandtheirchildrenhavesoftenedandbecomemoreintimate;andthesituationofblackpeopleinoursocietieshasimproved,whilstthereisalongwaytogo.Advancesinmedicinehavewipedoutsomediseasesandmuchincreasedlifeexpectancy;wehavethemeanstoprovideadecentlifeforeveryoneontheplanet;andamoreequitabledistributionofprosperityontheplanetdoesseemtobegraduallyemerging.These

arejustafewexampleswhichillustratethatwhilsthistorygoesbackwardsandforwards,wearemakingprogress.Astudyofhistoryalsoshowsthatmanyofthesethemeshavebeenahumanpreoccupationforaverylongtime(Zeldin,1995).

Figure1.1summarizesthetrendsandforcesoutlinedinthischapter.

Referencesandsuggestedfurtherreading

Aberdene,P.andNaisbitt,J.(1992)MegatrendsforWomen-FromLiberationtoLeadership,FawcettColumbine,NewYork,USA.

Castro,F.(1993)TomorrowisTooLate,OceanPress,Melbourne,Australia.

Fox,M.(1994)TheRe-inventionofWork,Harper,SanFrancisco,USA.

Handy,C.(1997)TheHungrySpirit,BeyondCapitalism-AQuestforPurposeintheModernWorld,Hutchinson,London,UK.

Harman,W.andHormann,J.(1990)CreativeWork,KnowledgeSystemsInc.,Indianapolis,USA.

Hawken,P.(1993)TheEcologyofCommerce,HarperBusiness,NewYork,USA.

Henderson,H.(1993)ParadigmsinProgress-LifeBeyondEconomics,AdmantinePress,London,UK.

Korten,D.(1995)WhenCorporationsRuletheWorld,EarthscanBooks,London,UKandBerrett-Koehler,USA.

Lewis,K.andLytton,S.(1995)HowtoTransformyourCompanyandEnjoyit!,ManagementBooks2000,Chalford,Glos.,UK.

Manley,M.(1990)ThePoliticsofChange,HarvardUniversityPress,WashingtonDC,USA.

Murata,K.(1991)HowtoMakeJapaneseManagementMethodsWorkintheWest,Gower,London,UK.

Naisbitt,J.(1994)TheGlobalParadox,NicholasBrealey,London,UK.

Roddick,A.(1992)BodyandSoul,Vermillion,London,UK.

Rodney,W.(1972,1989)HowEuropeUnderdevelopedAfrica,EastAfricanEducationalPublishers,Nairobi,Kenya.(AvailablefromAfricaBookCenter,CoventGarden,London,UK(Tel:44(0)171-240-6649).)

RoyalSocietyofArtsRSAInquiry,Tomorrow'sCompany-TheRoleofBusinessinaChangingWorld(1996),Gower,London,UK.

Semler,R.(1993)Maverick,TheSuccessStoryBehindtheWorld'sMostUnusualWorkplace,WarnerBooks,USA.

Schumacher,E.F.(1973)SmallisBeautiful,Abacus,London,UK.

Zeldin,T.(1995),AnIntimateHistoryofHumanity,Minerva,London.UK

2Tomorrow'sOrganizationsPrinciplesforsurvivingandthriving'Theworldhasenoughforeveryone'sneed,butnotforanyone'sgreed.'MahatmaGandhi.

'Convincingpeopleisaformofviolence.'quotedinTheodoreZeldin'sAnIntimateHistoryofHumanity.

'The''MadeinEurope"studyshowedthat70.0percentofUKcompaniesthoughttheyperformedatworld-classlevels,whereasonly2.3percentwerefoundtodoso.'Tomorrow'sCompany,RoyalSocietyofArtsInquiry,publishedbyGower,1995.

Afreshviewseemstobeemergingamongstsomebusinessleaderstoday.ItisthatthetraditionalfocusofAnglo-Saxoncompaniesonshort-termfinancialperformanceneedstobereplacedbyattentiontolong-termstrategichealth.Strategichealthdependsonbeingfullyawareofallthemajorforcesaffectingthebusinessandhavinginclusiveratherthanadversarialrelationshipswithallstakeholders.ThisviewpointisexpressedintheRSA'sinquiry,

Tomorrow'sCompanyTheRoleinBusinessinaChangingWorld,alreadyreferredtointhepreviouschapter.ItisalsosupportedbyWillHuttoninhisTheStateWeAreIn(Hutton,1995).

Insomewaysthesuccessfulfunctioningofanorganizationislikethatofanindividual.Wordslikegrace,synchronicity,serendipityorfortunatecoincidencecometomind(Chopra,1994;Coelho,1993;Redfield,1994).Weengageinaconstructiverelationshipwiththeforceswithinourselvesandthosearoundusintheuniverse,goingwith,learningfrom,ratherthanignoringorfightingagainst,andmysteriouslywhatwedesiretakesplace.This,itseemstome,canapplyasmuchtoanorganizationwhichworksconstructivelywithitsownsystemanditsenvironment(seeFigure2.1).

Figure2.1Therelationshipsbetweenthesystemandtheenvironmentandwithinthesystemitself

1. Wintheheartsandmindsofallstakeholders.

2. Empowerandenable.

3. Learnhowtobothvaluediversityandunitepeopleincommoncause.

4. Beexcellentinrespondingwelltouncertainty,complexityandchange.

5. Loveourworkandloveourselves.

6. Haveanattitudeoflong-termstewardship.

Figure2.2Sixprinciples

IsuggestsixprinciplesreflectingtheideainFigure2.1thatmayhelpabusiness(profit-makingorotherwise)surviveandthrive.Asisoftenthecase,theyformaninterrelatedsystem.Theyseemsimplealmosttoosimpleorobviousandyettheimplicationsareenormousanddifficult.Ishalldiscusstheprinciplesinturn(seeFigure2.2).

Wintheheartsandmindsofallstakeholders

Stakeholdersincludeemployees,suppliers,customers,investorsandthecommunity.Noonecanbeperfectatwinningoverthestakeholdersbutsomeorganizationsdoitbetterthanothersordoitforatime.(Successcansoeasilyturnintoarroganceorcomplacency.)UKexamplesincludeABB,BritishAirways,theBodyShop,FI,ICI,IKEA,JohnLewisPartnership,Marks&Spencer,Unipart,Virginandothersyouwillthinkof.Businessesaremorelikelytosurviveandgrowwhentheyhavetheenthusiasticsupportandchallengeofalltheirstakeholders.Theyaremostlikelytoattracttheablestandmoststronglymotivatedpeopleandinspirethemtooffertheirfullenergiesandtalents.Peopleneedtobeproudtobeinvolvedasstakeholders.Forpeopletobeexcitedandproudtobeinvolvedtodaymeansthattheorganizationhastobegoodatalotofdifferentthings.Notonlydoestheorganizationhavetooffergenuinequalityandvalue,italsohastoshowevidenceofbeingaresponsiblememberofthecommunityandaworldcitizen.Ithastorespondtotheenhancedawareness,concernsandaspirationsofpeopletoday.

Myguessisthatanevidentandsincereappreciationoftheissuesandtrendsoutlinedinthepreviouschapter,mostlikelytoemergefromahealthydialoguewithallstakeholders,willbeincreasinglyimportanttobusinesssurvivalandastablesocietyinwhichbusinesscanprosper.

Thishasradicalimplications.Leadersofbusinesswhoareprimarily

goodatworkingwithpower,manipulation,competitivestrategy,marketingandmoneywillnothaveallthenecessaryrequirements.Theywillseemblinkeredifnotdisabled.Successfulleaderswillbemorebalanced.Theywillbehighlyresponsiblecitizensofthecommunityandoftheworld.Guidedbyasenseofpurnoseandpriplestheywillunderstandtheimportanceof

16

strugglingtopracticethevaluestheyespouseandwillbeacutelyawareofthecynicismthatiscreatedbynotdoingso.Theywilltryto'walkthetalk.'Theytoowillbeinformedaboutglobalandecologicalissuesandseetheimportanceofmeaningandspirituality.Theywillshowintegrity,honestyandhumilityandadmitthattheyarefallibleandlearningallthetime.Alearningcompanyrequireslearningleaders.Becausetheyarematurepeopleinthissensetheywillbeabletoinspirepeopleandwinheartsandminds,nomatterhowhumbletheserviceorproducttheyoffer.Theywillconducttheirbusinessinawaythatotherscanrespectandadmire.

Empowerandenable

Inanunstable,uncertainandhighlycompetitiveworld,theexcellenceabusinessoffersitscustomersanditscreativity,flexibilityandresourcefulnessinrespondingtochangingneeds,marketsandcompetitionarevital.Inthisconstantquestforexcellenceallitsemployeesandsuppliersmatterenormously.

MostofthepeopleImeethavefarmoretoofferthantheybelievetheyarecapableof.Manydemonstratetheirunusedleadershippotentialoutsidetheirworkplace.Smartbusinessleaderswillknowhowtoreleaseandnurturethesecreativetalentsandenergies.Theywillknowhowtocreateconditionswhichpeopleexperienceasempoweringwhichliberatetheirtalentsinachievingtheinterestsoftheorganizationanditsstakeholders.

Empowermentinvolvesvaluingandrespectingeveryonewhoworksfororsuppliestheorganization.Italsomeanscleargoals,guidelinesandlimitsandneededresources.Itinvolvesseeingtheirpotential,seeingthegoodinthemandfosteringit.Peoplegivetheirbestandlearnmostreadilywhentheyarevalued,encouraged,supportedthroughdifficultiesandgivenhonestyetthoughtfulfeedbackwhentheywantorneedit.Peoplevaluebeingtreatedwithcompletehonestyandbeingtoldthetruth,howeverdifficult.Thisbuildstrustandrespect,partlybecauseitissoastonishinglyrare,aslongasitisclonewithsensitivityandconsideration.Itismorecommonforleaderstocalculate,inapaternalisticorpatronizingway,howmuchofthetruththeywilltell.Mostoftenthisistransparent.'Nobodytellsusanything'isacommoncomplaint.Generallypeopleneedtobeappreciated

muchmoreandcriticizedmuchless.Whilstitisessentialtochoosepeoplewellandanorganizationcannotcarrypeoplewhodon't,can'torwon'tmeasureup,fartoooftenwhendifficultiesarisepeoplearegotridofratherthanhonestlyworkingthroughtheirproblems.

Akeyskillinbringingoutthetalentsandbrillianceofbothordinaryandextraordinarypeopleistheartoflisteningandaskingempoweringandinterestingquestions(seeChapter9).Yetourfirstinclinationistotellthem,ratherthanaskthem,whattodo.Weneedtopracticetheartofinvitingpeopletofindtheirownuniquesolutions,believingthattheyaretheirownauthoritiesontheuniquejobtheydoorcanbecomeso.Theyneedtolookinsidethemselvesforanswers.(Thisisnottosaythatotherscannotgivethemfeedback,insightsandinspiration.)

Foranorganizationtobesuccessfultoday,itneedstogofurtherthanmerelybringingoutthetalentsofindividuals.Italsoneedstoacquiretheartoffosteringinnovationandcreativitynotonlyinindividualsbutalsoingroupsandacrossthewholeorganization.Thisentailsmanythingsbutinparticularrecognizingtheimportanceofintuition,synergy,ofpeopletrustingtheirthinking,sayingwhattheyreallythink,challengingwithoutattacking,notlaughingatothers,valuingdifference,facingconflicthoweverdifficult,learninghowtofacilitatelargegroupsofpeoplewithdiverseandconflictingviews,reallylisteningtoeachother,encouragingrisktakingandmistake-making,widespreadnetworkingandcreatingaculturethatliberatespeopleratherthanencouragingcaution,fear,complianceandcollusion.Itcouldbesummedupasapartnership(Block,1993).ScottPecktalksaboutcreatinggenuinecivility(notsuperficialpoliteness)andcommunityinbusiness,ie,reallyhonesttalk(ScottPeck,1994).ThebestCEOswantpeopletocareenoughtoreallytellthemwhattheythink.ThisiswhatIbelieveisneeded.

Noneofthisiseasy.Empowermentrequirespeopletochangethe

behaviorandattitudesofalifetimeandovercomethehabitsofcenturies.Weneedtobreakawayfromthemythsandgenerationsofconditioningthataffectourcollectiveconsciousness.Furthermore,empowermentisadynamicbetweentwoparties.Itrequiresarobust,experimentingrelationshipwithoutpunishmentifmistakesaremade.Itisnotjustaquestionofleaderschangingtheirbehavior.Thosetheyleadhavetochangetoo.Leadershavetostruggleagainsttheirownexpectationsandthe

expectationsofothersthattheyknowbest,makenomistakes,havetobeincontrolandmustbeseentobeincontrol.Insteadtheyneedtojudiciouslytrustandletgo.'Theonlywaytoregaincontrolisbysharingit'isawiseparadox.Peopletheyleadneedtogiveupcomplianceanddependencyandnotactontheirfears,fantasiesandfeelingsofinadequacy.Theyneedtogiveupunrealisticexpectationsthatleadersbecharismatic,infallibleandallknowingasopposedtoordinaryindeed,thatiftheyareordinary,thentheyarenotfitforthejob.Weallhavetoacknowledgeourengraineddiscomfortwithchaos,uncertainty,mistake-mak-ingandnotknowingwhattodo.That'softenhowitisandneedstobe.

Thesearedifficultthingstodoconsistently,understressandintheheatofthemoment.Itiseasiertobeaparagonwhenthingsaregoingwell.Weoftenreverttooldwaysintimesofcrisis.Yetorganizationsandpeoplearecopingwithdifficulty,ifnotcrisis,mostofthetime.

Learnhowtobothvaluediversityandunitepeopleincommoncause

Myexperienceisthatmostorganizationsareextremelyuncomfortablewithdiversityandtheirselectionandsocializationproceduresaredesignedtoavoiditandsuppressitrespectively.Alsoitisridiculousthatmostofuswastesomuchofourworkinglivesandourenergystrenuouslypretendingnottobedifferent.Yettheworldoutside,themarkets,customers,potentialemployeesandsuppliersstakeholdersareincreasinglydiverseespeciallyaswebecomeoneworld,oneglobaleconomy.Itiswellestablishedtoothatcreativityandinnovationspringfromdiversityandworkingproductivelywithdifferenceandconflict.

Organizationsstrugglewithunitingpeopleincommoncauseandpurpose.Mostteamsandorganizationsarebedeviledbyinternalcompetition,adversarialconflict,power-politicsanddivisionsthatget

inthewayoftheteamworkneededtoresolveproblemsandcreatewellinformedandastutestrategies.Thesearetheproblemsoftheenlargedandsensitiveego.Thiscreatesanatmospherewhichdemotivates,causesseverestress,sapsenergy,wastestalentsanddrivespeopleout.Adversarialconflictisusuallyworstamongstthepeoplewhosepurposeshouldbeto

servethosedoingthecoretasksoftheorganization.Thisisonlytooapparenttotheworkforcewhojustwishtheywouldgettheiracttogether.

ItisnotthatweshouldgiveupourindividualismandslavishlyimitatesomeofourFar-Easternsistersandbrotherswhoaresobrilliantatbeingteamplayers.Howeverwithinorganizationswedoneedtogiveuptheadversarialhabitsthatoverthecenturieshelpedusestablishorderoutofchaos,wonwarsandwonusempires.Weneedtolearnhowtobothvalueourindividualflairandbegoodteamplayers.WearebeingtaughtalotaboutthisbyJapaneseandotherAsiancompanieswhohavesetupintheWest.

Insteadofbeingfrightenedofdifferenceandconflict,insteadofpursuingpower,wantingtoberight,wantingtowinarguments,wantingtobebetterthan,weneedtolearntowelcomedifferenceandconflict,letgo,acknowledgethatwedon'tknow,thatwearetravellingandlearning,thatwewillsucceedbetterwheneveryonewins,thatthereare,mostoften,win-winsolutions.Weneedtolearntolistenwithinterestandwithopenmindsandengageindialogue.Weneedhonesty,rigorandchallenge.Thiswillencouragelearning,flexibilityofresponseandcreativityandhelpinsolvingproblemsanddecidingthemostappropriatewaysforward.

Thisattitudewillhelpuswelcomewomen,peopleofdifferentracialorigins,cultures,ages,levelsandskillsintokeydecision-makingandproblem-solvingroles.Itwillencourageustodeveloppartnershipswithpeopleandexaminerigorouslywhatpartnershipimpliesintermsofperformanceappraisal,hierarchy,status,rewards,companyownershipandre-examineahostofothercurrentpoliciesandpractices(Block,1993).Wecannotcreatepartnershipandasenseofinvolvementandownershipifallourpoliciesandpracticesimplypatriarchy,dominance,complianceanddependency.Norcanwedoso

whentherearegrossandapparentlyunjustifiabledifferencesinrewards.Alotofharmhasbeendonerecentlybywhatlookslikeboardroomgreed.Peopleseethedoubletalk,fudgingandhypocrisyimmediatelyeveniftheyremainsilent.Andthisimpliesanotherstep.Thatisinvitingfeedbackfrommanydifferentpeopleandreallytakingitseriously.

Beexcellentinrespondingwelltouncertainty,complexityandchange

Nomatterhowinspiringandenlightenedanorganizationmaybe,thebottomlineforallitsstakeholdersisthatitsurvivesandthrivesintoughtimes.Aspirationsarenotenough.Therehastobeahappypartnershipbetweenenlightenmentandshrewdness,toughness,astuteness,decisiveness,entrepreneurship,beingstreetwiseandsometimesruthlessness.Weallhavetobeabletopayourbills.Thereisnovirtueinenlightenedfailure.

Yetmanyoftheskills,attitudesandpracticesdescribedinthefirstthreeprinciplesmakeitmorelikelythatanorganizationwilldevelopappropriatestrategiesandinnovationsthatwillleadtoitscontinuingtosurviveandthrive.Byvaluingdifferenceandunderstandinghowtoworkwithconflict,itismorelikelythatstrategieswillbebasedonathoroughlyrealisticandaccurateappreciation(towhichallstakeholdershavecontributed)ofthewholesituation.Ifpeoplearevaluedandsupportedwell,itismorelikelythattheywillsurviveandthriveinasituationofchange,uncertaintyandpressure.Peoplewillcopebetterwithuncertaintyiftheyarewellinformedaboutthesituation,haveconfidenceinthemselves,havetheskillstheyneedtosurviveandhavecontributedtokeydecisionsaffectingtheirfuture.Withthiskindofculture,theorganizationismorelikelytolearnandadaptespeciallyifthereisenoughhonestchallengetoanyformofcomplacencyorunawarenessoftheseverityofthesituation.Wecannolongeraffordasituationwhereafewlike-mindedpeoplemakethedecisionsanddecidethewayaheadandtherestwithholdtheircontribution.Ingeneral,commandandcontrol(appropriateinsomesituations)needstobereplacedbyfarmoreliberatingnewforms.

Werequireaculturethatwelcomesratherthanfearschange,encouragestheattitudethatuncertaintyisinteresting,excitingandfullofpromise,thatacknowledgesthatinthissituationeveryoneisbound

tohaveallkindsoffeelingssuchasfear,feelingsofinadequacy,anger,griefaboutthepassingoftheoldorder,confusionandbeingatsea.

Weneedabigshiftinourcultureawayfromdenyingtheimportanceorexistenceoffeelingsintheworkplacetowardsrecognizingthatfeelingsarenormal,inevitable,notleftathomeandthattheyhavetobeacknowledgedandworkedwithifweareto

findourcreativity,energy,excitement,optimism,commitmentandgoodwilltowardsoneanother.Weneedtostruggleoutofouremotionalilliteracyinorganizations.

Loveourworkandloveourselves

'Workislovemadevisible.'TheProphet,KahlilGibran.

'Doingwhatyoumostlikedoingandgettingpaidforit.'JoyceGrenfell,entertainer.

Ihavenotyetmentioned'love.'Itisawordweshyawayfromintheworkplace,yetitisfundamental.Surprisingly,itisawordusedbysomeofthemosthard-headedentrepreneurs.Manypeopleintalkingabouttheirworkareluckyenoughtosay'Ilovemywork.'Wesometimeshear'Heloveshiswork.'Suchphrasesgowithqualityandexcellence.RogerHarrisonhasbeenstressingitsimportanceinorganizationsforyears(Harrison,1995).Workishowweofferourgiftstotheworldandonekeywayinwhichweexpressourgoodnessandourlove(Fox,1994).Withoutworkwelove,wearedeeplydeprived,asthosewhoarewithoutworkorinjobstheydislikecantestify.Ifwearetogiveourbestandflourish,weneedtobedoingworkweloveandloveourwork.(Itcantakemanyyearstofindourtruevocation.)Thisdoesnotmeanthatsomeofthetimewewon'thateittoo.Passionandexcellenceareinextricablylinked.Wealsoneedtoloveourwork-matesormostofthemmostofthetime.ThisislinkedtowhatIsaidaboutbeinghonestwithpeoplewhoworkwithus.Realhonestyrequiresloveandviceversa.Thisisnottosaythatwewillnotexperiencefrustration,angerandhostilitysomeofthetime.Wesurelyneedtoloveourcustomersthoughthesamecaveatsapply.Thisisloveinthesenseofcaringalot,ourheartsbeinginitandbeingwillingtogooutofourwaytohelp,support,doourverybestandgothatextramilethatwillmakeallthedifference.Thisisprinciplebutitisalsobusinessacumen.

Todothiswehavetofeelgoodaboutourselvesandgetthesupportofcolleagueswhenwedonot.Weneedtonurture,ie,loveourselves,meetourneedsandsometimestaketimeoutinwhateverwayisneededtorestoreourselves.Itisalsotruethatsometimeswecannotaffordtodothisuntillater.Butworkcan

becomeanaddictivehabitorcompulsion.Itisnousegoingonandon,burningourselvesoutandneglectingwhatandwhomattersmosttousforthesakeofourjob.Norcanwehonestlyjustifydoingthisindefinitelyforthesakeofthefamilyorsomeotherexternalpurpose.Thiswisdomisbecomingincreasinglywidespreadandweshallhavetobecomemoreunconventionalanddaringinbringingitintotheworkplacetocreatemoreharmonyandbalance,especiallywhenlifeatworkisatitsmoststressfulanddifficult.Perhapsitwillnotbesounusualfortheretobeexercise,games,silliness,relaxation,sittinginsilenceandmeditationinthetypicalorganizationinthefutureparticularlywhenweare'stuck'orinacrisis!

Haveanattitudeoflong-termstewardship

Ibelievethisprincipleunderpinstheothers.Itisnotpossibletowintheheartsandmindsofallstakeholders,empowerandenable,respectandunitepeopleincommoncause,respondwelltochangeandloveourworkandourselvesandbeessentiallyexploitative.

Inthepast20yearsorsomanygoodcompanieshavefailed,beentakenoverorseriouslydamagedthemselvesbecauseofover-emphasisonshort-termfinancialreturnstothedetrimentofinvestinginthefuture.TheRSA'sinquiryprovidesevidenceofashiftinthemindsofdirectorsawayfromshort-termexploitationofassets,towardscreatingconditionsforsustainablesuccessandrecognitionthatthisinpartdependsuponathrivingbusinesscommunityandlong-termtrustrelationships.Thisalsomeansanabilitytoholdcollaborationandcompetitioninourheadsatthesametime.

Acompanythatdemonstratesconcernforlong-termsuccessinthebestinterestsofallstakeholders(notmerelydirectorsorshareholders)ismostlikelytowintherespectofeveryoneinvolvedinsupportingitincludingemployees,customersandsuppliers.Mosthumanbeings

haveastrongsenseofvaluesandpurposeandliketobeassociatedwithstewardshipsomethingofwhichwecanbeproudratherthanexploitation.Weprefertobebuilders,creatorsofsomethingthatwillendure,thatofferssecurelivelihood,enduringquality,somethingthatcanbehandedontothenextgeneration.

Notonlyarewelearningthatweneedanattitudeoflong-termstewardshiptowardsourcompaniesbutalsowearebeingforcedtolearnhowimportantitistohaveanattitudeofstewardshiptowardstheEarth.

Inreachingforwardintothisnewworldofwork,whichisalsopartlyveryold,directors,managers,developersandotherstakeholdersneedtoworkinpartnershiptodevelopnewandexcitingformsinwhichpeoplecanworktogethermoreeffectively(Semler,1993;Weisbord,1987).Therestofthebookwilloffersomeideasandwaysforward.Howeveritwillbeaveryincompletepictureaswearetravellingtogetheronajourneyofdiscoveryandwedonotknowwhereitwilllead.

Ishouldliketoendthischapterwithaquotefromavisionaryleader'sspeechmadeinthe1940s.HarryFergusonwastheEnglishco-founderoftheAnglo-Canadiancompany,MasseyFergusonTractors,nowpartofU.S.basedAGCOCorporation.Herewasacreative,far-sightedbusinessmanwithaglobalvisionandastrongsenseofpurposeandresponsibility.

Gentlemen,wehavenotaskedyoutocomehereprimarilytoseeatractorandanewsystemofimplements.Thatisasecondaryreasonfortheinvitationwesentyou.BeforeIgoanyfurther,IwanttoimpressmostdeeplyuponyouthatitisthePlan,theideabehindthisnewSystem,whichisofprimaryimportance.

Theabolitionofpovertyisourfirstproblem.Whatispoverty?Whatiswant?Povertyandwantcanbestbedescribedastheinabilitytopurchasethebarenecessitiesoflife.Anymanwhocannotobtainthenecessitiesoflifeisdefinitelyinpoverty.Anymanwhocanpurchasethemisnotinpoverty.Hemaybepoor,butheisnotinpoverty.

Manyplanshavebeenpresentedformeetingtheproblemofpovertyanddestitution.Butnoneofthemcanpossiblysucceedunlesssomethingbedonetocreatethewealthwithwhichtoputthoseplansintoeffect.

OurPlanforprosperity,securityandpeacecanbestatedintwosimplepropositions.

1. Makethegoodearthproducemorethanenoughtokeepitswholepopulationincomfortandcontentment.

2. And,whatisequallyvital,producethat'morethanenough'atpriceswhichthepeopleoftheworldcanaffordtopay.

ToputthatPlanintoeffect,machinerymustbedesignedfittedtothatPlan.IfthePlanbegoodandthemachinerybegood,thenwehavethegreatestandbestnewsthatyouhaveeverheard.Wehaveanewhopeformankind.

Thatisourambition.ThatisthecoursetowhichIamwhollydedicated.

'TheVision'fromtheSpeechesofHarryFerguson.


Block,P.(1993)StewardshipChoosingServiceOverSelf-interest,BerrettKeohler,SanFrancisco,USA.

Chopra,D.(1994)TheSevenSpiritualLawsofSuccess,Amber-Allen/NewWorldLibrary,SanRafael,USA.

Coelho,P.(1993)TheAlchemistAFableaboutFollowingYourDream,Harper,SanFrancisco,USA.

Fox,M.(1994)TheRe-inventionofWork,Harper,SanFrancisco,USA.

Gibran,K.(1991)TheProphet,PanBooks,London,UK.

Grenfell,J.(1976)JoyceGrenfellRequeststhePleasure,Macmillan,London,UK.

Harrison,R.(1995)Consultant'sJourneyAProfessionalandPersonalOdyssey,McGraw-Hill,Maidenhead,UK.

Hutton,W.(1995)TheStateWeAreIn,JonathanCape,London,UK.

Hutton,W.(1997)TheStatetoCome,Vintage,London,UK.

Redfield,J.(1994)TheCelestineProphesy,BantamBooks,London,UK.

ScottPeck,M.(1994)AWorldWaitingtoBeBorn:TheSearchforCivility,Rider,London,UK.

Semler,R.(1993)Maverick,theSuccessStoryBehindtheWorld'sMostUnusualWorkplace,WarnerBooks,USA.

Weisbord,M.(1987)ProductiveWorkplaces,Jossey-Bass,SanFrancisco,USA.

ThelastbookonthislististhebestmanagementbookIhavereadthusfar.

3Tomorrow'sCultureandLeadership'Neverdoubtthatasmallgroupofcommittedcitizenscanchangetheworld;indeeditistheonlythingthateverhas.'MargaretMead.

'ThisisthethirdyearsinceIproposedinnovationinthefollowingthreedomains:products,processesandourownminds.Ofthese,Iwouldliketoplaceparticularemphasisoninnovationofthemind,sinceitpropelsourchallengingspirittowardsthe21stcentury.'SatoshiIue,Chairman,SanyoElectric.

'Leaderscreateanirresistibleinvitation.'Anon.

Adversarialculture

Inareallyeffectiveorganizationweneedempoweredpeopleateverylevelwhobothcontributeindividualexcellenceandworkasacommunitytodeliverqualityandvaluetocustomers.Itisarefreshingexperiencewhenwedealwithanorganizationthatworksinthatway.Butitisnotverycommon.

Thereissomethingaboutthecultureofthetypicalorganizationthatdiscouragesindividualinitiative,makesithardforpeopletoflourishandencouragesdivisionandconflict.ThesedifficultiesarerootedintheadversarialandmanipulativewaymanyleadersexercisenowerIndividualsandgroupscompeteasif

thereisnotenoughtogoround.Thesamedifficultiesareactedoutinnationalandinternationalpolitics.Weseemuchthesameinthemicrocosmofthefamilywhichusuallyprovidesourfirstexperienceofpatriarchyandtheassumptionthatweneedtocompete.Butfamiliesarealsoplaceswherefatherstrynottobeautocratsandlearnfromtheirkids,mumsanddadsworkasgoodpartnersandchildrensupporteachotherandlearntotakeresponsibility.Itisagreatplacetolearn.

Ihavelearnedmorefromlisteningtohundredsofpeopleinorganizationsthananysinglesource.WhenIstartworkinanorganization,Iinvariablyaskpeoplewhatgetsinthewayoftheorganizationfunctioningaswellasitcould.ThesameanswersemergeagainandagainandIhavelistedtheminFigure3.1.This

Peopleateverylevelblamingandcomplaininginsteadoftakingpersonalresponsibilityandinitiative.Feelingpowerless.

Apunishing,sometimesbullyingclimatewhichdiscouragesrisk-takingorfranknessworsewhenpeopleareafraidoflosingtheirjobs.

Atendencyto'trash'orcriticizecolleagues.

Toolittleappreciationandencouragement;toomuchcriticism.

Competition,playingpoliticsanddifficultyworkingcollabora-tivelyorcorporately.

Difficultyhandlingconflictopenlyandlackofrespectfordifference.

Widespreaddistrust.

Isolationandlackofsupport.

Lackofhonesttwo-waycommunication.

Unwillingnesstoacknowledgemistakes,uncertainty,difficulties,feelingsorneedforhelp.

Over-controlandreluctancetoinvolveothers.

Manipulationratherthandirectdealing.

Atendencytogrossoverworkingleadingto'burnout'andunderminingfitnessforthejobandlifeathome.

Reluctancetotakespacetothinkormanagestrategically.

Difficultybringingouttheenergy,initiativeandtalentsofpeopleatalllevels.

Figure3.1Whatgetsintheway

isaninteractivesysteminwhichthevariouselementsre-enforceeachother.

IamshockedbythehostileclimateIhavedescribed.Canitreallybeasbadasthat?Theansweris'yes,sometimesitisjustasbadasthat.'Underneathathinveneerofhumor,politenessorprofessionalism,asubstantialamountofthisexistsinthetypicalorganization.Itispartoftheprevailingculture.Mostofuslearntolivewithitunlessitbecomestooblatantorintolerable.Manyableandindependentpeopledislikeitsomuchthattheygetoutandstarttheirownbusinesses.Manywomen,inmyexperience,dislikeitparticularlywhichmayhelptoexplainrecentreportsofadeclineinthenumberofwomenatthetopoforganizations.Thepicturedescribeshowpoweriscommonlyexercised,howcompetitionisexpressedandthelargelydamagingeffectsthishasonourcapacitytoexcel,co-operateandadapt.Despitetheevidencetothecontrary,weseemstuckinthebeliefthatpowerhastobeexercisedinamanipulativecovertwayandthatweareinevitablyinawin-losesituationwithintheorganization.Mostofuscansurviveinanadversarialculturebutindividuallyandcollectivelywearenotlikelytoofferourfullpotential.Thisisahindrance.

Weseethesamedramaofadversarialism,blaming,trashing,economywiththetruth,lackofintellectualhonestyand,often,powerlessnessactedoutdailyontheflooroftheBritishHouseofCommonsandwhenpoliticiansspeakorwriteinthemedia.Whydowebehavelikethis?Wheredoesitallcomefrom?Isitinherentinournature?Wouldmostofusactinaninstrumentalandexploitativewayifwecouldgetawaywithit?Didwelearntobehavelikethistosurviveinearliertimes?Isitprimarilytheresultofmaleconditioning?Whatevertheexplanation,itisafarcryfromthecultureweneedtobuildinourorganizationsevenifthisbehaviorservedtogetuswherewearetoday.Habitsaredifficulttochangebutwedohaveachoiceaboutthe

kindofculturewecancreate,onethatwebelievewillbemoreappropriatetoourtime.

Partnershipculture

WhenIfacilitatemanagementworkshops,Iaskmanagersatthestart,whatkindofculturetheywanttocreateintheworkplace

thatwillenablethemtoworkbestandlearnmost.Subsequentlyweallstruggletoputthisintopractice.Averydifferentpictureemerges(seeFigure3.2)fromtheoneIdescribedinFigure3.1.

Honestyandfrankness.

Encouragementandchallenge.

Trustandconfidentiality.

Appreciationandconstructivecriticism.

Reallistening.

Respectfordifference,tolerance,okaytobeyourself.

Considerationforfeelingsofotherswithouttiptoeing.

Acceptabletoexpressfeelings.

Givingandreceivinginbalance.

Excitement,fun,humor(notatanother'sexpense).

Notafraidtotackledisagreementsordifficulties.

Balanceandtimetoreflect,exercise,relaxandkeepwell.

Everyonetakingresponsibilityforoutcomes.

Figure3.2Theconditionsinwhichpeopleworkbestandlearnmost

ItseemsthatadesireisbeingexpressedtomovethroughwhatScottPeckdescribesas'pseudocommunity'(ie,politeness,notbeingreallyauthentic)and'chaos,'inwhichorganizationsspendmostoftheirtime,intothe'community'neededtolearnandsolveimportantproblems(ScottPeck,1993).

Ialwayspointoutthattheyarealsodescribingtheculturetheywantinordertofunctionbestintheorganization.Itisthereversesideofwhattheysaythatgetsinthewayofrealeffectiveness.Theirsmaynotbea

veryradicalpicturebutitisbraveinwhatisariskyandpoliticalenvironment.Itexpressestheyearningofmanypeoplewhoaretryingtocopewithdifficultanddemandingsituationsforamoretruthfulandsupportivecommunity.Perhapstheeuphoriaexperiencedonmanyworkshopsoccursbecausepeoplegetaglimpseofwhatispossibleandthebenefitsitgives.

Inmyexperiencethereiswidespreaddesiretochangethecultureoforganizationsthoughvaryingdegreesofawarenessofthe

implications.Thereisrecognitionoftheconnectionbetweenqualityoflifewithinanorganizationanditsabilitytodeliverqualityandvaluetoitscustomers.Thisisoftenexpressedinadmirablestatementsofmission,valuesandbeliefs.Typicallythesearepreparedbytopmanagementandhandeddowntoasomewhatskepticalworkforcewhohavenotbeeninvolvedintheprocessandfeelnosenseofownership.Commonlythereisaconflictbetweentheespousedcultureandactualbehavior.Despiteourbestintentions,westruggletoactinwaysthatempowerandunitepeopleandwehavedifficultylearningtodoso,perhapspartlybecausewehaveexperiencedsofewgoodmodels.Givinguphabitsissimplydifficult.

Oldleadershipmessages

Attherootofthesedifficulties,asMichaelSimmonshasshown(seeFigure3.3),areoldmessagesabouthowtoleadwhichlimitbothleadersandthosetheylead.Thesemessageshavebeenhandeddownthroughtheexampleandexperiencesofmaleleadersbecauseuntilnowmostorganizationshavebeenledbymen.Itisapatriarchalimageofleadership.Althoughmanyofusdislikebeingledorleadinginthisway,itisdifficulttobreakawayfromsomethingsodeeplyrooted.Justasweswearnottorepeatthemistakesourparentsmadeinrearingus,wedosowithourownchildren.Wearenothelpedbythefactthatsome

HowIseethingsiscorrect.

Keepseparatefromthoseyoulead.

Nevershowweakness,confusionoradmitmistakes.

Beconsistenttothepointofrigidity.

Overworkandsacrificeself(becomingunfitandunfittoleadasaresult).

Criticize,manipulateandcoerce.

Thereisabasicwin-loseconflictbetweengroups.

Aleaderpursuespowerratherthanpurpose.

Figure3.3Oldleadershipmessages

womendecidetobeatmenattheirowngameratherthandeveloptheirownwayofleading.

'Someonesaidthatafemaleexecutivehastobemoremachothanaman.Ihopenot.Ihopeaswomencomeintotheirowntheyareabletodevelopawidevarietyofpersonalities,likemen.Ilikehavingafewlaughs,likeanyoneelse.'MarjorieScardino,ChiefExecutiveofPearson(IndependentonSunday,20October1996).

Enablingleadership

Analternativemodelofleadership,designedtocreateamoreenablingandadaptivecultureisshowninFigure3.4.ThismodelisbasedonthethinkingofMichaelSimmons(Simmons,1993&1996)who,in1986,startedtheNetworkforaNewMen'sLeadership.Thiswasestablishedtohelpmenworktogethertounderstandtheeffectsofmalegenderconditioningonthewaytheyleadandlivetheirlivesandtodevelopamoreappropriateand

Offeraninspiringvisionofhowtheorganizationcanbeandencourageeveryonetodeveloptheirownexcitingvisions.

Learntolovechangeanduncertainty.

Appreciatethewholesituationandmakesureeverythinggoeswellimplieslisteningtoawiderangeofpeople.

Becomealeaderofleaders,notfollowers.

Encourageleadershipeverywhere.

Createanenvironmentofappreciation,highexpectationsandsupport.

Seeyourselfasalife-longapprentice.

Giveuppretenseandadmitmistakes.

Learntoaskempoweringandinterestingquestionsandlistenwithcompleterespect.

Encouragetakingresponsibilityinsteadofcomplainingandblaming.

Figure3.4Empoweringleadershipmodel

balancedwayofleadingbothatworkandathome.HisworkshopshadabigeffectonmeandmanymenIknow.

Itwouldbeinterestingtoseehowamodeldevelopedbywomenwoulddiffer.Howeverthemodelaboverepresentsabetterbalancebetweenyingandyang.Ibelievemenandwomenwillbenefitgreatlyfromworkinginpartnershiptodevelopnewformsofleadershipwhichareabetterbalancebetweenwhatischaracterizedasmasculineandfeminine.AlreadywomenMPsandawomanSpeakerarestartingtoexercisetheirinfluenceontheadversarialismoftheUKHouseofCommons.Menvaryenormouslyandmanyofthemdonotlikethehostileandadversarialclimateoftheirorganizationsalthoughitmaybedifficultforthemtosayso.Thevastmajorityofmanagers(notall)Italkwithrecognizethe'oldmessages'asreflectingtheirownpainfulexperienceandwelcomethealternativemodel.

Ibelievethatfearofdifference(includinggender,sexualpreference,class,race,ethnicity,religion,physicaldisabilitiesandage)isattherootofmanyofourdifficultiesinorganizationsandinglobalsociety.Itstartsatschoolwhere,afterthefirstfewyears,childrenbecomeabsolutelyterrifiedofbeingdifferent.Currently,thecultureofmostorganizationsisdeterminedbywhite,middleclassmen.Ifmenandwomendevelopagenuineandrobustpartnership,adifferentculturewillemergeandweshallallbenefitfromthegreaterbalanceandcreativitythatwillresult.Ifwecansucceedwithgenderit'stheclosesttohome--wemaytackleotheraspectsofdifferencemoreeasily.Homeisagreatplacetostart.

Althoughthecultureofanorganizationisdeterminedbythebehaviorandattitudesoflargenumbersofpeopleatalllevels,itonlyrequirestheleadershipofafewpeopletostartchangingit.Thereisamyththatchangehastostartatthetop.Thisisnothowmostchangehastakenplaceinhistory.Itcanhelpiftheinitiativecomesfromthetopinan

organizationbutsometimesthereisverylittlelikelihoodofthatintheshortterm.Oftenthemostconservativepeopleareatthetopthoughsometimestheyarethemostradical.Whenchangeisinitiatedfromthetop,itrequiresadynamicinteractionbetweentheleaderandled.Theleaderneedstogiveupdominancebuttheledhavetogiveupdependencyandcompliance.

Sometimesleadership,thecatalyticchallenge,comesfrom'below'oroutside.

Irecentlyheardthestoryoftheworkingclassmotherofaseverelydisabledchildwhocouldnolongerstandthearrogance,insensitivityandbullyingofaseniorsurgeon.Herangryoutragegaveherthestrengthtochallengehiminfrontofotherhospitalstaffwhohadhithertostoodbypowerlessly.Latertheytoldherthatitwasthefirsttimetheyhadeverseenhimapologizeandthatheractionhadgiventhemcouragetoconfronthiminfuture.

Itisnotpossibletoempowerpeople.Aswehaveseeninthisexample,peoplechoosetoempowerthemselves.Noteveryonewantstobeempowered.Howeveritispossibletoremoveorreduceobstaclestoempowermentandcreateconditionsinwhichpeopleareencouragedtoempowerthemselves.Empowermentmeanstransferringpowerandcontrolfromtheleaderalonetothewholeteam.Itmeansputtingpowerinthehandsofpeople,especiallythoseclosesttocustomersandotherstakeholders,sothattheycanpursuetheinterestsoftheorganizationandinsodoingfulfilltheirownneeds.Empowermentfitswellwiththenotionofencouragingleadershipeverywhereintheorganization.Thisamountstore-definingleadershipanddefiningits

Workingforcontinuousimprovementandlearning.

Engagingthecreativeenergy,intelligenceandinitiativeofthewholesystem.

Valuingdifferenceandworkingforcommonground.

Tappingintothehugeenergytoimprovethingsoftenexpressedascomplaintorcriticism.

Creatinganatmosphereofexcitement,appreciation,highexpectationsandopportunitytogrow.

Leadinginawaythatisinspiring,inclusive,enablingandsharespowerandcontrol.

Acceptingtheimportanceoffeelings('positive'and'negative')andlearningtoworkwiththem.

Workingwithparadox(ie,bothrightandleftbrain)andseekingbalance.

Havinganattitudeofstewardshipratherthanexploitation.

Figure3.5Tomorrow'sculture

essenceasseeingthateverythinggoeswell.Forthistoworkwell,thegoalsoftheorganizationandlimitstopeople'sauthorityneedtobecleartoeveryoneandthenecessarysupportprovidedsotheyareabletousetheirknowledgeandexercisetheirintelligence,creativityandjudgmentwithinaframework.Intheseconditions,managementfearsoflosingcontrolarenotlikelytoberealized.

Acceptingandenjoyinguncertainty,unpredictability,complexityandsometimesconfusion.

Developingavisionforthewholeorganization,yourpartinitandyourself.

Learningtotrustintuitionespeciallyindealingwithcomplexityandconfusionintegratingrightandleftbrain.

Learningtotrustyourself,lookinsideyourselfforanswers.

Influencingfromanylevelandbuildinganetwork.

Askinginterestingandempoweringquestions.

Givingandgettingagoodlisteningto.

Developingsupportforyourself.

Supportingpeopleinexpressing'positive'anddealingwith'negative'feelings(emotionalliteracy).

Seekingandgivinghonest,thoughtfulfeedback.

Beingpreparedtotacklewhatismostdifficult,especiallychallengingcomplacencyorcollusion.

Workingwithconflict,resistance,diversityanddifference.

Facilitatinggroupsandverylargegroupsrepresentingthewholesystem.

Understandingwhathappensingroups.

Learningtorelax,nurtureyourself,andbeatpeaceinaseaofchaosself-love.

Focusingonwhatwillmakeadecisivedifference.

Recognizingthatempowermentisadynamicbetweentwo,ie,theleaderandtheled.

Figure3.6Kevsurvivalskills

Anewculturefororganizations

Figure3.5describesthekindoforganizationculturewhichIbelieveisneeded,baseduponmyexperience.Youmaywishtohelpthepeopleinyourorganizationbuildapictureofthecultureitneedsandhelpthemdevelopthebehaviorthatgoeswithit.

Keysurvivalskills

Inordertofunctionwellinconditionsofuncertainty,complexityandhugepressures,notonlydopeopleneedanempoweringculture;theyalsoneedkeysurvivalskills.Mostonlyrequireadifferentmind-setandexperimentationtoacquirethem.Somemayneedtrainingorcoaching.Itisimportantnottoviewanyofthemastheexclusiveprovinceofpeopleatthetopofthehierarchyorspecialists.Theseskillsneedtobewidespread.SeeFigure3.6forwhatmylistincludes.Laterchapterswillelaborateonhowsomeoftheseskillscanbepracticed.

Inthenextpart,Ishalldescribesomeideasandapproacheswhichofferpromiseinbringingaboutrealasopposedtocosmeticchangeinthecultureoforganizations.


Morton,A.L.(1992),APeople'sHistoryofEngland,LaurenceandWishart,London,UK.

ScottPeck,M.(1993),AWorldWaitingtoBeBorntheSearchforCivility,Rider,London,UK.

Simmons,M.'CreatingaNewLeadershipInitiative'ManagementDevelopmentReview,Vol.6,No.5,1993.

Simmons,M.(1996),LeadershipandGender,Gower,London,UK.

Zinn,H.(1980),APeople'sHistoryoftheUnitedStates,HarperPerennial,NewYork,USA.

PartIIPrinciples,StrategiesandBasicTools

4PrinciplesandToolsforTransformationAnewvisionforlearninganddevelopment

'Itiseasiertoactourselvesintoabettermodeofthinkingthantothinkourselvesintoabettermodeofacting.'RichardPascale.

'Youarealllearners,doersandteachers.'RichardBach.

'ThereisanIndian(Asian)proverboraxiomthatsaysthateveryoneisinahousewithfourrooms,aphysical,amental,anemotionalandaspiritual.Mostofustendtoliveinoneroommostofthetimebut,unlesswegointoeveryroomeveryday,evenifonlytokeepitairedwearenatacompleteperson.'RuinerGodden.

InthischapterIoffersomeprinciplesandtoolsfortransformation.Asoftenseemstobethecase,theprinciplesformaninterrelatedsystem.

Principles

Congruence

Weallstandtogainfromaflourishingsocietyinwhicheveryoneisencouragedtooffertheirgiftsandprosperasaresult.Wecan

contributetothisbyhelpingtocreateinclusiveworkplacesthatareenablingandencouragewidespreadleadership.ByleadershipImeantakingindividualresponsibilitywithintheframeworkofunderstandingthewholesituation.

Ifwewanttocreateanewworkplaceweneedawholenewvisionoflearninganddevelopment.Weneedtoworkwithpeople,fromthestart,inwaysthatarefully'congruent'withthekindofworkplacewearetryingtocreate.Putsimplythismeanspracticingwhatwepreach.Thisisnoteasy!Neverthelessperhapsthisistheunderlyingprincipleonwhichalltheothersarebased.

Simplicity,unpretentiousnessandrigor

Forastartweneedtoofferideasandmethodsthatareinspiring,accessible,memorableandeasilyusedbyworkingpeopleateverylevelintheorganizationnotjustbyanintellectualmiddleclass.Onlyinthatwaycanwebeinclusive.YetIamstruckwithhowcomplexandélitistmuchofwhatIreadandlistentois.SometimesIamseducedbyitandthenIaskmyself,'Whatdoesallthisboildownto?'Oftensomethingprettysimple.Isthisacarryoverfromaclasssocietyadeptatcreatingbarriersthatmakeitharderforeveryonetorealizetheirpotential?Isitpartofthesillyideathatyouhavetoshowyouarecleverandpresentsomethingnew,complicatedorarcane?Myexperienceisthattheverybestandwisestpractitionersinourfieldmakethingssimple,areunpretentiousandoftenfunny.Thereisbeauty,eleganceandutilityinsimplicityanditisusuallyhardertoachievethancomplexity.Ihaveanacidtest:ifIcannotexplaintoanyonewithoutusingjargon,insimple,ordinarylanguagewhatIamdoingandhow,isitfitforthepurpose?Furthermore,ifitiscleverandbeguiling,doesitstanduptothetestofcommonsense?Rigorandsimplicityseemtogotogether.Ourjobasfacilitatorsistoproviderigorousstructures,processesandpracticaltoolsthatenablepeopleto

learnandworktogethersuccessfully.Itisnotourjobtogiveadviceonwhattodo.Inmyexperiencethesimpleststructuresarethemostrigorous.

Encouragepeopletofindtheirauthorityinside

Ifwewanttoempower,weneedtoencouragepeopletofindtheirmainsourceofstrengthandinspirationwithinthemselvesrather

thaninexternalauthorities.Weneedtolearntotrustourownthinking.Ofcoursewecanlearnalotfromcolleaguesandtheraregiftsandinsightssomepeopleoffer.Itisalsotruethatitcanbedifficulttoexpresssimplyideasthatarenewandrepresentaparadigmshift.Weneedthesenewwaysofseeingtheworld.Theyarelandmarksinhumanperception.Butwecanmisusepeoplebytreatingthemasgurus,puttingthemonpedestalsandunderestimatingourselves.Wecanfollowthelatestfadorrecipe.Thereisaparadoxhere.Ilearnanenormousamountfrombooks,talksandworkshops.Thereisastreamofexcitingnewideasandinsights.Weneedthisaspartofourbroadconnectionwithotherhumanbeings.Itispartofhowwesupportourselvesanddrawinspiration.Authorsareourfacilitatorsorcatalysts.But,attheendoftheday,weneedtocherishourowninnerresourcesmostofall.Maturitymeansseeingheroesrealisticallyandrecognizingthattheyrepresentwhatwemostvalueinourselves.AmongstmyheroesareHenryBessemer,IsambardKingdomBrunel,WinstonChurchill,WilliamMorris,MartinLutherKing,HelenaKennedy,MichaelManley,NelsonMandela,MahatmaGandhi,MarvinWeisbord,MichaelTippettandFranklinD.Roosevelt.Itisreallyimportanttoknowwhoourheroesareandwhy.Theygiveusapowerfulsenseofwhoweare.

Workwiththerealopportunitiesandissuespeoplehave

UsingtheEmpowermentModel(describedintheIntroduction)enablespeopletoworktogethertotakeindividualresponsibilitywithinasharedviewoftheoverallsituationandthefuturetheywanttobringabout.Throughitpeoplecanlearntovalueeveryone'scontributiontounderstandingthecurrentsituationandbuildingapictureofwheretheywanttobe.Inthiswayithelpspeoplepracticeinclusiveness.Themodelalsoprovidesabasisforrealtimedevelopment.BythisImeanlearningbydoing--learninginevents,retreats,workshopsorone-to-onemeetingsbysuccessfullyworking

ontherealopportunitiesandissuesfacingus.Thisistherichestsourceoflearning.Wedonotneedtoteachorcreatecontrivedsituationslikeroleplays,casestudiesorusepsychometricinstrumentstolearn.Thisisdidacticlearning.Itputstheteacherincharge.Iteasilydisempowers.Ourjobasfacilitatorsistoprovidesimple,rigorousstructuresthatempowerpeopletotransformtheirworkplace,maketheirbusiness

successfulandlearninsodoing.Itisalsotohelpthemcreateandexperimentwiththekindofculturetheywant,findoutthatitworksandtransferittotheirworkplace.

Practicalbusinessfocus

Developmentneedstohaveathoroughlypracticalfocusintheuncertainandcompetitiveglobaleconomy.Canwereallyaffordtoseparatelearningandworkingaswedointraditionaldevelopment?Todososeemslikeanindulgencetomealmost'fiddlingwhileRomeburns.'Thetraditionaldidacticapproachgivesustheproblemoftransferringlearningtotheworkplaceandevaluatingitsbenefits.Ifwebringworkintothelearningeventorbringlearningintotheworkingeventthereisnotransferproblem.Welearnasweworkandworkaswelearn.Welearnasweplanandbringaboutchangesthebusinessneedstosurviveandthrive.Wedemonstratethatdevelopmentispartofdoingbusinessandthathavingaclearbusinesspurposeandachievingabusinesspayoffisanintegralpartofit.Thisismorecredibletopeopleatanylevelwhoarepreoccupiedwith:'Howdowemakethisbusinesssurviveandsucceedinahighlycompetitiveanduncertainworld?'or'HowdoIkeepmyjob?'Therealtimeapproachgivesfacilitatorsanddeveloperscredibilityandshowstherelevanceofwhatwehavetooffer.IshalldescribeitinmoredetailinChapter6.

Atthestartofanydevelopmentinitiativeweneedtoasktwoquestions:'Whatisthebusinesspurposeofthispieceofwork?'and'Ifitsucceeds,whatwillbethepracticalbusinesspay-offagainstwhichwecanmeasureitssuccess?'

Partnershipandownership

Toencouragepartnershipinourorganizations,weneedtomodelpartnershipinthewayweworkwithourclients.Thisgenerallymeans

notdoingthingsfor(orto)thembutwiththem.Itmeansplanninganddesigningeventswithourcustomersorclientsand,whereappropriate,includingthemintheteamoffacilitators.Thisleadstomoreeffectiveworkbecauseitistheresultofsharingtheirknowledge(especiallyoftheorganizationanditsneeds)andskillsandours.Theworkwillhavehighercredibilitytoo.Thiswaywebuildourcredibilityandrelationshipswithourclients.Thisapproachempowersourclientstodoitforthemselvesaswehand

overourskillstothemthusmakingdevelopmentskillswidelyavailableaspartofeverymanager'stoolkit.Thisisusuallymoreeconomicalbutalsomakespossibleanotherkeyadvantagenotonlytransferringourskillsbutalsotransferringownership.Transferringownershiptoourclientshelpsembedchangesinattitudesandbehaviorintothefabricofthebusiness.Whateveriscreatedhastobetheirsnotoursoratleasttheirsandours,ifitistohaveagoodchanceoflastingandcontinuing.

Trustandhonesty

Partnershipmeansalotofthings.Chiefamongsttheseistrust.Itmeanshonestlyadmittingthatwhatwearetryingtodoisdifficultandwillrequirelong-termpersistence;thatsometimeswewon'tknowwhattodoandwewillmakemistakesandneedtolearnfromthem;thattherearenomagicanswersandnoquickfixes;notclaimingtoomuchforwhatwecanoffer;beingupfrontfromthestartthatweallhavetoshareresponsibilityfortheoutcomesandnoteventhinkaboutscapegoatsifthingsgowrong.Itmeanschallengingtheexecutivestoinvolvethemselvesasequalpartnersandshowtheymeantochangetoo.Itmeansthatwefacilitatorsneedthecouragetobeauthenticwithpeoplewithoutbeingjudgmental.Todothateffectivelywemayhavetocontainwhatishappeninginsideandnotletouremotionsspillout.Usuallytheyspilloutbecausewefeelour'ego'isunderthreatorweareinapanic.Wehavetobepreparedtoworkwithresistance,takeonpathological,destructivebehaviorandexpectandwelcometheunexpected.Wealsohavetobepreparedtochallengeandnotcolludewithourclientsinstayingwheretheyare.Thistakesbothcalmnessandcourage.

'Ifyoualwaysdowhatyoualwaysdid,you'llalwaysgetwhatyoualwaysgot.'

Strategyneedstoemerge

Anotherkeyprinciplecomesinhere.Thestrategyforchangeneedstoemergeandbediscoveredbythoseinvolvednotimposedbyyouorpre-conceivedbyafewpeopleinadvance.The'grandplan,'cascadedownapproachrarelyworksinmyexperience.Along-terminitiativethatisdevelopedwithpeopleasitunfoldsismore

likelytobeownedandalsomorelikelytobeappropriateandtowork.Themostweshouldplanforinadevelopmentorchangeinitiativeisthebeginning,whilsthavingalightlyheldvisionofwhatispossible.Thisismostlikelytobea'pilot'developedwithourpartnerstomakeagoodstartandfindoutwhatworks.Itiswisesttobuildtogetheravisionofthedesiredfuturebuttohangverylooseaboutthedetailsandhowitallcomesabout.Ifpeoplearegiventhefreedomtheyhaveawayofgatheringroundaninspiringvisionandmakingithappeninunexpectedways.Wehavetomakethispossible.Firmnessaboutpurposebutcreativeflexibilityaroundstrategyseemstoworkbest.

However,aneffectivestrategyforlearningandtransformationhastoincludewaysofembeddingchangeandmakingitlongterm.Thisispartofprovidingrigorousstructurestosupportchange.Whilsttheseneedtoemergeflexibly,weneedtoholdthisissueinourmindsandchallengeourclientsnottooverlookit.Embeddingchangeinvolvescreating'criticalmass'(atermborrowedfromnuclearscience)(theminimuminvolvementofpeopleafterwhichthechangewillbeself-sustaining.)Youwillhavetojudgewhenthatpointhasbeenreached.Buteventhencontinuingsupportmaybeneededbecauseofthecumulativeeffectofsetbacks,fatigue,thetendencytoslipbackandtheneedtolearn.Oftenthissupportcomesbestfromsomeonewhoislessinvolvedorisoutsidethesystem.

Thinkwholesystem:practiceinclusiveness

Thismakeshugesenseifwewanttogetthebusinessstrategyright.Weneedtheinputofthewholesystemperhapsallstakeholdersincreatingacommondatabaseandindevelopingthedesiredfutureofthebusinessandthestrategytogetthere.Facilitatorswhobelievethisneedtomodelthisprincipleinthewaytheyapproachtheirworkandguidetheirclients.Ifourworkdoesnotembraceeveryoneintheorganization,especiallythecoreworkersandifitfocusesontopand

middlepeopleandleavesoutorinsufficientlyengagesthe'bottom,'itisnotlikelytobringaboutthepractical'pay-off.'

Ifwedothis,wehavegotitallwrong,upsidedown,andwearepracticingexclusiveness,leavingoutthemajority.Similarlyifitleavesoutotherstakeholderssuchassuppliersandcustomersitmaybeflawed.Weneedtothinkwholesystem.Ultimatelywe

tobenefitfromthesynergyofallthestakeholdersandcapitalizeontheorganizationallearningthatcantakeplace(seeChapter8).Connectedwiththinkingwholesystemisinclusiveness.Weneedtomodelinclusivenessallthetimeweareworkingwithpeople,demonstratingrespectforthecontributionofeveryoneintheroom.

Workwiththewholeperson

JustasweneedtothinkwholesystemIbelievewedevelopersandfacilitatorsneedtobeabletoworkwiththewholeperson.Wedon'tleaveourfeelingsandourhumanityatthedoorwhenwecometowork.Whenweareworkingwithpeopleatworkitisappropriatetohelpthemthinkaboutthewholeoftheirlivesitisallconnected.Peoplearen'tjustanalytical,rationalleftbrains.Weareaninterconnectedsystem.Howwefeel,thestateourbodiesarein,ourintuition,ourenergyanditsrhythms,ourspirituality,howweareaffectedbyourenvironment,whatinspiresandmovesusallthesethingsmatterandaffecthowweareabletocontributeandparticularlyaffectourcreativity.

Forexample,afineblackwomanleadercameonaprogramIran.LatershewentontoleadcareerdevelopmentprogramsforblacknursesintheBritishNationalHealthServicewhicharehavingaprofoundeffectonthestatusofblacknursesandchallengingbothracismandsexism.In1997shewonaregionalNationalTrainingAwardfromtheDepartmentofEducationandEmploymentforherworkwithnursesandalliedprofessions(minorityethnicgroups)intheUKNationalHealthService.ShealsowonBusinessExcellenceandConsultancyandTrainingAwardsfromtheNationalFederationofBlackWomenBusinessOwners.Shetoldmethatwhatmadethedifferencewasthatshewasabletocryforacoupleofdaysonmyprogram.

Atasimplerlevel,IfindIgetalotofmybestideasdoingthefreestyleintheswimmingpool.Theenergyflowingthroughmybodygivesmeideas.Sometimes,whenIfirstwakeupinthemorning,lfindsuddenlythat

intractableproblemissolved.Mysubconscioushassolveditinthenight.

IrememberduringaparticularlyfrustratingperiodatworkIwasamemberofabioenergeticrunninggroup(bioenergeticsisaformoftherapythatbelievesourbodyisthekeytoourdifficulties).Weranroundalargeroomforanhourorsoeachweekscreamingandrantingharmlesslyateachother.(Iwasscreamingatageneralmanager.)Toaddtothedrama,thelocalteenagerspeeredinatusandpoundedontheperspexwindows.Itwasalifelineforme.NextdayIfeltterrific.

OftenIfindthatwhenIdon'tknowwhattodo,orthereseemstobeacrisisorthesituationlooksimpossible,thebestthingIcandoisgoforawalkroundtheblock.It'sparadoxical:facedwithabigproblemthebestthingtodoisstopandtakeabreak.

Tobeuptothejobweneedtolearnallwecanabouthowtoworkwithindividualsandgroupsinallsortsofdifferentways.Iftheworkplaceistobereallydifferentithastobefitforthewholeperson.Thatiswhyweneedtogivepeopleafreshandexcitingexperienceofhowworkcanbewhichtheywillwanttocarrybackintotheworkplace.Itisalsowhythephysicalsettingmatters.Formalarrangementsoftablesandchairssuggestthetoneoftheschoolroomortheboardroomandrigidity;aninformalcircleofchairswithouttablessuggestsacommunityofequalcontributors.Italsosymbolizesflexibilityaseverythingcanbemovedquicklyandeasilytoenablepeopletoworkinwhateverwaysorgroupstheyneed.

Havealong-termperspective

Thismeansrecognizingthatchangingattitudes,behaviorandcultureisalong-termjobandrequiresalong-termstrategy.People,includingyou,changeunpredictably,oftengradually,sometimessuddenly.Butitalsomeansbeingpreparedformajordifficultiesandset-backsalongtheway.Youmaydecideyouhavegivenallyoucantoyourcurrentorganizationandgoelsewhere.Yougaveyourbestevenifyoudidn'tfulfillallyourhopes.Whenyoulookbackalmostcertainlyyouwillknowthatyoumadeadifferenceperhapstomanypeoplesomeofwhommaylaterleadtheorganizationorleadotherorganizations.Theywon'tatfirsttakeonboardallyouoffered.Sometimestheywillamazeyouinthelong-term.Andyouwillhavelearnedalotandbebetterpreparedforthenextopportunity.Themostwecanreasonablyhopetodointhisworldismakeadifferenceand'putourbrickinthewall,'Ifindithelpfultoremindmyselfofthiswisereflection,valuableifnotalwaystrue:

'Thingsthatreallyworkstartatthegroundrootsandarenotimposedfromthetop.'WomandelegatetotheRealWorldRally,9November1996,FriendsMeetingHouse,London.(RealWorldisacoalitionofnearly40NGOsdedicatedtoenvironmentalsus-tainability,socialjustice,eradicationofpovertyanddemocraticrenewal.)

Be'congruent'throughout.

Usesimple,rigorousstructuresandtools.

Encouragepeopletofindtheirauthorityinsideempower.

Learnbydoingrealtime,notcontrived.

Create,experiment,tryoutanempoweringculturepositiveexperiencesconvincebetterthanwords.

Establishaclearbusinesspurposeandfocusmindsonthe'businesspay-off.'

Establishpartnershipwithyour'customers'fromthestart.Havetheattitudetheyarethe'stars,'notyou.

Ownershipiscrucialhandoversteadilyandtransferyourskills.

Acknowledgeit'sdifficult:noquickfixesormiracles;weallresist,makemistakes;ittakestimeandneedslong-termpersistenceandsupport.

Beupfrontthateveryonesharesresponsibilityforsuccess.

Challengetheexecutivestoparticipate,model,supportandshowtheymeantochangetoo!

Beauthenticyetcontainwhat'shappeninginsideyou.

Bepreparedforresistance(workwith),'pathology'(takeon)andtheunpredictable.

Ourjobistochallengenotcollude--'Ifyoualwaysdowhatyoualwaysdid,you'llalwaysgetwhatyoualwaysgot.'

Startwithasmallpilotandletthestrategyemerge.

Thinkabouthowtoembedchange,makeitlongterm.

Think'wholesystem,'Practiceinclusiveness.

Workwiththewholeperson.

Havealong-termperspective.

Opennesstosynchronicity.

Figure4.1Principlestomaximizethechancesofsuccess

Opennesstosynchronicity

Ihavebecomeincreasinglyawareofsomethingcalledsynchronicity.(Sorryaboutthisword!)It'swhentherearefortunatecoincidences;eventsseemtoconspiretosupportmeinmyefforts;somethingorsomeoneIneedturnsup.IthinkthishappenswhenIamfollowingtherightpath,feelingrelaxedandgoodaboutmyself,Iamunafraidandflexible,haveanoptimisticandgenerousattitudeandIamopentothesepossibilities.Youtendtogetwhatyouexpect.Thisseemstobeanextremelyimportantprincipleinbringingabouttransformation:beopentosynchronicity,serendipity,fortunatecoincidence.

'Learntoacceptthepossibilitythattheuniverseishelpingyouwithwhatyouaredoing.'JuliaCameron.

Theseprincipleswillbedemonstratedinpracticaltermsintherestofthebook.Ididnotstartbyconjuringthemupandthenapplyingthem.IgraduallyrealizedwhattheprincipleswerewhenIreflectedonwhatIhaddoneandwhatseemedtomakeitwork-andsometimeswhatdidn'twork!TheseprinciplesaresummarizedinFigure4.1.

Raisepeople'sawarenessofhowtheywantthingstobedifferentbyinvitingthemtoexpresstheirviews.Encouragethemtospeakfromtheirhearts.

Workwiththeirenergytochangethingsoftenexpressedascomplaints.

Offerinspiring,visionaryleadershipwhichrespondstotheirdesireforthingstobedifferent.

Providedifferentexperiencesofhowworkcanbethatmodelanewcultureandenablepeopletoworksuccessfullyontheiropportunitiesandtheissuestheypresent.

Providenewempoweringtoolsandprocesses.

Figure4.2Howtoencourageculturalchange

Howtoencourageculturalchange

Iamleftwiththequestioninmymind:'Buthow,simply,canyouencourageculturalchange?'Figure4.2summarizeswhathashelpedinmyexperience.Ishallexpandonthisinsucceedingchapters.

Toolsfortransformation

Finally,IhaveputtogetherintheAppendicesanumberoftoolsIuse.Ithinktheyadheretotheprincipleofsimplicityandrigor.Theyareuncomplicatedandeasytounderstandandusedwidely.Also,ifpersistedwith,theypushyouthroughthinkingrigorously,visioning,workingonhowyoumightblockyourselforstopyourselffromactingeffectively.Theyallhaveincommonthattheycanhelppeoplemovefromwheretheyaretowheretheywanttobe.Takeabrieflookatthemnow.Iwillelaborateonhowtousethemlaterinthebook.


Bach,R.(1995)IllusionsTheAdventuresofaReluctantMessiah,MandarinPaperbacks,RandomHouse,London,UK.

Cameron,J.(1994)TheArtist'sWay-ASpiritualPathtoHigherCreativity,SouvenirPress,London,UK.


Godden,R.(1990)AHousewithFourRooms,CorgiBooks,London,UK.

Pascale,R.(1991)ManagingontheEdge,PenguinBooks,London,UK.

5TakingaStrategicApproachDevelopingyourownvisionandstrategy'Weareallofusdescendedfromslaves,oralmostslaves.Ailourbiographies,iftheywentbackfarenough,wouldbeginbyexplaininghowourancestorscametobemore,orlessenslaved,andtowhatdegreewehavebecomefreeofthisinheritance.'TheodoreZeldin.

'Theworldisstillfullofpeoplewho,thoughtheyhavenorecognizedslavemasters,seethemselvesashavinglittlefreedom,asbeingatthemercyofuncontrollable,anonymouseconomicandsocialforces,oroftheircircumstances,oroftheirownstupidity,andwhosepersonalambitionsarepermanentlybluntedthereby.'TheodoreZeldin.

Thetroublewithorganizations

Thesetwoquotationssumupasignificantpartoftheproblemwithorganizations.Weareactingoutthedramasofhundredsofyearsofhistory.Belowthesurfacewearestillinanancient,patriarchalandadversarialmind-setwhenanew,collaborativeoneisneeded.Despitethesurfacefriendlinessthatcharacterizesrelationshipsinthetypicalorganizationandthematerialcomforts

mostoffer,thereisanunderlyingcultureoffearand,consequently,powerlessness,distrust,adversarialismandinabilitytoworkcollaboratively.Andpeopleinleadershiproles,nottheoutrightbulliesbuttheordinarymassofwellintentionedleaders,haveitinthemtousefearanddivisionasameansofimposingtheirwill.Thereisanunspokencollusionbetweenleadersandledthatdiminishesthecapacityofpeopletotakeresponsibility,takerisksandspeaktheirtruthfearlessly.Itdiminishesthecapacityoforganizationstobeexcellent.ItaffectsHRDpeopleasmuchasany,limitstheircontributionandmakesitharderforthemtotrusttheirownthinkingortakeboldinitiatives.

Therearepowerfulsymbolsofpatriarchyinorganizations,forexample,thesizeandlocationofoffices,furnishings,arrangementofmeetingrooms,eatingfacilities,carsandcarparking.Atoneofmyworkplacesthedirectors'(theywereabitlikebarons,attimeswarringbarons)officeswereallononefloorandhadceilingstwiceashighasanyothersasinacountryhouse.Thereweresevenlevelsofeatingfacilities.Meetingroomtableswerelongandnarrowsotherecouldbelittleinteractionexceptwiththeleaderatthetopandeveryonehadtolookuptohim.Panicbrokeoutwhenitwasdiscoveredthatmynewofficewasonemeterlargerthanmyrankpermitted,nevermindthenumberofpeoplewhoneededtofitintoitwhenwehadameeting.

AndIrememberoneastonishingincident.Amemberofmyteamleft.Hehadachairwitharms,theothersdidnot.Afterhehadgonetherewasascrambleforthatchair,asitrepresentedalittleextrastatus.

Oneconsequenceisthatwe,inHRD,restrictourselvestorelativelysafeactivities.Thesecanincludeadministeringknowledgeandskilltrainingbasedonasystematicanalysisofneeds;introducingrelativelybureaucraticmeasuressuchasperformancemanagementsystems,successionplanningschemesordefiningcompetencies;pursuingprofessionalism,'stateoftheart'and'leadingedge'asendsratherthanmeans;usingsafe,conservative,largeconsultancies,

managementcollegesandbusinessschoolsratherthanindependentconsultantsassourcesofhelp;actingas'gatekeepers'or'impresarios'ratherthangettingonstageourselves;introducingandcontractingconsultantstodotheworkratherthandoingthekeyworkourselvesorinpartnershipwithconsultants;adoptingapostureofrespondingtoratherthanbeingboldlyproactive:andbecomingsubmersedunderthedemands

ofothers.Thisisnottosaythatactivitieslikethesearenotsometimesusefulandappropriate,buttheycanamounttoavoidanceoftakingboldleadershipinhelpingtheorganizationtackleitsmostfundamentalissues.Also,theytendtodisempowertheHRDfunctionandplaceitattheperipheryratherthanintheheartofthebusiness.Atworstthefunctioncanbeseenasacostandanobstacle,ratherthanasourceofvaluedhelp.Intoughtimesthismakesusexpendable.

Afreshmind-set

Thereisacompletelydifferentmind-setwhichplacesHRDpeopleclosertothecenterofthebusiness.Itoffersanaltogethermorerewardingandcentralrole.Itistheroleofinternalconsultant.Thisistobe'midwife'(Harrison,1995)tochangeandsometimeshealing.Itistofacilitatethetransformationoftheorganizationbybringingoutandencouragingtheforcesforchangethatarealreadythere.Thisinvolvesgettingalongsideandsupportingthechiefexecutiveintransformingtheorganization.Itinvolveshelpingpeopleappreciatethecurrentsituation,articulatenewvisionsandtakethestepsneededtobringabouttheirdesiredfuture.Inessencethisisaleadershiprolebuttransformational,facilitatingleadershipofaninformalkindthatislikelytobeincreasinglyneededinorganizationsinthefutureleadershipexercisedfrompersonalratherthanpositionalpower.

SometimeagoIwasinvolvedinanempowermentconferenceinaLondonborough.Delegatesweresharingtheirempowermentprojectsandwhattheyhadlearnedfromtheirexperiencestoencourageotherstotakesimilarinitiatives.Onedelegategaveusawisesaw:'Ifyouwishtoempowerothers,firstempoweryourself.'

PeopleinHRDareinauniquepositiontohelptheirorganizations.Frequentlytheyhavewidespreadcontactsintheorganization.Thisgivesthemboththesourceofdatatomakeanaccurate,whole-system

diagnosisandthenetworkneededtoinfluenceit.Theyalsohavethepotentialtodevelopandofferauniquesetofskillsandunderstandingwhichisrequiredtohelptransformtheorganization,empoweritspeopleandcreateproductivepartnershipbetweenthem.Buttofulfillthisrole,they

Anewmodelforinternalconsultants

TheConsultingModelshowninFigure5.1iswellknowninvariousformsandprovidesanexcellentbasisforplanningandconductinganintervention.Itisnowanoldclassic.Ialwaysholditinmymindwhendoingconsultingwork.

Gainingentry.

Developingaclearagreement.

Collectingdata.

Makingadiagnosis.

Planningchange.

Implementingchange.

Evaluating,monitoring,reviewing.

Withdrawing.

Note: Ownershipwillbestrongestwhenthekeystagesofbringingaboutchangearecarriedoutbytheclientwiththesupportoftheconsultant.

Figure5.1Consultingmodel

IwanttoofferadifferentmodeltheInternalConsultant'sModel(seeFigure5.2).ItisbasedontheEmpowermentModelbutadaptedtotheinternalconsultant'srole.Thismodelisuseful,notinplanningaparticularintervention,butinfollowingthatdelegate'sadvice:'Firstempoweryourself.'Itwillhelpyoutoempoweryourselfanddevelopyourinterventionstrategytobemidwifetoyourorganization'stransformation.ForseveralreasonsIbelieveitisimportantthatbeforeyoufacilitateyourclients,youfirstgetsomeonetofacilitateyouwiththeverysameworkyouneedtodowiththem.

Onereasonforthisisthatyoumayneedtoempoweryourself.An

empoweredconsultantwillbemorecredibleandbetterabletofacilitate.Perceptiveclientssensewhethertheirconsultantisagoodmodelandareputoffbyanyincongruence.Toempoweryourselfyouneedtohaveyourownviewsabouttheissuesthe

Figure5.2InternalConsultant'sModel

missionandpurpose;beclearabouthowyouthinktheorganizationneedstochange;haveyourownvisionforitandyourpartinit;beclearabouthowyouneedtoprioritizeyoureffortstoassistandhowyoucanmakethebestcontribution;andunderstandwhereyouwillstruggleindoingtheworkandwhatsupportordevelopmentyouwillneed.Thisdoesnotmeanthatyouwillnotcometotheworkwithanopenmindorthatyouwillimposeyourviews.Itmeansthatyouarewellpreparedasafacilitatorandyouarebeingproactive.

Thereisanotherreasonwhyyouneedtogetaskilledhelperfrominsideor,preferably,outsidetheorganizationtofacilitateyou.(Someoneoutsidethesystemcansupportyoudifferently.)Youwillbebetterabletofacilitateothersinyourorganization,usingthismodel,ifyouhaveexperienceditfromtheinsideasaclient.Ifyouarenotemployingaconsultant,itisagoodideafortwoofyouinpartnershiptoco-facilitateeachothersothatyoubothgainskillandinsightfromworkinginclientandhelperrolerespectively.Youlearntobeabetterconsultantbylearningtobeabetterclient.Youlearnsomuchaboutyourselfandtherealworldbylisteningtopeopletalkingabouttheirstruggles.Itincreasesourawarenessandwerealizewearenotaloneorunusual.Weareallinthesameboatdespitehowitmayappearonthesurface.

Also,thebetterclientyouare,thebetterconsultantyoucanbe.Thereissomethingseriouslyincongruentaboutaconsultantwhoisareluctantorblockedclient.Usuallywearelimitedinhelpingothersbyhowfarwehavetravelledourselves.Conversely,themoreworkwehavedoneourselves,themorewecanhelpothers.

TheprocessissummarizedinFigure5.2.Itisshownasacyclebecausetheworkisneverfinished.Everythingischangingconstantlyandyouneedtokeepredoingtheworkatappropriateintervals.Iwillnowsummarizethevariousstagesofthecycleintheformof

questionsthatmayneedtobeanswered.

Contracting

Whatoutcomesdoyou,theclient,wantfromthemeeting?Whatisthepurposeofourmeeting?Whatprocessesshallweuse?Howdoyou,theclient,wanttowork?Whatworksbestforyou?Whatbehavioronthepartofclientandfacilitatorwillleadtothebestworkandmostlearning?Howdoyouwanttobesupportedtoachievethebestoutcomes?Whatdoyou,theclient,wantfrom

me,thefacilitator?Howmuchtimeisagreedforthemeeting?Wheredowewantittobeheldtoprovidethebestconditions?

Rigorousreview:makinganorganizationdiagnosis

Whatarethemajorexternaltrends,changesorforcesintheenvironmentwhichaffectthebusiness?Whatishappeninginthemarketplace?Whatisthecompetitiondoing?Howisthetechnologychanging?Howisthebusinessresponding?Howgoodistheserviceweprovide?Whatdifferentiatesusfromourcompetitorsandgivesustheadvantage?Whatareourchancesofsurvivalifwecontinuelikethis?Inwhatrespectsarewerespondingorfunctioninghealthily?Inwhatrespectsarewestrugglingorrespondinginwayswhichseemunhealthy?Howisthisaffectingourabilitytosurviveandthrive?Whateffectisthishavingonemployees,customers,suppliersandotherstakeholders?Whereisthepain?Whatdataislackingandneedstobesought?Whatisitlikefordifferentpeopletoworkintheorganizationatthepresenttime?Whatistheprevailingculture?Isitdifferentindifferentparts?Whatstageofdevelopmentistheorganizationat:entrepreneurial,bureaucratic,integrated?Whatisyourdiagnosis?Whatdoesallyourdataboildownto?Whatarethefundamentalissuesoftheorganization,thosefewthat,ifaddressed,wouldmakeafundamentaldifference,ie,whatisyourorganizationdiagnosis?

Definingyourpurposethebusinessyouarein

Ifyouaretoofferallthatyouarecapableof,itisimportantthatyouhavedefinedyourpurpose.Thereneedstobealignmentbetweenwhatyoumostwanttodoandwhattheorganizationneeds.Thisneedstobeapurposetowhichyouaredeeplycommitted.Yourhearthastobeinit.Anotherwayofputtingitisdefiningthebusinessyouarein.Usefulquestionsare:Whatcontributionismostneededhere?WhatistheuniquecontributionIcanoffer?Whatisitinmyheartandsoulto

do?Whatismylife'spurpose?Thesequestionsseemtofitwellaftertherigorousreviewandareapreludetothenextstagewhichistodevelopavisionofthedesiredfuture.

Ithelpssomepeopledothisworkiftheyplaysomespecialpieceofmusic,readaquotationorpieceofpoetrythatmeansa

lottothem,thinkofwhotheymostadmire,goforawalkinaspecialplaceperhapswithaclosecolleague.Youshoulddowhateverhelpsyougetdeeplyintouchwithwhoyouare,andwhatareyourvaluesandbeliefs.

Definingthebusinessyouareinisfundamentalwork.Uponittherestoftheworkyoudomaydepend.Getthisrightandtherestoftheworkwillfolloweasily.Butthisworkmaybedifficult.Ifyourorganizationistryingtotransformitselfyoumayhavetotransformyourselfandyourteamtoo.Youmayneedanewmind-set.Youarenotexemptfromthestruggleofdoingthis.

RecentlyIwasworkingwiththemanagementeducationandtrainingunitofalargeglobalcompany.Thenewchiefexecutivesaidthatthecompanyneededtotransformitselfifitwastocompetesuccessfullyandsurvive.Thisunitwashavinganawaydaytoproducenewstrategiestosupportthechiefexecutive'svision.Theparttheymoststruggledwithwasdefiningwhatbusinesstheyneededtobein.Theyhadbeeninthebusinessofdeliveringprograms.Nowtheyneededtobeinthebusinessoffacilitatingtransformation.Theydidn'tfindthisshiftinmind-seteasy.Theystruggledwithchangejustliketherestoftheorganizationagoodexperienceforthemtohavebeforetryingtohelpothers.Ispottedtheirdifficultyat8.00a.m.whileIstruggledwithgettingastructuredclassroomrearrangedasaflexibleopenspacefortheirmeeting.

Developingyourvision

Isitpresumptuousorirresponsibletodevelopyourownvisionfortheorganization?Inmyviewitisnot.Doingsoistakingresponsibility.Assumingthatyou(likemostotheremployees)caredeeplyabouttheorganizationandhavetriedtoreacharealistic,accurateandcomprehensiveappreciationofthecurrentsituationbylisteningtoawiderangeofpeople,itishighlyresponsibletodevelopavisionofthedesiredstate.Thisisacrucialstepinbringingaboutbeneficialchangethatwillinspireyouasaleaderandenableyoutoinspireand

supportothers.

Itisimportantthatyoudevelopavisionfortheorganizationasawhole,foryourpartofitandforthoseotheraspectsofyourlifethataredeeplyimportanttoyou.Thethreeneedtobeintegrated,aligned.Otherwisetherewillbeunresolvedconflictsthatwillsapyourenergy.Youareawholeperson,notjustaworker.Wecannotforloneliveanunbalancedlifeordenyneedswhichareofdeep

importance.Theessentialquestionis:'Howwouldthingsbeifeverythingweregoingwell?'or'Whatisthedesiredstate?'Differentpeoplewillwanttoexpressthisindifferentways.Forsomeitworksbestifitisapictureorsymbol.Otherswantafewwordsthatsumitallup.IpreferasetofshortdescriptionsthatIfindquitetangiblesothatIcanrecognizewithsatisfactionwhenIhavegotthereandalsosee,inthefullnessoftime,whatisnowaninappropriatevisionandneedstobechanged.Icarrymycurrentvisionstatementformylifearoundwithmeinmybriefcaseandkeepanothercopybesidemybed.

Decidingyourkeystrategicinterventions

'Intervention'isausefulwordforaconsultantorfacilitator.Itdiffersfromastrategyinthatitimpliesactionwhichsupportsorfacilitatesothers.InthepastIfoundmyselfoverwhelmedwithplansandlistsofthingsIneededtodothatexhaustedmeanddetractedfrommycapacitytoactpowerfullyandmakearealdifference.OftenIwasunconsciouslyblockingmyselfinthiswaytoavoidthefearI'dfeelifIactedpowerfully!(Cameron,1995).Thisstillhappenstomeattimes.Inmyexperienceithelpsenormouslytothinkintermsofmartialarts.Whatwillrequiretheleastenergyonyourpartandutilizetheenergyoftheclientortheclientsystem?Whatisitthatyoucandothatwillrepresentthebestuseofyourskillsandtimethatwillhavethegreatesteffectandmakeadecisivedifference?Whatrepresentsworkingwiththeforcesintheorganization?Whatrepresentsgoingwiththeenergyintheorganizationandnotpushingfruitlesslyagainstresistance?Ingeneralastrategyshouldnotconsistofmorethansixstatements,otherwiseitisbecominganactionplan.

Developinganinfluencing/networkingstrategy

Ifyouaretryingtofacilitatetransformationandsometimeshealing(thehealingmayhavetocomebeforetransformation)thismeansgettingalongsidepeopleandstayingclosetothem.Itmeansmaking

friendsandalliesanddevelopingrelationshipsofsupportandtrust.Widespreadrelationshipsarevitalasasourceofaccurate,whole-systemdataabouttheorganization.Theyarealsovitalifyouwishtofacilitatetheenergyforchangeintheorganization.Youneedtogetalongsideopinionleadersatall

levels,peoplewhounderstandthesystemandhavecredibilityandinfluence.Thesearepeopletoinfluenceifyouneedtheirhelpinbringingaboutyourownvision.Itisvitalthatyouarepoliticallyawareandsensitivebutalsoastuteenoughnottogetinvolvedinthepoliticsortakesidesifyouwanttobetrusted.Beingtrustedbyeveryoneisoneofyourmostvaluableassets.Youwillbetrustedifyoushowyourintegrityandareseenasan'honestbroker.'Itisdangeroustoalignyourselfwithonlycertainkindsofpeople.Youneedtolistentoandshowrespectforthefulldiversityofviewpoint,includingcynics,andnotjustthoseatornearthetop.

Somehowthough,youneedtoprioritizehowyouspendyourtimewithpeople.Somerelationshipswillbemoreproductivethanothersinfosteringtransformation.Somerelationshipswillbevaluableinprovidingyouwiththesupportandnurturingyouneedsothatyoudonotbecomedrainedandexhausted.Somepeoplegiveyouenergyothers'drain'you.Rationyourtimewiththelatter.Inyournetworkyouneedtwokindsofpeople:peoplewhoarebenignandpowerfulleadersoftransformation;peoplewhoprovideyouwithsupport.Often,butnotalways,theywillbethesamepeople.

InbuildingyournetworkandgettingalongsideotherleadersIhavefoundithelpfultoaskquestionsabouthowtheyseetheorganization,howtheywouldliketochangeitandwhatmostgetsinthewayofexcellence.ThesortofquestionsthatworkwellinmyexperiencearegiveninAppendix3.Icallthem'usefulquestions.'

Perhapsthemostusefulfinalquestionyoucanaskafteryouhavelistenedforawhileis'HowcanIhelp?'(whichissimilarto'HowcanIserve?').IhavethisquestiononthetopofmydesktoremindmetoaskitoftenandtoremindmewhatIamherefor.ThereisausefulexerciseinAppendix8whichwillhelpyoureviewyourexistingnetworkanddecidewhatyouneedtodotomakeitmoreeffective.

Identifyingandworkingonyourkeyissues

Essentiallythisisaboutidentifyingandworkingwithobstaclesorissuesthatcouldgetinthewayofyourstrategy.Therearethreekinds:thoseoutintheorganization,'theclientsystem';thoseintheteamtowhichyoubelongorwhichyouleadwhichmaymanifestthemselves'inhere'whenvougettogether;and,perhaps

themostimportantofall,thoseinyou.Thelatterarethoseoverwhichyouhavemostcontrolbutwhichareoften,atleastinitially,themostdifficulttoadmitto.Sometimestheyaredifficulttoseeorunderstand.Hereyoucomeupagainstyourownresistance.Ioftenstart,irrationally,blamingproblemsoutthere,orinherebeforefinallyrealizingthatessentiallytheyareinmethewayIbehave,myrigidities,myemotionalreactions,myfear,angerorpanic,myunconsciousnegativeexpectationsorthecriticaljudgmentsImakewhichpeoplesense,thesubtlewaysinwhichIprojectmyselforsimpledeficienciesinmyknowledgeorskill.IfIamtotakeresponsibility,learnandbeagoodmodelformyclientsitisessentialthatIacknowledgetheseissues,decidetoactdifferentlyandactuallymakechanges.Thisistrueforeveryone.Weneedtomodelbeingopenaboutthis.Itisnousepretending.

Planningactionandsupport

Thisisthefinal,relativelysimplebutabsolutelyessentialstep.AsJoelBarkersaid:

'Visionwithoutactionismerelyadream.Actionwithoutvisionjustpassesthetime.Visionwithactioncanchangetheworld.'

Thesimplequestioniswhatthendoyoucommityourselftodoingtomakethestrategyareality?Whatarethestepsthatneedtobetakenandwhen?And,mostimportant,whatsupportwillyougetforyourselfbecauseinevitablytherewillbeset-backsandsituationsyoufinddifficulttocopewith?Whoaretheverybestpeopletohelpyousustainyourvisionandenergy,actflexiblyandwisely,particularlyindealingwithsituationsyoufinddifficultordonoteasilyunderstand?

Doingthisworkinteams

Itisequallyimportanttodothisworkinteams.AnHRDteam,orHRDpeoplefromdifferentpartsofthebusinessshouldmeettoshare

yourdata;makeacommondiagnosis;getbehindasharedpurposeandvision;decidehowbothcollectivelyandindividuallyyoucanmakethebiggestimpactinsupportingtheleadershipintransformingtheorganization;andDianhowyouwillsupport

eachother.Thisisagoodinvestment.Onceateamhasdonethistheyneedfarlessmanagementandfarfewermeetings.Basicallytheyare'allset'andmainlyrequiregoodqualitymeetingstosharesuccess,reviewandgiveeachothersupport.Thereisalsoatremendousamountoflearningtobegainedlearningabouthowtodothisworkwithateamthatyoucanturntogooduseinfacilitatingyourclients.Youwillfindoutwhatthedifficultiesareandhowtotacklethem.Regarditasyourlaboratoryinwhichtodiscoverwhatworksbestandwhatdoesnot.Youwillneedatleastadaypreferablyawayfromthedistractionsofyoursite.Itwillhelptohaveafacilitatorfromoutsidethesystemsomeonewhocanseethingsitishardforyoutoseebecauseyouarepartofthesystem,orwhocanseewhereyouarehavingdifficultyintransformingyourselves,gettingintoadifferentmind-set.

Someeffectivestrategies

Someelementsofstrategyarelikelytobeeffectiveinawidevarietyofsituations.AmongstthesearethoselistedinFigure5.3.

Redefinethebusinessyouareinasconsultingorfacilitatingtransformation.

Pushtraininganddevelopmentresourcesoutintothebusiness.

Getoutintothebusiness,developwidespreadfriendshipsandaskempoweringquestions.

Beawareof,butstayoutside,thepolitics.

Enablepeopletoworktogethertoaddresstherealopportunitiesandkeyissuesoftheorganization.

Worktowardsgettingthewholesystemintotheroom.

Trainmanagersandotherleadersinhelpingandfacilitationcreateanetworkoffacilitators/champions.

Encouragepeopletoformsupportgroupsandtonetwork.

Helppeopleintheorganizationvaluedifferenceandworkconstructivelywith

conflict.(Getgender,race,ageanddisabilitiesontheagenda.)

Workwheretheenergyis.

Developsupportforyourselffindapartner.

Figure5.3Strategiestofacilitatetransformation

Redefinethebusinessyouareinasconsultingorfacilitatingtransformation

ChangethefocusofyourownteamorHRDcolleaguesawayfromprovidingtrainingandinsteadtowardsconsulting.Thiswillenableyoutoempowerotherstotakeownershipoftraininganddevelopmentandseeitaspartoftheirjob.Youwillmoveawayfromdoingthingsforclientstodoingthingswithclientsorencouragingandequippingthemtodothingsforthemselves.Itwillmeanyoucanachievefarmorewithfewerresources.Youcanthenfocusonthemoredifficultroleoftheinternalconsultant.

Pushtraininganddevelopmentresourcesoutintothebusiness

Gettheresourcesoutintothebusiness,closetowheretheyareneeded.Gettheworkdonelocally.Thisfollowstheprinciplesofempowermentandownershipbutitisalsowherethejobisusuallydonebestaslongastrainingskillsaretransferredandadequatesupportisprovided.Youmayhaveanewroleininspiringandsupportingthesepeople.Itisalsoastuteatatimewhencentralizedresourcesarevulnerable.AlotofHQteamsorcompanycollegeshavebeenclosedrecently.Asmallcorporateresourcemaybeneededforaclearlydefinedpurpose.

Getoutintothebusiness,developwidespreadfriendshipsandaskempoweringquestions

GetalongsidetheCEOifyoucanbut,ifthatisnotpossible,getalongsideotherkeyleadersyouhaveaccessto.Askleadersabouttheirpartofthebusiness.Paradoxically,askingpeoplequestionsisoneofthemosteffectivewaysofinfluencingthem.Talkwiththemaboutthebusinessnottrainingneedsifyouwanttobeseenasaconsultant/facilitator.Ask:Whatisgoingwell?Whatisdifficult?Howwouldtheylikethingstobedifferent?Whatgetsintheway?

Whatdotheyneedtodo?Howcouldyouhelp?Thisisprobablyoneofthemostpowerfulthingsyoucando.Byaskingthesequestionsyouarehelpingtoreleasetheforcesforchange.Theseareempoweringandsupportivequestions.Manyleaderswelcomebeinglistenedto.Leadingcanbealonelyjob.Almostcertainlvyouwillfindaconsiderabledegreeofagreementabout

howthingsneedtochangeandwhattheobstaclesare.Manypeopleprobablywanttochangethingsinthesamewayasyoudoandwouldvalueyoureffortstoassist.Notonlyareyousupportingpeople,youarealsocreatingsupportforyourself,andyouarebuildingyourunderstandingofthetotalsituation.Boththe'EmpowermentModel'and'UsefulQuestionsModel'(seeAppendicesIand3)provideausefulbasisforone-to-onemeetingswithclients(seealsoChapter9).

Beawareofbutstayoutsidepolitics

Yoursuccessasafacilitatordependsonyourbeingtrustedbyallyourpotentialclients.Ifyouareperceivedas'playingpolitics,'ortakingsidesinpowerpolitics,youwillnotbetrusted.Itisimportantthatyouareseenashavingcompleteintegrity.

EnablepeopletoworktogethertoaddresstherealopportunitiesandkeyissuesoftheorganizationYoucanoffermanagementdevelopmentworkshopsthatfocusonrealopportunitiesandissues(seeRealTimeManagementDevelopmentinChapter6)andbringpeopletogetherfromdifferentpartsoftheorganization.Alternatively,youcanfacilitateteamsorgroups(seeChapter10).Theopportunitytodothisworkmaywellflowfromtheone-to-oneworkyoudowithindividualleadersdescribedabove.Asaresultofthosemeetingsyouwillbeinabetterpositiontomakeattractiveproposalsthatwillenlistsupport.

Worktowardsgettingthewholesystemintotheroom

Peoplearediscoveringthattopdownapproachesarelessthansatisfactory.Theydonotenlisttheintelligenceandenergyofallstakeholders,particularlynotthoseclosesttotheproduct,processorcustomer,indevelopingnewstrategiesorredesigningtheworkplace.Alsoafewseniorpeopledonothaveenoughdataaboutthewholesystem,thereforestrategiesorsolutionsoriginatingfromthetopor

fromgroupsofexpertsarenotfullyeffective.Nordotheyattractthenecessarycommitmentofthewholeworkforce.Top-downapproachesalsotakefartoolong,andmessagesgetdistortedbothonthewavdownandonthewayup.Alternative

approachessuchasFutureSearchConferences,SearchConferences,OpenSpaceTechnologyandRealTimeStrategicChangeareemerging.Akeyaspectoftheseapproachesistogetrepresentativesofthewholesystemintooneroom.Theinternalconsultantcanplayausefulpartbyencouragingleaderswhoseeinadequaciesintop-downapproachesandwanttolookatalternatives.Astheopportunitiesemerge,weneedtoequipourselvestofacilitateverylargegroupsanddevelopourskillsandexpertiseinthisarea.IamtryingtofindoutaboutandgetexpertiseinthesemethodsasfastasIcanbecauseIthinktheywillbeincreasinglyneededinthefuture.(TherewillbemoreaboutthisinChapter8.)

Trainmanagersandothermembersoftheworkforceintheskillsofone-to-onehelpingandgroupfacilitationTheseskillsarecrucialforthekindofleadership,formalorinformal,neededinthemodernworkplace.Theyarealsonecessaryifyouaretoadoptastrategyofempoweringandencouragingownershipofdevelopmentthroughouttheworkforce.Managersandotherscanthensupporteachotherone-to-oneandco-facilitateteameventsorrealtimedevelopmentworkshopswitheachother.Inthiswayyouarecreatinganarmyofpeople,anetworkofchampionswhocanfacilitatetransformation,thusenablingyoutofocusyourenergieswheretheyaremostneeded,forexample,onworkwhichrequiresyourskillsandexperienceorwheresomeonewhocanstandoutsidethesituationisneeded.(TherewillbemoreaboutthisinChapter12.)

Encouragepeopletoformsupportgroupsandtonetwork

Oneofthebenefitsoftrainingmanagersinhelpingskillsisthattheyseethevalueofsupportandoftenrealizehowisolatedtheywere.Theydiscoverthevalueofgivingandreceivingsupportwithpeopletheytrust.Encouragingsupportgroupsandnetworkingcanbeavaluablepartofyourstrategytoencouragetransformation(see

Chapter11).

Helppeopleintheorganizationvaluedifferenceandworkconstructivelywithconflict

Weneedtohelppeoplemoveawayfromold-fashionedadver-sarialismandcreateaninclusiveworkplace.Weneedtohelppeopleintoadifferentmind-setandseedifferenceasvaluableandindeedessentialandhelpthemseethatitdoesnotmeanwastingenergyinconflictiftheylookforcommonground.Itisnotonlyaboutfairness;itisequallyaboutcreatingamorerobust,rigorous,creativeandsuccessfulculture.Itisalsoaboutusingallthepotentialintheorganizationandaddressingthewastethatresultsfromwomenandblackorcoloredpeoplefeelingmarginalizedandnottakingtheirplaceintheseniorandleadershippositionsoftheorganization.Itdoesnothelpamodernorganizationifitscultureandpoliciesaredeterminedalmostexclusivelybywhite,middleclassmenofacertainage.Formanycompaniesthisisamajorissuealthoughitmaynotbefullyrecognized.Ifweequipourselveswecanplayamajorpartinhelpingourorganizationswiththeseissues.Butfirstwehavetodealwithourownracism,sexism,ageism,classism,etc.Weallhaveitinus.Thefirststepistoadmitit.(FormoreonthisseeChapters9and10.)

Workwheretheenergyis

Ihavealreadyarguedthatitismostfruitfultoworkwheretheenergyiswithleaderswhoaremostreceptivetotheforcesofchangeandareworkingwiththem.Giventhatyouhavelimitedresourcesandneedtoprioritize,thereislittletobegainedfrombattlingwithresistance.Itisunrewardinganddrainingforeveryonetofocusondifficultiesandproblems.Itismorefruitfultoconcentrateenergiesoncreatingcommongroundaboutthedesiredfuture.Itseemswisetoworkwithclientswhoarethemselvesempoweredandcanexerciseimaginativeandempoweringleadershipclientswhoareabletomakegooduseof

theskillsandopportunitiesyouoffer.

Developsupportforyourself-findapartner

Ihavealsoalreadyarguedthatitisimportantthatyoudevelopsupportforyourselfsothatyoucandealwithset-backsmore

flexibly,learnfromdifficultiesandsustainyourenergy.Providingyourselfwithgoodqualitysupportneedstobeacrucialpartofyourstrategy.Thisequallyappliestoothersbuttounderstanditsvalueandhowtoprovideityouneedfirsttogetitforyourself.

Itisprobablyagoodideatosetupsupportforyourselfnotonlywithintheorganizationbutalsooutsideit.Theformerenablesyoutoformworkingalliances.Thelattergivesyouthesupportofsomeoneoutsidethesystemwhoisnotsubjecttoitsinfluences,cansometimesbetterunderstandwhatisgoingonandcanchallengeyouasonlyanoutsidercan.

Inmylastjobasanemployeethesituationgotpoliticallyverydifficult.Imadetwowisedecisions.Onewastofixregularhalf-daysupportmeetings,off-siteeverytwomonths,withagoodcolleagueinanotherdivision.Basicallywesplitthetime,gaveeachotheragoodlisteningtoandlookedathowwecouldactboldlyandcollaborate.Itwasabravedecisiononhispartashewasbeingencouragednottocollaboratewithme.Ineffectwebecamepartners.Asaresultofthisnotonlydidwedobetterinourownareas,wealsopulledoffalong-termmajorinterventiontogetherwhichwasgreatlyvaluedadevelopmentprogramfortopmanagersfromacrossthedivisionsofthecompany.Theothersmartdecisionwemadewastogetourselvessupportfromanexternal'shadowconsultant'whowasabletohelpuswhereweweregettingstuck.Asaresultofthisthetwoofuswereabletoachievefarmoreforthecompanythanwecouldhavedonealone.Wewerealsoabletogetourteamstocollaborateinsteadofcompete.

Therewillbemoreaboutsupport,internalandexternal,inChapters11and13.

ThestrategieswhichIhaveoutlinedinthischapterwillbeelaboratedoninsucceedingchapters.


Cameron,J.(1995)TheArtist'sWayASpiritualPathtoHigherCreativity,PanBooks,London,UK.

Harrison,R.(1995)Consultant'sJourneyAProfessionalandPersonalOdyssey,McGraw-Hill,Maidenhead,UK.

Zeldin,T.(1995)AnIntimateHistoryofHumanity,Minerva,London,UK.

PartIIITakingPracticalSteps

6RealTimeManagementDevelopmentWorkingwithmanagersontheirrealopportunities'Theteacher...Ifheisindeedwisehedoesnotbidyouenterthehouseofhiswisdom,butratherleadsyoutothethresholdofyourownmind.'TheProphet,KahlilGibran.

Thewaywedevelopmanagerslagsfarbehind

Thischapterdescribesonekeywayinwhichyoucanhelpyourorganizationtransformitself.Itisanapproachtomanagementdevelopmentwhichenablespeopletoworkontheirrealopportunitiesandissues,bringapracticalpay-offtothebusinessandlearnanddevelopinsodoing.Itprovidesamodelforwidespreaduseinempoweringpeopleatalllevelsintheorganization.

Organizationsfacechallengesofenormousproportionsinthecompetitiveglobaleconomy.Tosurviveandthrivetheyneedtoprovidequalityandvaluethroughcontinuousimprovement.Ifindgrowingrecognitionamongstleadersthathierarchical,top-downapproachesdon'tworkwellenoughandtoachievethistheyneedtoengagetheenergy,intelligenceandco-operationofeveryoneinvolvedespeciallythoseclosesttothecustomerproductor

service.Weneedtoinvolvethewholeworkforceandotherstakeholders(forexample,customersandsuppliers)indevelopingvisionandstrategyforthebusinessaswellasinitsimplementation.Themostprogressiveorganizationsarelearninghowtodothis.

Yet,Ibelievethewaywedevelopmanagerslagsfarbehindtheseaspirations.Theyarenotcongruentwithempoweringpeople.Forthemostpartwearestilllockedintotop-down,didactic,classroomteachingwhenwhatisneededintimesofchaosanduncertaintyislearning,experimentanddiscovery.Managersareoftenoffereddevelopmentprogramsoverwhichtheyhavelittlecontrol.Theyareconfrontedwiththeincongruityofbeingurgedtocreateempoweredworkforceswhilsttheirowndevelopmenttypicallyconsistsofbeingtaughtpredeterminedcompetencies(whatentrepreneurorfreespiritwouldputupwiththis?);listeningtoexperts,topmanagersorgurus;theuseofavarietyofcontrivedexperiencesandvariouspsychometricinstruments.Whilsttheseelementscanbeappropriate,thedownsideisthatallthiscanencouragedependencyanddetractfromtheideaoffindingauthoritywithinandusingtheintelligenceofthewholeworkforcetotransformtheenterprise.Theclassroomorlecturetheatersymbolizesamind-setthatisoppositetotheoneweneedtocreate.Andnoneofthiscanbeshowntohaveadirectpay-offforthebusinessatatimewhenthenameofthegameissurvival.RegRevanssawthismanyyearsagowhenheinventedActionLearning(Revans,1971).Insteadweneedtocreateapproachestomanagementdevelopmentwhichareempoweringandprovideamodelformanagerstouseintappingtheenergyandcreativityoftheirownworkforces.

Butthetruthisneverthatsimple

Extremepositionsarerarelyhelpfulandareusuallyflawed.Thereisagreatdangerineither/orpolarizations.Both/andisusuallytheway.

Mostofuslearninarichvarietyofways.Presentationsoffreshthinking,orallyorinbooksorpapers,canplayamajorpartinchallengingcurrentmind-setsandcreatingawholenewwayofseeingthings.Roleplaysandsimulationscangivepeoplenewinsights.Psychometricinstruments,focusgroupsandsurveysaresometimesuseful.

Howevertheiruseneedstobeweighedagainstthequestion:'Givenwherewearenow,whatislikelytobethemosteffectivewayofengagingandempoweringthewholesystemofthisorganizationintransformingitself?'Inmyexperience,thesemethodshaveoftennotbeenverysuccessfulintransforminganorganization,winningheartsandminds,empoweringpeopleorinencouragingthemtotrusttheirimmenseindividualandcollectiveresources.

Transformationisinevitableandwilltakeplacewhateverwedobutifwewanttofacilitateandeaseitshappening,Ibelievethatrealtimeapproachesneedtoplayamuchgreater,ifnotthemajorpart.Thereisasayingthatchildrenlearnwhattheylive.Funnilyenoughthesameseemstobetrueofadults.Thisiswhatrealtimemethodsoffer.Inpractice,itisdifficultto'mixmodes,'ie,touseacombinationofwhatIcall'didacticandcontrived'and'realtime'approaches,together,inthesameeventorintervention,withoutcreatingconfusion,dependencyandcounter-dependency.Thisisbecausemixingmodescansendoutconfusingmessageslike'trustyourselfbutIknowbetterthanyou'or'wearepartners,IrespectyouandIamgoingtosharepowerwithyoubutIknowbetterthanyou,amaboveyouinsomewayandIamgoingtostayincontrol.'Tosomedegreethisreflectsthecomplexityoforganizationallife.Butmycurrentthinkingisthatitisbetternottomixmodesbutinsteadtokeepthemwellseparated.Iftheyareusedtogetherinthesameeventorinterventionitmustbewithgreatcare,awarenessandunderstanding(beonthealertforthehazardsIhavementionedtoo).

AnexampleofsuccessfuluseofsimulationsisBarryOshry'shighlycreativework(seereferencesinChapters9,10and11).Hisbrilliantinsightsanddiscoveriesarebasedonsimulations(whereasIhavelearnedmainlyfromlisteningtopeople,witnessingwhathappensorexperiencingitmyself).Recentlyhewrotetomeasfollows:

'Iam...focusedonunravellingsystemdynamics-howthingsfallintogoingwrongandhow,withsystemsight,wecanputthemright.'

...'organizationaland...societalexercisesare...attheheartofmywork-bothintermsofmyownlearningaboutsystemsandforthecontributionstheymaketoothers...thereisaspecial

contributionthatcomesfromsystemexercises,fromtakingpeopleoutoftheirday-to-dayworlds.Goodsystemexercisesenablepeopletoseethatproblemswhichseemsopersonalandsospecifictotheirorganizationanditsconditionsarenotpersonalandnotspecifictothem.Thisfundamentalinsight-It'snotpersonal-releasesenergy,itdepersonalizessituations,breaksdownWE/THEMmyths,redirectsenergyintotherightplacesandenablespeopletoturntheirattentiontotheirrealtimeissuesandmakethesemoremanageable.Ourworkfocusesongivingpeoplesystemsightandsystemexercisesplayabigpartinmakingthathappen.'

Iwassopleasedtoreceivethisadditiontomyownunderstandingbeforegoingtoprint.SeldomhaveIwitnessedorheardofsimulationsusedwithsuchinsight,clarityofpurposeandtosuchgoodeffect.Nowbacktothemainstreamofthischapter.

Aradicallydifferentapproach

Ihavetriedtocreatearadicallydifferentapproachtomanagementdevelopment.Icallitbusiness-ledmanagementdevelopmentorrealtimemanagementdevelopment(RTMD)becausethelearningcomesfromworkingontherealopportunitiesandissueseachmanagerfaces-thisistherichestseamforlearning.Itislearningfromlife.Itbringsworkintothelearningplaceorlearningintotheworkplace.

IbelieveitgoesfurtherthanActionLearning(ActionLearningrepresentedaseachangewhenitstarted)inanumberofways.ThefocusofActionLearningasaprocessisonthelearningoftheindividualmanagernotthesystem.RTMDenableslargergroupsofmanagerstogettogether,developcommongroundandworktogetherintransformingthecompanysystemorpartofit.Itgetspartofthesystemintotheroom.Managersarealsoinvolvedinitsdesignandfacilitation.Itisflexibleanddemonstrateshowoneworkshopcanmeetdiverseneeds.Itprovidesamodelforwidespreaduseinempoweringpeopleandhelpingthemwork

ConventionalManagementDevelopment

RealTimeManagementDevelopment(RTMD)

Thesubjectmatteris·predeterminedcompetenciesandaneatandtidybodyofknowledge.

Thesubjectiseachmanager'sbusinessandherorhisexcitingideasandvisiondecisions.

Learninghastobetransferred·tothebusinessafterwards.

Learningcomesoutofworkingonthebusiness.

Thetrainerisentertainer,guru,magician(andpotential'scapegoat,'evencharlatan).

Thestarsandheroesarethemanagers.

Managersarepassive. Managersareactiveandcreative.

Trainersareinchargeandheldresponsibleforoutcomes.

Managersareinchargeandresponsibleforoutcomes.

Everyonesneedsaresimilar(assumption).

Everyonesneedsaresimilaranddifferent.

Preplanned,preparedandpredictableprogramorcurriculum.

Apartfromacoremethodlittleisplanned,everythingsspontaneous,exciting,energizing.

Unliketherealworld. Liketherealworld.

Undercontrolandinflexible. Flexibleandgetsoutofcontrol.

Trainersareteachersandexperts.Trainersarefacilitatorsandco-explorersinlearninganddiscovery,responsibleforstructureandprocess.

Methodsdisempower. Methodsempowerandprovidemodelsandtoolsmanagerscanuse.

Encouragesdependencyonoutsideauthorities.

Encourageinterdependenceandbeliefinauthoritywithin.

Businessbenefitisindirectandspeculative.

Benefittothebusinessisdirectandobservable.

Trainersevaluate. Managersevaluatethemselves.

Figure6.1ConventionalManagementDevelopmentvs.RTMD

Thesubjectmatteristheexcitingopportunities,visions,strategies,issues,plans,struggles,reflectionsandlearningoftheparticipants.

Learningwillbelargelyfromvisioning,planning,acting,reviewing,reflectingandlearningfromeachother.

Wefacilitatorswilltrytobecongruentwithourvisionandwalkourtalkaboutempowerment.

Wewillgiveonlyshorttalksorbriefingstointroducetheworkthatneedstobedone.Ourroleistoofferstructures,processesandmethods;tofacilitate;providegoodconditionstoworkandlearnin;avoidcreatingdependencyor'counterdependency,'beapresenceandaresourcetoindividualsandgroups;'speakout'onmajorissues,saythingsthataren'tbeingsaidandencourageotherstodoso.

Wewilluseawidevarietyofempoweringprocessestomaintainenergyandexcitement,respondtodifferentneedsandavoidmonotonyorboredom.

Therewillbenocontrivedexercisessuchassimulations,role-plays,casestudies,businessgamesorotherinstruments.

Onthebasisthattherewillbeabout12well-informedparticipantsfromawidevarietyofbackgrounds,wewillnotinviteanyexpertspeakers.Similarly,topmanagerswillnotbeinvitedin,exceptasparticipants.Peoplehaveaccesstobothexperts,benchmarkcompaniesandtopmanagementbeforeoraftertheworkshops.Suchinputswouldcreateadistractionfromtheworkoftheworkshops.Alltheresourcesweneedfortheworkshopare'intheroom.'

Theuniqueneedsofeachparticipantwillbeprovidedforbythebroadcorestructureandthe'flexibleprogram.'

Wewillcreateanewexperienceofworkinglife-challengebutnotfrightenofforalienate.

Along-termstructureandlong-termsupportwillbeprovidedie,overmanymonthsbecauseparticipantsaremakinglong-termstrategicchanges.Alsotheyoftenneedtimetomakefundamentalshiftsinmind-setandchangethehabitsofalifetime.

Wewillneverallowourselvestoforgetthebusinesspurposeofwhatweare

doingandtheneedforapracticalpay-offforallstakeholders.Customers,jobsatalllevels,suppliers,shareholders,thecompanyandthecommunityareatstake.

Figure6.2KeyprinciplesforRTMD

constructivelytogethertoachieveacommonpurpose.Ithelpsparticipantsadoptandpracticethedifferentattitudesandbehaviorsandcreatethedifferentcultureneededinbusinesstoday.Italsoenablesmanagerstounderstandhowtoreleaseenergyandexcitementintheirbusinesses.Ithelpsthemlearntheimportanceofworkingwiththewholeperson-notjusttheirknowledgeandskillbutattitudes,energy,emotions,spirit,intuition,leftandrightbrain-andachievebalanceinplanningandimplementingchange.Itbringsallthesethingsintoplay.Itdiffersfromconventionalmanagementdevelopment(seeFigure6.1).

IacknowledgethatthesearetwoendsofacontinuumbutIbelievewehavetopushoureffortsovertotheright-handside.Ifourgoalistocreateanempoweredworkforcethenourmethodsofdevelopingpeoplemustbecongruentwiththataim,notmethodswhichencouragedependence.Developersmustwalktheirtalkinthissense.TherestofthischapterdescribeswhatIhavelearnedabouthowtodothis.

Principles

Letusstartwithprinciples.Ihavecometotheconclusionthatprinciplesareeverything,wellalmosteverything.Figure6.2setsouttheprinciplesofRealTimeManagementDevelopment.

TheoverallstructureofRTMD

ThecoreprocessisbasedontheEmpowermentModel(seeFigure6.3)andtheoverallstructureofatypicalRTMDprogramissetoutinFigure6.4.

Putverysimplythestagesare:

Individualconsultationswithparticipantsandotherstake-holders.

Ahalf-daymeetinginwhichparticipantsandfacilitatorsgettogethertovalidatethediagnosis,businesspurpose,objectivesanddesignandstartbuildingacommunity.

Afirstworkshoptodevelopvisionandstrategyandstartworkonissues.

Figure6.3

Aninitialperiodofimplementationinwhichmembersnetworkandmeetinsupportgroups.

Asecondworkshoptoreviewprogress,learnfromwhathashappened,workonkeyissues,planfurtherchangesandproposehowtheprogramshouldevolvetotransformtheorganization.

Continuingnetworking,supportgroupmeetingsandimplementation.

Anemergingstrategytoextendtheworkthroughoutthewholesystemoftheorganization.

TheEmpowermentModel(Figure6.3)providesabasisforalltheseactivities;Figure6.4providesanoverview.

Buildingreadinessandplanning

Formingapartnershipwiththeinternalconsultant.

ContractingwiththeCEOandtheexecutive.

Decidingwheretostart.

Formingafacilitatorteam.

Individualconsultationswithparticipants.

Involvingparticipantsandotherstakeholdersindata,diagnosis,objectivesandoutlinedesign.

Re-contractingwiththeCEOandtheexecutive.

TutorteammeettodesignWorkshopIandskillup.

WorkshopI

Contractingandbuildingaworkingandlearningcommunity.

Identifyingglobaltrendsaffectingourbusiness-ourenvironment.

Rigorouslyreviewinghowweareresponding-oursystem.

Buildingapictureofourdesiredfuture.

Decidingstrategiestogetthere.

Workingonkeyissuesinthe'flexibleprogram'(openspace).

Makingcommitmentstoactionandsupport.

Review.

Figure6.4OverviewoftypicalRTMDprogram

Implementationandfurtherplanning

Implementingchange.

Networking.

Supportgroupsmeet.

Facilitatorsconsultparticipants.

Designingsecondworkshop.

WorkshopII

Rebuildingtheclimate;re-contracting.

Sharingsuccesses,difficultiesandnewkeyissues.

Usingflexibleprogramstoworkonkeyissues.

Makingnewcommitmentstofurtherchange.

ReviewanddeterminethewayaheadfortheRTMDprogram.

Buildingcriticalmassandsustainingchange

Involvingparticipantsandotherstakeholdersindecidingthewayahead.

Workingupwards.

Runningsimilarworkshopsatthesamelevel.

Cascadingdown.

Trainingdirectorsandmanagersasfacilitators.

Workingwithteams.

Holding'alumni'eventstobuildnetworks.

Holdingwholesystemevents.

Figure6.4continuedOverviewoftypicalRTMDprogram

Starting-buildingreadinessandplanning

Itiswisetostartwithapilotinitiativetobefollowedbyanemerginglong-termstrategytotransformtheorganization.Whereandhowyoustartisimportant.YouneedtostartanRTMDprogramwherethereisthegreatestprobabilityofapay-off.Thatmeanstargetingpotentialparticipantswhoarereadyforchange-potentialchampions,opinionleadersandpeoplewhowillmakethebestuseoftheopportunity-drawnfromasmanydifferentpartsoftheorganizationaspossible,butincludesomecynicsand

skepticsastheirviewsareimportant.StakeholdersatvariouslevelsneedtobeinvolvedinplanningtheRTMDprogram,especiallythechiefexecutiveofficer(CEO)ortopmanagerofthatpartoftheorganization,andherorhisteam.RigorouscontractingwiththeCEO(howeverdefined)andtheexecutiveortopmanagementteamiscrucialinmostcases.Itisparticularly

PlanningmeetingwithinternalpartnerHer/hisdiagnosis,vision,strategy,planningofinitialinterventionincludingwheretostart,participantstotargetandwhoelsetoinvitetojointhefacilitatorteam.

ContractingwiththeCEOHer/hisdiagnosis,vision,expectations,goals,businesspurpose.Isshe/hewillingtostickwithalong-termintervention?Howwillingtobeopenandhaveothersbeopenwithher/him?Her/hisviewsaboutstakeholderstobeinvolved,facilitatorsandtargetparticipants.HowtheCEOneedstosupporttheprogramandher/hisresponsibilityforitssuccess.Doesshe/hewanttoparticipate?Doesshe/hereallywantanempoweredworkforce?Isshe/hewillingtochangetoo?How,specifically?

Planningmeetingwithdesign/facilitatorteamDiagnosis,visions,strategy,'charter'onhowwewillworktogether,teambuilding,initialplans,selectionofparticipants.

IndividualconsultationswithparticipantsTheirdiagnosis,whattheywanttochange,keyissues,expectationsandtheiradvice.

DesignofWorkshopIbyfacilitatorteamBasedondiagnosisofkeyissuesofparticipants;mayinvolveotherstakeholdersindiagnosislater.Skillingoffacilitatorteam.

PresentationtoCEOandher/histeam

PresentationandfurtherconsultationwithparticipantsasagroupTheirdiagnosis,theworkshopandhowtheteamdesignedit,purpose,objectives,approachandmethods,theiradvicetofacilitators.Dotheywanttoconsultotherstakeholdersand,ifso,how?

PossibleconsultationmeetingwithotherstakeholdersTheirdiagnosisand

advicetofacilitatorsonwhatisproposed.

Figure6.5Buildingreadinessandplanning

importanttocontractwiththeCEOandexecutiveabouttheirresponsibilityforthesuccessoftheinitiativeandhowtheyneedtosupportit.Perhapstheywillbeparticipants.Theprogramneedstobelinkedtoakeybusinessgoalfromthestartsothateveryonecanclearlyseetheprogram'srelevancetobusinesssurvivalandprosperity.ThebusinesspurposeorgoaloftheworkisakeypartofcontractingwiththeCEO.Alsosheorheneedstobesatisfiedthattheinterventionwillsupportthetransformationsheorheistryingtobringabout.

Theinitialphaseoftheintervention-buildingreadinessandplanning-issummarizedinFigure6.5.

AsanexternalconsultantInearlyalwaysstartbyformingapartnershipwiththe'internal'consultantorwhoeverisresponsibleformanagementdevelopment.Wehaveaninitialplanningmeetingtotalkthroughherorhisorganizationaldiagnosis,visionandgoals.Wetrytomodeltheprocessesandusethetoolsfromthestart.Wedecidewhatparticipantsweshouldtargetinitiallyandwhofromthattargetgroupweshouldinvitetojoinusindesigningandfacilitatingtheprogram.Usuallythreefacilitatorsareenoughforagroupof12participants(orfourforagroupof16),assumingthatsmallgroupsof3-4,eachwithafacilitator,willbeneeded.Youmaythinkthisisoverlystaffintensivebutitpaysdividendsintermsoftheresultsthatcomeoutofthesmallgroupsandintrainingdirectorsandmanagerstofacilitate.Thelatterseeitsvalueandtheylovedoingit.Itopenstheireyestoanewandverysatisfyingrole:facilitator.Ihavealwaysfoundithelpsenormouslytoinvitearespectedandskilledmemberofthetargetgrouptojoinusasafacilitator.(Others,includingotherstakeholders,mayneedtocomeintohelpourorganizationaldiagnosislater.)Notonlydoesitgivecredibilitytoourwork,butalsohelpsmakesurewecomeupwithadesignthatwillworkwellfortheparticipants.Thiscombinationofaninternalconsultant,adirectoror

managerandanexternalconsultantprovidesanexcellentblendofknowledgeandskillsforateamtodesignandfacilitateaprogramthatreallyfitsandchallengestheparticipants.Inmostorganizationsgenderisanissueandsoitisimportantthatbothgendersarerepresentedinthisteam.

OneofthefirstthingstheinternalconsultantandIdotogetherismeetandcontractwiththeCEOalongthelinesdescribedinFigure6.5.Next,theinternalconsultant,directorormanagerandIspendhalfadaytogethertobuildourselvesintoateam,share

dataabouttheorganization,startmakingadiagnosisanddevelopourvisionandgoalsfortheinterventionweareembarkingon.Againwetrytomodelandpracticetheprocessesandbehaviorwewilladoptwithparticipants.Wetrytocreateanempoweringclimatewithinourteam.Wearetrainingourselves.Wetalkaboutwhowewilltargetasparticipantsandalsowhether,andifsohow,wewouldliketoinvolveotherstakeholders.

Beforewecandesigntheprogram,weneedtogooutandconsulttheparticipants,collectdata,andstarthelpingthemdiagnosetheirkeyissuesandopportunitiesandthinkabouthowtheywillusetheprogram.Figure6.6,'Individualconsultations,'describessomequestionsthatareusefulforthispurpose.Inmyexperienceitisveryimportanttoaskearlyinthemeetingwhatisgoingwell.Itimpliesyoumakepositiveassumptionsandarenottheretocriticize.Reallyatthisstageweareofferingtheparticipantssomeindividualconsultancy.Alsowhatwearedoingisbuildingtrust,commitmentandreadinessforchangeandmakingsurewegettheobjectivesanddesignasrightaswecan.Wearealsostartingtomodelpartnershipandempowermentinthewayweinitiateaprogrambyinvolvingparticipants-oftenafteryearsofimposingcoursesuponthem.Itisimportanttoexplainthattheprogramwillprobablybeunlikeanythingtheyhaveexperiencedbefore!Itwon'tbeacourse.Itwillbeaplace

Whatisyourthinkingaboutkeytrendsinthebusinessenvironment?

Howwellistheorganizationresponding?Whatisgoingwell?Whatareyounothappywith?Whatgetsintheway?Whatarethedifficulties?

Whatisyourvision?Howwouldthingsbeifeverythingweregoingwell?

Whatwillgetinthewayifyoudon'ttackleit?

Whatwillyoudoandwhatsupportdoyouneed?

Howcouldthisprogramhelp?Whatwouldbethepay-offifitwerehighly

successful?Itsbusinesspurpose?

Whatadvicedoyouhaveforus?(adaptedfromUsefulQuestionsModel,Appendix3)

Figure6.6Individualconsultations

wheretheycandostrategicworkwiththeircolleaguesandthreefacilitators.

WethencomebackandspendadayorsodesigningthefirstworkshopandourpresentationstotheCEO,herorhisteamand,probablyafterwards,theparticipants.Becauseofthewaywehaveconsultedallofthem,theirendorsementismostprobablebuttheymayhaveinvaluablesuggestions.Itisusuallypersuasivefirsttoreflectbacktopeoplewhattheyhavesaid;thentopresentourdiagnosisandourproposals.Anythingunpalatableneedstobehandledsensitively-thereshouldbenoshocksfortheCEOinfrontofherorhiscolleagues!

ThebroadstructureoftheworkshopfollowstheEmpowermentModel(Figure6.3)butthedetaileddesignwithinthebroadstructureiscriticallyimportant.Itneedstoreflectourorganizationaldiagnosisbasedonwhattheparticipantshavetoldus.Ithelpsifatitlefortheprogramischosenwhichreflectsthekeyissues.Wealsoneedtobuildourownexcitingvisionfortheeventsothatwecanbeinspiredandinspiringfacilitators.

Thepresentationofourdiagnosisandproposalstotheparticipants,basedonanevidentlysoundunderstandingoftheirneedsandissues,iscrucial.Wehavebuiltrelationshipswithindividuals,nowwehavethehardertaskofbuildingreadinessinthegroup.Dynamicsstartcomingintoplay.Itisthebeginningof

Bytheendoftheprogramyouwillhave:

Builtacomprehensivepictureoftheglobalenvironmentaffectingyourbusiness.

Rigorouslyappraisedhowtheorganizationisrespondingtoitsenvironment.

Developedaclearvisionofthedesiredfuturefortheorganization,yourpartofitandyourself.

Developedstrategies,includingkeypeopleyouneedtoinfluence,tobringaboutthedesiredfuture.

Identifiedkeyissues(includingyourownattitudes,blocksandskilldeficiencies)thatwillgetinthewayandstartedtotacklethem.

Madeplansincludingasupportsystemforyourself.

Figure6.7TypicalobjectivesofaRTMDprogram

facilitatingthegroup.Alsowearestartingtointroducethemtowhattheexperiencewillbelikeandtousasateamoffacilitators.Weneedtostressthateveryonetakesresponsibilityfortheprogram.Attheendofthepresentationtheyshouldbeaswellpreparedforanewexperienceasispossibleandshouldbewillingtotrustus.Usuallymostofthem,whilstapprehensive,areexcitedtobeinvolvedindevelopinganinitiativethathasthepotentialtobeofenormousbenefit.Anyoneshouldfeelfreetoopt-outifitisnotforthem.

Typically,toexplaintheprogramweuseflipchartsoroverheadtransparenciesbasedonFigures6.8-6.12.

WorkshopI.

Implementation.

Supportgroupsmeet.

Furtherconsultations.

DesignWorkshopIIbasedoncurrentdiagnosisofneedsandkeyissues.

WorkshopII.

Continuingimplementationandsupportgroupmeetings.

Facilitatorteamreviewsandplansemergingmanagementdevelopmentstrategy,involvingparticipantsandkeystakeholdersincludingCEOandher/histeam.

Figure6.8Overallstructureofpilotprogram

Buildingtheclimate;contractingandformingsupportgroups.

Creatingapictureoftheglobalenvironment.

Rigorouslyreviewingour/myresponsetoit.

Developingavisionforthefuture.

Decidingkeystrategicactionsincludinginfluencingstrategy.

Identifyingandworkingonkeyissues-the'flexibleprogram.'

Planningactionincludingsupport.

Commitmentsandreview.

Figure6.9Structureofworkshops-WorkshopI

Recreatingtheclimate.

RigorousreviewofprogresssinceWorkshopI;successes,difficulties,changesinthesituation,learning,whatnowneedstobedone,bestuseofworkshop,ie,newissues.

'Flexibleprogram'or'openspace'toworkonkeyissues.

Furtherplanningincludingsupport.

FinalcommitmentsandadviceonnextstageinRTMD.

Figure6.10Structureofworkshops-WorkshopII

Agendaisyourownwork.

Youdoit-itiswhatyoumakeofit.Weshareresponsibility.

Nocontrivedsituations-workingonreality.

'Coreprogram'forkeyissues.

'Flexibleprogram'forindividualorsharedissues.

Climate:honesty,trust,beingourselvesandbeingauthentic.

Balance:demanding,supportive,challenging,exciting,fun,serious,humorous,healthy,takingcareofourselves,knowingwhentostopandwhentoreviewprocess,feelingandtask,celebratingsuccessandappreciatingeachother.

Connectionbetweenworkshopclimateandwhatpeoplewantoutthere.

Tutorsmodelwhattheyespouse.

Figure6.11Workshopapproach

Havingdonethiswe(thefacilitatorteam)nowneedsometimetomakeanychangestothedesignandprepareandskillourselvesforthefirstworkshop.Wewillhaveagoodideaofbothindividualandgroupneedsforwhichwemayneedtoprepareourselves.Somerehearsing,

confidencebuildingandgivingeachothersupportwillbeneededimmediatelybeforehand.Wewillneedtoexperiencesomeoftheprocessesifwehavenotalreadydonesoinourearliermeetings.Ouraimwillbetomodelanexcellentpartnershipbetweenwomenandmeninprovidingempoweringleadership.Weneedtobeingoodshapetodothatandfeelwell

Shortinputs.

Timetoreflectandreview.

Workonown.

Workinpairs.

Workinsmallgroups.

Plenarytobrief;buildpictureofglobalenvironment;sharediagnosisandvision;review,workonkeygrouporcorporateissuesandshareinsightsandlearning.

Regularreviewsofprogressandlearning.

Givingandreceivingfeedback.

Commitmentstoaction.

Figure6.12Varietyofworkshopmethods

supportedbyeachother(thereshouldbenocompetition,powerstrugglesorbigegos!)Weneedhonestyandhumility.

Ihaveneverfoundanyprobleminpracticeingettingmanagersanddirectorstoreleasethemselvesforthiswork.Theycanreadilyseethattheskillsoffacilitatingindividuals,teamsandlargegroupsarepartofeveryleader'stoolkittodayandtheyareeagertolearnthem.

WorkshopI

Spaceandtime

Theenvironmentmattersconsiderably.Thevenueneedstobeawayfromtheworksitesothatattendanceisfull-timeineverysense.Theavailabilityofaswimmingpoolandotherfitnessorsportsfacilities,healthyfoodandplacesforwalkingareimportant.Howmeetingroomsarearrangedsendsoutpowerfulmessages.Theyneedtobeinformalandflexiblesotheycanbequicklyrearranged.Youwillneed

alargeroomwithcomfortablechairsinacircle(nottableswhichmakebarriers)thatcanbemovedabouteasilytoformdifferentgroupings.Largewallspacesareneededthatcanbecoveredinflipchartsoronehugeflipchartwhenthewholegroupisbuildingapictureoftheglobal

environment,howthesystemisnow,andhowitneedstobe-theirvision.Smallroomswithouttablesareneededforsupportgroups(unlessthemeetingroomisexceptionallylarge)togetherwithsufficientflipcharts.Simpletechnologyisbest-allyouneedtoprovidearethingslikescissors,markerpens,maskingtape.

Thetimeallowedfortheworkshopisimportanttoo.Thisworkreallyrequiresaboutthreedaystobedoneproperly.Peopleneedenoughtimeto'getthere,'leavebehindtheirday-to-dayconcernsandovercometheirdoubts,fearsanduncertaintiesaboutanimportantnewexperience.Theyneedtimetomakemajorshiftsinattitudeorhowtheyseethings.Emotionsareinvolved-thepictureofglobaltrendsandtherigorousreviewcanleavepeoplefeelinglowinenergy;visionbuildingisexcitingandmoving.Peopleneedtimetohandletheserhythms.Opportunitiestoreflectandfortheunconscioustoworkcreativelyovernightareimportant.Atleasttwoovernightsarebeneficialandattendanceneedstobefull-time.

Contractingandbuildingacommunity

Inatypicalfirstworkshop(seeFigure6.9)participantsandfacilitatorsbeginbycontracting,gettingtoknoweachotherandbuildingacommunity.Itisbestifthisworkcanbedoneonthepreviousafternoonandearlyeveningsothatpeoplearefullyreadyatthestartofthefirstwholeday.Eachpersonneedstostateclearlytheoutcomestheywantfromtheworkshop.Wealsoneedtocontractclearlyaboutprocess,rolesandresponsibilitiesandmakeagreementsabouttheclimateandbehaviorthatwillreallysupporteffectiveworkandlearning.Thisisimportantgroundworkincreatinganeffectivepartnership.

Self-introductions

Self-introductionscanbeprofoundlyimportantinanumberof

differentways:peoplegettoknoweachotherashumanbeingsatadeeperlevelthaneverbefore-discovertheircommonhumanity;starttobreakdowndivisions;arereallyopenaboutthemselves;buildaclimateofopennessandtrust;starttomakedecisionsaboutwhotheywouldliketoworkwithinsupportgroupsorotherwise;and,mostimportantofall,getintouchwiththeirowngoodnessandwhotheyreallyarewhichisthefoundationforsomuchoftheworktheywilldointheworkshop

Usuallyweaskparticipantstopairupwithsomeonetheywouldliketogettoknowbetter,someonetheytrust.TheylistentoandsupporteachotherinturntalkingaboutthepointslistedinFigure6.13.

Myfullname(oftenarevealingandhumorousicebreaker).

WhereIamfrom-placeandbriefhistory.

TwoachievementsIammostproudof.

Whatmattersmosttome,whatIampassionateabout.

Currentissuesformeasaleader-opportunitiesordifficultiesIstrugglewith.

OutcomesIwantfromthisprogram.

Figure6.13Self-introductions

Theneachpersonshareskeypointsinthewholegroup-especiallytheirissuesandoutcomes.Itisbestifatutorstartsandgentlymodelsthekindofhonestyandfeelingthatothersmaywishtofollow.Iencouragethepairstostandtogetherupfront,givingeachothersupportforwhatcanbeaverymovingandinspiringprocess.Bythistimeparticipantsareinagoodpositiontodecidewhotheywouldliketoworkwithinsupportgroups.

UsingtheEmpowermentModel

Participantsarenowreadytodothecoreworkoftheworkshop,ie,workroundtheEmpowermentModel(seeFigure6.3).Therearevariouswaystheycandothiswork:startingwiththewholegroup;thensplittingintogroups(facilitatedorself-facilitated)ofsaysixtoeightpeople,orrelativelyintimatesupportgroupsofthreetofourpeopleorpairs;thenagainasawholegrouptoshareandreview.Thesearedesignissuesforthefacilitatorstodecide,dependingwhetheritismostappropriateforpeopletofocusonthecorporate

organizationortheirownpartofitorfirstthecorporatewholeandthentheirpartofit.

Inowfavorgettingthewholegrouptoproduceahugewallchart

oftheglobalenvironment(stage1),eachindividualcontributingtothepicture.Thisgetseveryoneontheirfeetandactivelyinvolvedimmediately.Itshowshowitispossibleforalargegroupofpeoplewithdifferentperspectivestobuildsomethingtogether.Itdemonstrateshowpeoplecancopewithamassofcomplexdatawithoutdistillingitintomeaninglessnesstowhichnoonehasanyattachment.Eachperson'swordsareupthere.Itshowshowwecanrespecteveryone'struthwhichisanimportantlessonifwearetogobeyondadversarialism.'Everyone'struthisvalid'isagroundrule.

Asimilarprocesscanbeusedfortherigorousreviewofhowtheorganizationisresponding(stage2)-thatmayneedtobeboileddowntothekeyissuestheorganizationfaces-andthesharedvisionordesiredfuturefortheorganizationasawhole(stage3).'Commonground'and'thingsnotagreedbyeveryone'mayneedtobeidentified.

Whenpeopleareworkingontheirownpartoftheorganization-rigorousreview,visionandstrategy-theworkisbestdoneeitherinwellmixed,self-selectedsupportgroupswithafacilitator,orinpairs,followedbysomekindofsharinginthewholegroup.Ifavor,atleaststartingwith,facilitatedsupportgroupsunlesstherearelargenumbers.Thatmayrequireworkinginpairsorself-facilitatedsmallgroups(givensomegroundrulesorguidelines).Peopleclaimgreatbenefitsfromlearningfromtheexperienceoftheircolleagues.

Workonvisionisverypersonalandinvolvestheemotionsaswellasthehead.Itisrootedinvaluesandbeliefs.Peopleneedtogetintouchwithwhotheyreallyareandsharingapoem,pieceofwritingormusiccanbehelpful.Visionscanencompasspicturesandsymbolsaswellaswords.Myexperienceisthatpeoplerequiresupporttodothisworkreallywell.Itcanbehelpfultochoosea'friend'towalkwithandtalkabouttheirvisionforthewholeorganization,theirpartofitandthemselves.The'friend'listensandencourages.Theydothisinturn.

Theythenwritetheirvisiononaflipchartbeforesharingitintheirsupportgroupandperhapslaterinthewholegroup,orbypostingitonthewallaspartofa'picturegallery'ofvisionswhicheveryonecanview.

Bythetimepeoplehaveworkedroundstages2,3and4intheirsupportgroupstheyhavelearnedalotfromeachother,understandeachotherverywellandareinagoodpositiontogiveeachotherchallengingandencouragingsupport.

Workingonkeyissues

Thencomesstage5ofthemodel-identifyingandworkingonkeyissuesorobstaclesthatwillgetinthewayofbringingaboutthedesiredfuture.Therearethreekindsofissuesorobstacles-thoseoutthereintheenvironmentorthelargerorganization;thoseinourteamorgroup;and,finallyandmostimportantofall,thoseinyou.Thesearethehardesttocometotermswithandadmit,buttheyaretheonesoverwhichwehavemostcontrol.UsuallyIstartbyblamingthingsoutthereorothersbeforeIcomeroundtome.Thisiswherepeoplehavetheopportunitytobereallyhonestwiththemselvesandwithothersandwhereimportantpersonalandorganizationallearningcantakeplace.Itisalsothepointatwhichparticipantsempowerthemselvestotakechargeoftheirlearningandtheworkshopgetsoutofcontrol.

Issuesandkeyissues

Somethingaboutissuesandkeyissuesmaybeusefulatthispoint.ThetermsappearquitefrequentlyinthetextandinboththeEmpowermentandInternalConsultant'sModels.Idefineanissueassomethingimportantthatneedstobeworkedonoraddressed.Ifitisnotresolveditwillimpedeorgetinthewayofprogress.Anissuecanaffectawholeorganization.Definingitinthiscaseispartofmakinganorganizationdiagnosis.Oritcanaffectateamorgrouporitcanbepersonal,ie,withinapersonorbetweenthatpersonandanother(intra-personalorinter-personal).Atanotherlevelitcanbetheissue'intheroom'whenagroupofpeoplearemeeting.Inthiscase,itwillnotbepossibletomakeprogressunlessthatissueisaddressed.Agoodprocessconsultantwillsensethisandhelpthemeetingidentifyandaddresstheissue.Ithelpstoexpressanissueasaquestion.Inmyexperiencethisleadstomorerigor.Itisworthspendingtimecarefullyrephrasingthequestion.

Addingtheadjective'key'totheword'issue'helpsfocusonwhatismostimportant.Thereareusuallyanumberofissuesinasituation.Timeislimitedandithelpstoprioritize.Someissuesmaybedescribedasfundamental.Someareunderlying.Someissuesembraceotherissues.Theideaofthekeyissueisthatitistheonethatisthekeythatopensthedoorthatleadsintoanewroom.Itiswellworthworkinghardtofindthekeyissuesinasituation.Sometimesitbecomesapparentthatthereisonethatis

key.Sothenotionofdefiningthekeyissueisuseful.Idefinethisas'theissuethatifyouidentifyitcorrectlyandaddressit,willtransformthesituation.'Itallowsthemaximumresultfortheleasteffort.Everythingfollowsinitswake.Itleadstoastepchange.Scalesareliftedfrompeople'seyes.Itisenergizing,awakeningandperhapsleadstowhatiscalledaparadigmshift.Workingontheissueisthebestuseofanyone'soreveryone'stimeandenergy.Gettingtothatissuemaybeanintuitiveprocessandthequestion:'Whatisthebestuseofyourtimerightnow?'mayleadtoit.

The'flexibleprogram'or'openspace'

Iusuallygetpeopletopairupand'giveeachother'agoodlisteningto.Sometimeswefirstgiveashortinputon'helpingskills.'Ibriefthemtotalkabout'WhatarethekeyissuesInowneedtoworkonoutthere,inmyteam,andinme?'Eachpersonisaskedtoproduceaflipchartheaded:'Thebestuseofmytimenow.'Itwilllistthethreetofourkeyissuestheywanttoworkon,howandwithwhom.Eachpersonwillbrieflytalkabouthisorherchartandputitonthewall.Theneveryonewillgetintoa'mêlée'toarrangewhattheywant.Thelessthefacilitatorsgetinvolved,thebetteritworks.Alltheyneedtodoissetthescene,statewhatroomorspacesareavailable,suggesthowthetotaltimecanbedivided,describesomeoftheoptionalwaysofworking(forexampleingroups,pairs,onown,withtutorsornot)andofferthemselvesasresources.Experiencehastaughtmetokeepout,nottoattempttoorganizeitbutletitemerge.Itisexciting,frighteninganditinvariablyworks.SomepeoplecallthisOpenSpaceTechnology(Owen,1992).Icallita'flexibleprogram'wherepeoplepairup,callorleadmeetings,makeoffersandmakerequests.Corporateissuesgetdealtwith,relationshipsgetsortedout;skillsareexchanged,andpeopleresolvedifficulties,makemomentousdecisions,oreventakeamuchneededbreak.

Onemanagingdirectorwentoffintothenearbyhillsforhalfadayandcamebackclearaboutwhathehadtodo.Anothertopexecutiveworkedprivatelywithatutoronhisrelationshipwithhisson,whichwasalsoawayofworkingonhisrelationshipwithhisteamofhighlypaidprofessionals.Inanothersituation,thewholegroupwantedtoworkongenderissuesandhowtheyheldbackthetopteam.Thistooktheformofawomanandamansortingouttheirworkingrela-

tionshipwhiletherestofthegroupsimplygavetheirattention(facilitatedbyafemalecolleagueofmine).Thesilentattentionofalargegroupispowerful;wealllearnedalot.Onanotheroccasionitinvolvedthemaledirectorslearningtolistentotheirfemalecolleagues!Anotherwholegroupworkedonresolvinghowtheneedforindividualaccountabilityandcorporacycouldbereconciled.Oftenpeopletaketheopportunitytoresolveorstartresolvingkeyinterpersonalissueswhichnearlyalwaysboildowntochangingtheirownattitudesorbehavior.Sometimespeopleusethechancetopickbrainsandlearnfromtheexpertisethatisinthegrouporsimplytobuildbridgesandforgealliances.Analliancebetweentwopeoplecanachievepowerfulresults.Twomenwhohadbeenrivalsusedthetimetobecomepartners.

Managersfinditexcitingandrefreshingatlasttobeinchargeoftheirownlearning.Itreleasestheirenthusiasm.Whyhasitneverhappenedbefore?Itisalsoamodeltheycanuseintheirownteamevents.

Developingkeyskillsandlearning

Intheseworkshopsmanagerswillmostlikelyneedtolearnandpracticehelpingskillsbothasakeyskillfordevelopingtheirownpeopleandsothattheycanfacilitateeachotherintheirsupportgroups.EmpoweringleadershipisalsolikelytobeakeythemeandtheymayneedtoworkthroughthenetworkingexercisereferredtoinChapter5anddescribedinAppendix8.Thesupportgroupisanintimateandimportantcommunityinwhichlearningcantakeplaceanditwilloftencontinuetomeetforalongtimeaftertheformalprogramisover.Usuallyitstartswithafacilitator-peopleneedtolearnhowtoworkinadisciplinedrigorousway-butgraduallythisroleishandedovertothememberswhotakeitinturnstofacilitate.Inthatgroupmemberspracticegivingeachotherfeedbackinanencouragingbutchallengingway.Webriefthemsimplyonhowtodothis.Alsothegroupwilllearntoexpresstheirappreciationofeachother.Somepeoplefindthisembarrassingatfirst-othersloveit-and

itplaysanimportantpartinhelpingchangethecultureoftheorganizationtoonewheremoreappreciationisgivenmoreoften.LearningisfosteredbyhavingreviewsbothinsupportgroupsandinthewholegroupinwhichpeoplesharewhattheyarelearningandtheconclusionstheyhavecometoReflectingovernightandsharinginsightsat

thestartofthedayisavaluableprocess.Reviewsareimportanttomakesureeveryoneisontrack,tobringoutimportantissuesandtomakeadjustmentsandchangestotheprogram,soislettingdownattimesandhavingfunandrelaxation.Sillygamescanrelievetension,raiseenergyandsparkcreativity.Askingpeoplehowtheyarefeelingcanbeanimportantinterventionthatbreaksthroughblockages,opensupfundamentalissues,leadstoshiftsinmind-setorindicatestheneedtochangethedesignoftheworkshop.

Planningimplementationandsupport

Afterthefirstworkshopthereneedstobeaperiodofseveralmonthsinwhichtoimplementstrategiesandplansforchangeandimprovement.Duringthistimeparticipantsareencouragedtonetworkandmeetintheirsupportgroups.

Inthefinalsessionoftheworkshop,peoplemakeplansfordecisiveactionandsharecommitments.Wealsoencouragethemtocommitthemselvestogettingsupportandbespecificaboutfromwhomtheywillseekit.

Finally,wereviewtheworkshop-askwhatworkedwellandwhatneedstobealteredforthebenefitoffutureparticipants.WestartdiscussingwiththemhowtheRTMDprogramshouldbeextendedtootherpeopleintheorganizationandhowtheywanttobeinvolvedinthis.

WorkshopII(twodays)

ThenatureofWorkshopIIisprobablylargelyself-evidentfromFigure6.10.Allowingtwoworkingdaysincludingtwoovernightsseemsaboutright.(Thismeansstartingatteatimeonthedaybeforethefirstfulldayandfinishingataboutthesametimeondaythree.)Participantsandfacilitatorsneedtospendtimerebuildingthe

communitytheyformed,recreatingtheclimate,or'gettingthere'afteragapofthreetofourmonths.The'rigorousreviewofprogress'takesplacefirstinsupportgroupsorpairs-theninthewholegroup.Wecelebrate;tellstoriesaboutwhathashappened;drawconclusionsandlearningfromthat;identifythekeyissuesnowtobeworkedonandworkonthemusingtheflexibleprogram.Thekeyquestionforeachparticipantis'What

isthebestpossibleuseofmytime?'Itisremarkablehowboththemostimportantindividualandcorporateissueswhicharegettinginthewayofthebusiness,ormaydoso,canbeaddressedand,atleastlargely,canberesolved.Usuallyinthesecondworkshoppeoplearereadytoworkonfarmorefundamentalissuesandwithgreaterhonestybecause,bythen,sufficientsafetyhasbeencreated.Oftentheyclaimtogetmorevaluethanfromthefirstworkshop.

Weendthesecondworkshopbyplanningfurtheractionandsupport;reviewingwhatworkedandwhatweneedtododifferently;andagaindiscussingwiththeparticipantshowRTMDshouldbeextendedtootherpeopleintheorganization,howthestrategyfortransformationshouldunfoldandwhatparttheywanttoplayinit.

HowdoesRTMDchangeattitudesandbehavior?

RTMDmethodsandprocesseshelppeopleadoptnewattitudesandbehavioriftheypracticethemduringtheworkshops,insupportgroups,innetworkingandbackonthejob.Mostoften

Continuingimprovementandlearning.

Takingaviewthatisbothglobalandstrategic.

Beingvisionary.

Welcomingchangeandupheaval.

Valuingdifferenceandseekingcommonground.

Adoptingbehaviorthatempowersothers.

Creatingachallengingandsupportiveclimate.

Usingenergy,emotion,intuitionandbothhemispheresofthebrain-understandingtheimportanceofthewholeperson.

Beingreallyauthenticwithothers.

Usingprocessabilitiesandhelpingskills.

Trusting,lettinggoofcontrolandseekingbalance.

Figure6.14Changesinmind-setandbehavior

peoplechangefrombeingwaryandcompetitivetobecominggoodfriendsandpartners.Aboveall,theyexperiencewhatitistobeempoweredandtheyunderstandhowtheycancreateconditionsforotherpeopleinwhichtheytoocanempowerthemselves.

Intheworkshopsandsupportgroupsparticipantsdevelopandusemanyskillsandpracticesthatarevitalforsurvival,amongthemthoselistedinFigure6.14.Betweenthefirstandsecondworkshopspeopleapplytheseskillstorealorganizationalissues,therebymakingimportantchangeswhichprovidethemwithevidencethatthisnewwayofworkingismoreproductive.Onceparticipantshaveexperiencedtheeffectivenessofadifferentapproachandseenapracticalpay-offintheirbusinesses,theystarttouseitmorewidely,anditgraduallybecomespartoftheireverydayworkinglife.

Furtherprogramsatsamelevel.

Furtherprogramsathigherorlowerlevels.

Workwiththetopmanagementteam.

Workwithseverallevelstogether.

Largescaleeventsinvolvingrepresentativesofthewholesystematalllevels-gettingthewholesystemintotheroom.

Continuingone-to-onenetworkingandsupportgroups.

Trainingpeopleatalllevelstofacilitateworkshopsandteamevents.

Cascadingthroughteamprogramsinparticipants'ownunits.

UsingtheEmpowermentModelinself-managedworkgroupstoplanimprovement.

Furtherworkwithspecificcorporatekeyissuesthathaveemerged.

Workondifferenceissues:gender,race,age,disabilities,etc.

Workwithindividuals.

Networkeventsforpastparticipants(alumni)toprovidesupportforcontinuingchangeandcreateathrivingnetwork.

Figure6.15Emergingstrategiestoembedchange

Creatingcriticalmassandembeddingchange

Thisfirstprogramisjustthebeginningofsomethingthathasthepotentialtotransformtheorganization.Astrategyneedstoevolveinanemergentwaytochangehowtheorganizationdoesbusinessanditneedstoincludewaysofsustaininganddevelopingtheimpetusforchange.Thereareallkindsofpossibilities.SomeofthesearelistedinFigure6.15.

Ibelieveactivitiesofthiskindcantransformanorganizationanditsculture,buttheyneedtodeveloporganically.Theycannotworkmiracles.Miraclesrequiretheleadershipofcommitted,energetic,positivepeoplewhotakeresponsibilityandassumelong-termpersistentleadership.

Keyfactorsthatmakeforsuccess

Overthepast20yearsIhavesuccessfullyintroducedtheRTMDapproachinawiderangeofindustriesincludinginsurance,localgovernment,avionics,highereducation,informationtechnologyandretail.Therearepitfalls,however,asitisnotmagicanditdoesn'talwayswork.Figure6.16liststhefactorsthatseemtomakeforsuccess.

Benefitstothebusiness

Finally,herearesomecommentsfromparticipants-mostofwhomwereorbecamedirectors-abouthowtheybenefitedfromoneparticularprogramandtheeffectsithad.

'Inowfindmyselfonceagainfirmlyintouchwithmypersonalphilosophyandmoreimportantly,confidentandexcitedbywhatwecanallachievewithin(thecompany).Wordssomehowseeminadequate-abreathoffreshair,acommon-senserevolution,ofgreatsignificancetousallforthefuture-allthesethingsandmuchmore.'

'Asaresultofthisprogram,theintegrationofthetwocompanieshasbeenmadeeasierandlesspainful.Forthisalone...(thecompany)owesaconsiderabledebt....'

ContractingwellwiththeCEOwhogiveswholeheartedsupport.

Aclosepartnershipwithaninternalconsultantwhohascredibilityandassumesdetermined,long-termleadershipoftheprogramandsharesownership.

InvolvingtheCEOandexecutiveasparticipants.

Involvingdirectorsandmanagersasfacilitators.

Apilotprogramwithcarefullychosen'champions.'

Consultingandinvolvingparticipantsbeforehand.

Gettingridofcompetitioninthetrainingcommunity.

Buildingahighlysupportivefacilitatorteam.Theblendofexternalandinternalconsultantanddirectorormanageratthestart.

Modelingwhatwestandfor.

Stickingtonon-didacticprinciples.

Beingbold,takingrisksandspeakingfromtheheart,withpassion.

The'flexibleprogram.'

Beingfirmonprinciplebutflexibleandcreative.

Handingoverownershipandinvolvingtheclientsincreatinganemergingstrategy.

Long-termsupportfroman'external'source.

Figure6.16Factorsleadingtosuccess

'(The)managementdevelopmentfunction...isalreadychangingtheculturewithin(thecompany).'

'I'veenjoyedthesethreesessionsatremendousamountandamverydifferentasaresult.I'mmoreconfidentandamcarryingthroughthechangesverymuchintomyworkinglife.It'scontinuingaswell.Withsomecoursesyouforgeteverythinginsixmonths,butwiththesesessions,they'rerememberedandtheyimpactonallaspectsofmanagingateam....Thiswillchangethe

attitudesofgroupmanagementandreallymake(thecompany)No.1.'

'Thishasbeenthebestexperienceofmyworkinglife...IfinditdifficulttodescribewhatIhavegotoutofitbut...Ihave

beeninspired,encouragedandsupported.Thishasgivenmetheconfidencetomakeithappenforme,mypatchandmy(company).Iampositivethebenefitwillbelastingand...whenIrecallevents...Iwillgainstrength.'

Chapter7givesaccountsofRTMDprogramsinfourorganizations.


Gibran,K,(1991)TheProphet,PanBooks,London,UK.

Owen,H.(1997)OpenSpaceTechnology-AUsersGuide,Berrett-Koehler,SanFrancisco,USA.

Revans,R.(1971)DevelopingEffectiveManagers,Praeger,NewYork,USA.

7UsingRealTimeManagementDevelopmentTochangethecultureofanorganization'Therewasaclearcorrelationbetweenafactory'smanagementcultureandthedegreeofexcellencethatthefactoryexhibited-andvirtuallyeverywinningfactoryhadtakenstepstowardstheestablishmentofan''open"managementculture.

Acollegiatestyleofmanagementseemstocorrelatemorecloselywithmanufacturingexcellencethanastylebasedonfear,divide-and-conquerleadership,andautocracy....

Smallerunitstendtooperatemoreefficiently,andaremoreeffectiveatimplementingimprovementinitiatives.Factoriesthatarepartofalargegroup...woulddowelltoadopta"smallbusiness"mentality-atransformationinculturethatneedstobedirectedfromthetop.'IndependentonSunday3November1996,reportingon1996ManagementTodayFactoryoftheYearannualaward.

'Weneedtolearntodosomethingbydoingit.Thereisnootherway.'JohnHolt,Educator.

'Thereisnosuchthingasaproblemwithoutagiftforyouinitshands.Youseekproblemsbecauseyouneedtheirgifts.'RichardBach.

Fourcasestudies

Thischaptertellsthestoriesoftrainersorinternalconsultantswhosevisionaryleadershipishelpingtotransformtheculturesoftheirfourverydifferentorganizations.TheyarepeopleIprofoundlyadmirefortheircourageandtenacity.Eachparticipatedinalong-terminterventionrangingfromtwototenyears.Ineachcasetheapproachwasbroadlysimilarandtheyhadlong-termsupportfromoutsidesources.Howevertherewereinterestingandsignificantdifferencesand,intellingthestories,Ishallbringtheseout.Theywillbehonest,'wartsandall'accountsincludinganassessmentofwhattheyachieved,andwhattheydidnot,andtheconclusions.IshallnotnametheorganizationsasIwanttofeelfreetogivemyfrankassessmentswithoutcausingembarrassment.Ishallcallthecasestudies:

1. Bottomup.

2. Workingnearthetop.

3. Topdown.

4. Stuckatthetop.

Basicallytherearetwowaysofmanagingacompany.One-sometimescaricaturedasthe'GenghisKhanapproach'-istomanagebycommandandcontrol,usingpunishment,manipulation,criticism,divisionandfearasthemeansofexercisingpower.(Therearemorebenignformsofcommandandcontrolsuchas

Raisepeople'sawarenessofhowtheywantthingstobedifferentbyinvitingthemtoexpresstheirviews.Encouragethemtospeakfromtheirhearts.

Workwiththeirenergytochangethingsoftenexpressedascomplaints.

Offerinspiring,visionaryleadershipwhichrespondstotheirdesireforthingstobedifferent.

Providedifferentexperiencesofhowworkcanbe,thatmodelanewcultureandenablepeopletoworksuccessfullyontheiropportunitiesandtheissuestheypresent.

Providenew,empoweringtoolsandprocesses.

Figure7.1Howtoencourageculturalchange

Thesubjectmatteristheexcitingopportunities,visions,strategies,issues,plans,struggles,reflectionsandlearningoftheparticipants.

Learningwillbelargelyfromvisioning,planning,acting,reviewing,reflectingandlearningfromeachother.

Wefacilitatorswilltrytobecongruentwithourvisionandwalkourtalkaboutempowerment.

Wewillgiveonlyshorttalksorbriefingstointroducetheworkthatneedstobedone.Ourroleistoofferstructures,processesandmethods;tofacilitate;providegoodconditionstoworkandlearnin;avoidcreatingdependencyor'counterdependency,'beapresenceandaresourcetoindividualsandgroups;speakoutonmajorissues,saythingsthataren'tbeingsaidandencourageotherstodoso.

Wewilluseawidevarietyofempoweringprocessestomaintainenergyandexcitement,respondtodifferentneedsandavoidmonotonyorboredom.

Therewillbenocontrivedexercisessuchassimulations,role-plays,casestudies,businessgamesorotherinstruments.

Onthebasisthattherewillbeabout12well-informedparticipantsfromawidevarietyofbackgrounds,wewillnotinviteanyexpertspeakers.Similarly,topmanagerswillnotbeinvitedin,exceptasparticipants.Peoplehaveaccesstobothexperts,benchmarkcompaniesandtopmanagementbeforeoraftertheworkshops.Suchinputswouldcreateadistractionfromtheworkoftheworkshops.Alltheresourcesweneedfortheworkshopare'intheroom.'

Theuniqueneedsofeachparticipantwillbeprovidedforbythebroadcorestructureandthe'flexibleprogram.'

Wewillcreateanewexperienceofworkinglife-challengebutnotfrightenofforalienate.

Along-termstructureandlong-termsupportwillbeprovided-ie,overmanymonthsbecauseparticipantsaremakinglong-termstrategicchanges.Alsotheyoftenneedtimetomakefundamentalshiftsinmind-setandchangethehabitsofalifetime.

Wewillneverallowourselvestoforgetthebusinesspurposeofwhatwearedoingandtheneedforapracticalpay-offforallstakeholders.Customers,jobsatalllevels,suppliers,shareholders,thecompanyandthecommunityareatstake.

Figure7.2KeyprinciplesforRTMD

paternalism.)Theother,notatallasoftoption,istomanagebysharingpower,providingopen,inspirationalleadershipandtoencourage,involve,empower,uniteandbringoutthebestinpeople.Thefirstcanbesummedupaspatriarchyandthesecondpartnership.Allfourcasestudiesareabouttoattemptstoencouragethelatter.

Allfour,tovaryingdegrees,illustratetheprinciplesandideassetoutinChapters4to6.IlearnedalotfromtheseandothersimilarexperiencesandtheprincipleshaveevolvedfromwhatIlearned-bothoursuccessesandourdifficulties(sometimespainfulforme).Thatprocessoflearninggoeson.Allfour'interventions'arebasedontheapproachfirstoutlinedinChapter4andrepeatedforyourconveniencehereasFigure7.1.TheyalsoreflectthefollowingkeyprinciplessummarizedinFigure7.2(firstshowninChapter6).

Abouthavingrealisticexpectations

BeforestartingonthefourstoriesIwanttosaysomethingaboutexpectationsandevaluation.Ilikequotesfromartists-andremember,entrepreneursandbusinesspeoplearecreativeartists:

'Youarelosttheinstantyouknowwhattheresultwillbe.'JuanGris.

'Onlywhenhenolongerknowswhatheisdoingdoesthepainterdogoodthings.'EdwardDegas.

Ofcourseweneedtohavecleargoalsandpurposeandavisionofwhatwearetryingtoachieve,butitmakesnosensetoseetheorganizationasamachine.Thereseemtobeexpectationsthatifyoumakeanaccuratediagnosis,andthendesignanappropriateintervention,thedesiredchangeswilloccurandiftheydon'tthenyou'vegotitwrong,youwereincompetentandoughttobefiredorhangyourheadinshame.Alongsidethisgoestheideathat,afterasuitablelapseoftime,theinterventioncanbeneatlyevaluatedintermsofwhethergoalsandmeasurablebenefitswereachieved.All

thiscanbeencouragedbyadesiretorespondpositivelytomanagement'snaturalanxietyabouthowtheinvestment,often

large,inbothtimeandmoneycanbejustified.Asaresultoftheabovewemaybetemptedtomakeclaimswecannottrulyjustify.

Perhapswearebeginningtounderstandthatitissimplynotpossible,notwithinourpower,tobringaboutculturalorlarge-scalesystemchangeinsuchaway.Organizationalchangeisfartoocomplexandtherearetoomanyunpredictablefactorsforittobesusceptibletoamechanisticapproach.Unpredictablethingshappen-organizationsgettakenoverortheymerge,leaderschange,keysupportersleaveormove.Alsotheideaofattemptingtomanipulatechangeasopposedtofacilitatingitisincompatiblewithempowerment.Organizationsassystemsandculturesevolve.Theirevolutioninvolvesmanypeoplemakingchoices.Allwecanhopetodoishelpthingsalong-'putourbrickinthewall.'Wecaninfluenceandfacilitatepeopleinworkingwiththeforcesintheorganizationanditsenvironment,helpingthemtoadaptinahealthywayandmakechoicesthatenhancethechancesofsurvivingandthriving.Itisratherliketheroleoftherapist-attheendofthedaythechoiceisalwaysmadebytheclient.Perhapsthehealthiestattitudewecanhaveisoneofgreatinterestandhighexpectationswhilstnotknowingwhattheoutcomewillbe.

Ifculturalchangeistobemorethancosmetic,widespreadchangesinattitudesandbehaviorareneeded.Policiesandpracticesmayalsoneedchangingsothattheyarecongruentwithandsupportthedesiredculture.Despitethefactthatthereisaninexorableevolutioninsocietyofwhichculturalchangeinorganizationsisapart,noteveryonewalksatthesamepace.Somejustdon'tseeitourway.Somedon'twanttochangehowtheymanage.Inanorganizationthereisusuallyawidespectrumofbeliefandopinion.Culturalchangeinvolveslettinggoandgivingupdeeplyingrainedhabitsandbeliefs.Changesinwhatwesaytakeplacemorequicklythanchangesinwhatwedo,thatiswhythelatteraremoreimportanttoworkon.Weknowfromourexperienceofourselveshowharditistochangehabits.Changesin

ourattitudesandbeliefsevolveovertimeasaresultofinfluencesandlifeexperiences.Itisallveryunpredictable.

Wehavetobehonest.Embarkingonculturalchangeisanactoffaithwhichrequiresbeliefandastrongcommitmentfromtheclientifitistosucceed.Alackofcommitmentwillbeaself-fulfillingprophesyasweshallseeinCasestudy4.Similarly,evaluationofthiskindofworkcan'tbecarriedoutinthesamewayasevaluatingtraining.Clients,the'owners,'havetotake

responsibilityforfindingoutwhathashappened,whathaschanged,whattheeffectsare,andfordecidinghowmuchfurthertheyhavetogoandwhatnowneedstobedone.Theyneedtoseeevaluationasawayofkeepingtheactiongoing-notasanendingorawayofdistancingthemselvesfromsomethingtheywerenotreallycommittedtoatthestart,asinCasestudy4.

Casestudy1:Bottomup'Whentrainersbuildpartnershipwiththeirclients'

Alargeorganizationinthefinancialsector

Thisinitiativewastheworkofasmallgroupofinternaltrainers(ofwhomIwasone)supportedoveralongperiodbyexternalconsultants.OnehelpedmedevelopwhatInowcall'realtime'methods;oneofhiscolleaguesthenhelpedusbecomeinternalconsultants,workstrategically,overcomecompetitioninthetrainingcommunityandworktogetheraspartners;thenhebecameour'shadowconsultant';finally,oneofuswhohadbecomeself-employedstayedwiththeprojectuntilitendedtenyearslater.Theparticipantswantedanexternalpresenceandperspective.

Westartedwherewecould-almostatthebottom-withthesectionheads.Thatiswheretheenergywasandwewentwithit.Heretheneedfordevelopmentwasmoststronglyacknowledgedandthegreatestpotentialpay-offwasseen.Therecouldbeincreasesinrevenue,reducedcosts,higherservicequalityandimprovedefficiency.Itwouldbefairlyeasytomeasureresultsatthislevel.Atthistime(1978)therewasverylittleacknowledgmentoftheneedfordevelopmentinthemiddleoratseniorortoplevelsofmanagement.Ourpracticalapproachproducedpositiveresults.Asmanagerssawtheresultsofourworkwiththeirpeople,ourcredibilitygrew.Theystartedtowantourhelpasconsultants,ortrainingconsultants,in

workingwiththeirteams.Managersatprogressivelyhigherlevelswantedtocomeonourworkshops.Increasinglyourclientsweretellingusthatsomethingneededtobedonetochangethecorporateculture.Weshouldworkwithpeoplehigheruptheysaid.

Ithereforetalkedwithsome40topandseniormanagers;mycolleaguesdidthesame.Essentiallyweusedthe'UsefulQuestions'Modelandfoundalotofagreementaboutwhatwas

gettinginthewayofbetterperformance.Theysaidthefollowingwasgettingintheway:

Lackofasufficientlystrategicapproach.

Inter-divisionalrivalriesandcompetitivenessbetweenpeople.

Lackoftrustoropennessaboutmistakesordevelopmentneeds(seenasweakness).

Over-control.

Fearandfeelingsofinadequacy.

'Trashing,'blaming,complainingandcriticizinginsteadoftakinginitiativesandspeakingone'smind.

Whattheysaidwasneededandwantedinsteadwas:

Amorestrategicapproach.

Valuesandbeliefsarticulatedasabasisformissionandstrategy.

Greaterskillinmanagingchange.

Moreinspirationalleadership,particularlyoflargenumbersofpeople.

Commitmenttocommonpurposeandagreedstrategy.

Teamworkandtrust.

Aclimatethatencouragespeopletotakeresponsibility,developandgivealltheyarecapableof.

Thesewerethekeyissues.WesetouttoofferaRealTimeManagementDevelopmentprogramthatwouldaddressthemandenabletheseniormanagerstobringaboutthesechanges.Inretrospectitisclearthattheempowermentmodelwouldhave'donethejob.'In

1985weapproachedsixpeopleataseniorlevelandaskedthemtoworkwithusindevelopingaprogramfortheircolleagues.Thisfirstattemptdidnotstartparticularlywell-oneofthesixhadaseveretrustproblemandwithdrew-butgradually,withthehelpoftheremainingfive,wegotthingsright.Wehaddiscoveredthattheprogramcouldnotworkwithouttrust.Wealsolearnedthatwedidnotneedoutsideexperts(inthiscaseIvaluedexternalinputonstrategicmanagement),wecoulddothejobourselves.In1986wefeltconfidentenoughtoofferafullscale

programofthreeworkshopsspreadoverayearfor12seniormanagers.Wetargetedmanagersatthetwotothreelevelsbelowcorporateboardlevel.Severalofthemlaterbecamedirectorsofsubsidiarycompanies.Againweworkedwheretheenergywas.Thiswasthehighestlevelwecouldreach.Atthisleveltherewasastrongdesireforculturalchangebuttherewaslittlerecognitionofthisneedatthecorporateboardlevelabovethem.Wehopedthatproblemwouldbeaddressedbyupwardinfluencingandupwardmigration.Weapproachedseniormanagersfromacrossthedivisionswhowethoughtwouldbeexcellentparticipantsandaskedthemtohandletheirpoliticsandgetapproval,ifneeded,fortheirparticipation.Weadoptedthisapproachbecauseoftoplevelhostilitytowardspersonnelinitiativesandthecultureofwarringbaronsatthetop.

Luckilyforus,thefirstfullprogramwasjudgedahugesuccessbyaveryinfluentialgroupofseniormanagers-theyaskedforafourthworkshopayearlater-anditscontinuationprovedalmostunstoppable.Theyclaimeditmadeahugedifferencetothemasindividuals,totheirbusinessesand,asmoreprogramswereheld,waschangingthecultureoftheorganization.Althoughmanagerswereneverinvolvedasfacilitators,whocontinuedtobeseniormembersofthetrainingcommunity,ownershipwasstrong.Theprogramevolvedandtookonalifeofitsown.Itwasalmostasiftheearlygroupofseniormanagershadtakenitover,protecteditfromhazards-topmanagementwerealwaysambivalenttowardsitandtherelationshipbetweentheprogramandtopmanagementneededtobemanagedsensitivelyortheywouldseeitasathreatandstopit-andensureditscontinuationandsupplyofparticipants.Perhapsthiswasbecausetheysawthefacilitatorsashighlyresponsivetotheirneeds.

Theprogramcontinuedfortenyears.Itevolvedovertimeinresponsetothechangingneedsofparticipants.Forexample,participantssought360degreefeedbackbeforeattending.Theyalsowantedto

knowmuchmoreaboutbestpracticeinotherorganizations.Inputfromadifferentindustrywasthereforebroughtinandabusinessschoolwasinvolved.Someex-participantsgotinvolvedaspresentersbutnotasfacilitators.Altogetherabout150peopleparticipated.Thenumberofparticipantsdwindledasthemostseniorpeoplehadallbeenontheprogramandtheprogramendedwhennearlyallsuitablepeoplehadparticipated.Ithaddoneitsjob.Itwasalwaysvoluntaryand

peopleoutoftunewithitsaimsdidnotparticipate.Itisnoteworthythatveryfewwomenhavebeeninvolvedeitherasparticipantsorasfacilitatorsreflectingtheirsmallnumbersattheseniorlevel.

Asignificantminorvariationintermsoftheempowermentmodel,wasthatwedidnotusetherigorousreview(stage2).Wewentstraightfromstage1,globaltrends,tostage3sharedvisionordesiredstatefuture.Ourclientsseemedtosubsumestage2inbuildingtheirvisions.Withsomegroupsthatwouldnothaveworked.Theywouldhaveneededtherigorousreviewtogetthingsofftheirchestsbeforetheycouldthinkaboutthedesiredfuture.

AyearafterthefinalprogramendedItriedtofindoutwhatwastheeffectoftenyearsofthisintervention.Ithadopenedmanydoorstothefacilitators-teambuildingandconsultingworkinthebusinessesandone-to-oneconsulting.Itraisedtheprofileofcorporatemanagementdevelopment.ItopenedupadialoguewiththeCEOaboutculture,developmentforseniormanagersandthecorporatemanagementdevelopmentrole.Manyofthesupportgroups(andnetworking)wentonandonandsomestillcontinuetomeetafter9-10years.Itbuiltbridges,brokedownpersonalanddivisionalbarriers,createdacriticalmass,movedthewaypeopleleadandmanagechangetowardsamoreinclusiveapproach,asharingleadership.Onedirectorwrotetomeandsaid'Ilookbackonthe...programasamajoreventinmymanageriallifeintermsofself-realizationandrelationships.'Therewasastrongshifttowardsmoreopen,consultative,communicativemanagement.Therewassomefilteringdownofideasandsomeinfluencingup.TheCEOandsomeofhiscolleaguescamealongandcontributedanditgavethemfoodforthought.

Itwasevidentthattheprogramonlyhadabigeffectonthosewhoparticipated,andthecorporateexecutivewereneverinvolvedas

participants.Ibelievedthen,butevenmorefirmlynow,thattopmanagementdonotparticipate,notthroughtotaldesiretocontrolbutthroughtheirownfearsandinsecurities.Theyfindopennessthreatening-indeedsomeoftheparticipantsfounditveryuncomfortabletoo!Thus,itwasasiftheseableanddedicatedtopmanagerscouldnotfullyappreciatetheimportanceofgreatertrust,opennessandinvolvementifacultureofexcellentteamworkweretobecreated.Ithinkforthemtheissuewasnotempowermentbutcontrol.Theyhadadifferentmind-set.Top

managementdon'talwaysseewhatseniormanagersseesoplainly(andviceversa)-eachtouchesadifferentpartoftheelephant.Theycouldseetheprogramwasdoingsomethingforseniormanagerssotheyallowedittocontinue,butitwasattimesanuneasyrelationship.Theyneverreallyunderstooditandbecauseofthatitneverhadtheirwholeheartedendorsement.Forsomeitwasacaseof'IworkthewayIworkandIamnotgoingtochange.'Nooneeverreallyriskedreallyexplainingittothem.Thisisveryunderstandablewhenpeoplegetpunishedforhavingadifferentview(especiallyintimesofmergers,downsizingandamongpeoplekeentogettothetopandbeseenas'oneofus').Fearplaysitspart.Therewasalsothedangerthatiftoppeoplefeltthreatened,andfearedlossofcontrol,theywouldstoptheprogram.Adelicatejudgment.

Theconclusionisthatwhatweweredoingwaspartlyforafuturegeneration.Whatittackled-themoreseniorstrategiclevelswithindivisionsandoperationalmanagement-ittackledverysuccessfully.Ithelpedthosewhorecognizedtheneedbutnotthosewhodidnot.Somewerepulledalong.However,thecorporatelevelwerelargelyunchanged,unmoved.Whenpeoplemovedupintoittheydidnotchangeit,perhapsbecausetheyfelttooisolatedtochallengethetop'groupthink.'Also,rolemodelshaveapowerfuleffect.Thosewhosubsequentlyjoinedthetopteamdidsobyemulatingthebehaviorofthecurrentteamnotbypracticing'partnership'management.Whatelsecouldbeexpectedifthoseatthetopwerenotinvolvedasparticipants?Aswehavesaid,forthem,Ibelieve,theissuewasnotempowermentbutcontrol.Ifthatlevelistochangetheyhavetorecognizetheneedandwanttochange.Corporatecultureshiftswhentheyshift.Therehastobeabeliefatthatlevel,andtheyneedtobeinvolvedasparticipants.Therehastobesomepush,perhapssomeoutsideinfluencefromsomeonetrustedwhoisnotcompletely'oneofus,'orperhapsanewgeneration,anew'criticalmass'atthetopwho

thinkdifferently.

Itlooksasifweneedtofindwaysofhelpingpeopleattop,senior,middleandbottomlevel'see'thewholeelephant.Thismightofferthebestchanceofchangingmind-sets-allofthemasparticipants,inthesameroom,asequals,partners,speakingtheirmindswithoutfear.Butittakesabravetopmanagementwhoactuallywanttodobusinessdifferentlyandarewillingtorisksharingsomecontrolinexchangeforempowerment.Howdoyou

getthemtowanttoisthebigquestion.However,thestoryisnotfinished,allingoodtime.

Casestudy2:Workingnearthetop'Realworkwithrealpeople'

Alargeretailorganization

Starting

MyclientandIhadknowneachotherfortwoorthreeyearsbeforeheaskedmetocomeandhelphimdevelopanewprogram.Hehadcourage,visionandquietpassionabouthisworkandwasbecomingmoreandmorerespectedandtrusted.Hisbriefwastotransformtheexistingrathertraditionalskills-baseddevelopmentprogramforseniormanagers.Hewantedtocreateaprogramthatwouldhelpseniormanagersactuallybringaboutstrategicchanges,changetheculturebackinthebusinessandimproveresults.Akeyfeatureoftheprogramwouldbelearningtoleadinanempoweringway.ThecurrentCEOwaskeentodevelopanempoweringcultureintheorganization.Thenewprogramwouldhelphimachievethisgoal.Managerswouldlearntobestrategic,visionaryandempoweringinhandlingchange.Theywouldusethenewprogramtoplan,implementandreviewchangeswiththelong-termsupportoffacilitatorsandcolleagues.

BroadlyspeakingwefollowedtheapproachdescribedinChapter6.WewerenotabletocontractwiththeCEO.AtthattimemyclientdidnothaveaccesstohimbuttherewasaclearlinkwiththeCEO'sdeclaredcommitmenttoempowerment.Thetwoofusheldaplanningmeeting,madeanorganizationaldiagnosisandhetalkedabouthisvisionfortheprogramandwhototargetasparticipants.Wealsodecidedtoinvitearespectedex-storemanager,secondedtomanagementtraining,tojoinusasthethirdmemberoftheallmalefacilitatorteam.Thisturnedouttobeaninspiredchoice.Myclient'sbossapprovedourproposalsandwestartedworkinmid-1989.There

wasaclearlyacknowledgedneedamongstseniormanagersandtheproposalwaslikelytoappealtothecarefullychosentargetparticipants-awidecrosssectionatthatlevel.Theyincludedlargestoremanagers,regionalmanagers,

seniormembersorheadsofHQdepartmentsanddirectorsofsmallcompanies.

Issues

Thethreeofuswentoutandlistenedtotheparticipants.Theirneedsandissuessoundfairlytypical.Theysaidtheyneededto:

Lookattheexternalenvironment,andreviewhowwelltheirbusinesseswereresponding.

Managechangestrategically.

Learnhowtocopewiththechangeandthehugepressuresinvolved.

Leadinawaythatinspires,empowersanddevelopspeople.

Learnandgetfeedbackfromcolleagues.

Getencouragementtotakerisksandtrynewthings.

Learnhowtobringmoreenjoymentintoworkandtakebettercareofthemselves.

Aswetalkedwithmoreandmoremanagers,andworkedwiththemoverthemonths,wefoundthat,likesomanyothers,theyfeltrelativelyvulnerable;wererelativelycautious;wereofteninitiallyreluctanttotalkopenlyaboutdevelopmentneeds;theyoftenfoundthatthereweredivisionsbetweenpeoplewhoneededtoco-operate;theyhaddifficultytrustingcolleaguesandtendedtoblameupwardsratherthantakeresponsibility.TheCEO,heldinsomeconsiderableawe,wasblamedforsomeofthedifficulties(asiscommon).Theywerereluctanttoworkongenderissuesperhapsbecausewomenatthislevelwereinaminorityandrelativelyjunior.

Howtheworkunfolded

Weheldthefirstprogramatalakesidehotelandactivitycenter.Eachsupportgroupwasbasedinaself-containedcabinwheretheynotonlyheldsupportgroupmeetingsbutalsoslept.Thishelpedtobuildreallystrongrelationships.Thesportingfacilities,suchasthepoolandwatersports,playedanimportantpart.Therewerewonderfulplacesinwhichtowalklikethenearbyhills.Severalpeoplereportedtheinfluencetheseactivitieshadontheir

energy,thinkinganddecisions-theyusedthemaspartofthe'flexibleprogram.'Havinganexperiencedstoremanagerinourteammadeabigdifference.Hewashighlycredibletohisseniormanagercolleagues.Oftenlinemanagersbecomegoodfacilitatorsmoreeasilythantrainersbecausetheyhavelesstounlearnandrelatecloselytothepracticalneedsoftheirclients.Wewereverynervousasweweretryingoutcompletelydifferentmethodsforthefirsttimeandhewasabletoreassureandencourageustotakeevenbolderrisks.Hetoldusournewapproachwasontherightlines.Weinvestedtimeinbuildingourselvesintoacloseteamwithashareddiagnosisandvision.Wealsopracticedtheskillsweweregoingtouseandimparttoourclients-especially'givingeachotheragoodlisteningto'andlearninghowtosupporteachotherwell.Allthispaidoff.Wewereareallygoodteam-wesharedtheworkequally,notonlyleadinglargegroupsessionsbutalsofacilitatingthethreesupportgroups,anddefinedeachother'srolesclearly.Myclientwastheoverallleader.Myrolewastofocusonstructure,methods,facilitatetheteamandbetheexternalpresence.

Thefirstprogramexceededourhighestexpectations.TheCEOwantedtheseprogramstocontinueasquicklyaspossible.Iwasaskedtohelpfacilitateasecondprogramtobedintheapproachandtrainanotherfacilitator.Thenwedecideditwastimeformetowithdrawandhandovertomyclients.Myclient,inturn,startedhandingovertheprogramtocolleagues.Isuspectitbecamealittlediluted,forinstance,theymovedawayfromthelakesideresortandthenumberswereincreasedfrom12(threefacilitators)to16(fourfacilitators).Thismadeithardertobuildsafety.Neverthelesstheprogramcontinuedtoflourishandwasdescribedasa'flagship.'Sadly,inmyview,managerswerenotatthisstageinvitedtobefacilitatorsandprogramscontinuedtobeledbytrainers,norweremanagerstrainedtofacilitateprogramsintheirownbusinesses.Ithinkthiswouldhavehelpedwith'ownership'-helpedthemseeitastheirsratherthan

belongingtomanagementtraining-andhelpedmakemanagementdevelopmentandfacilitatingpartofrunningabusiness.

TwoyearslaterIwasaskedtohelpinitiateaprogramatahigherlevel-justbelowcorporateboard.Thisstoryshowshow,unexpectedly,whatlookslikea'surething'cangowrong.Italsoshowshowmuchcanbelearnedfromanapparentdisaster.Myclient'snewbossandanexperiencedwomantrainerjoinedus.Wewantedawomanintheteamtogivesupporttowomen

participants.Weembarkedontheinitiativeinourusualwayanditalllookedverypromisingindeed.Myclient'sbosswasanexcellentambassadorandtirelessrecruiter.HealsostartedbuildingtheneededrelationshipwiththeCEO.

Butthenthingsstartedgoingwrong.Firstmyclientwassecondedoverseasforthreemonths.Boththenewcomersweremoreathomewithtrainingthanconsulting,andwerenotusedtoworkingwithunderlyingissues.Forallhisstrengths,myclient'sbosswasadominantmanwithstrongviewswhowasusedtobeinginchargeandonlyjustlearningtobeaconsultant.Hewasoftenunderpressureandwasunabletocometomeetings,orattendedonlyparttime.Hewantedtodelegatetotheremainingtwoofusandusemeasahiredhandratherthanusingmeasaconsultantandworkingwithusasapartner.Ihaddifficultyexplainingthatthiswouldnotwork.The'boss'wasgenerallynotopentomyadvice.Hesawmeasatemporaryresource,tobemanaged,delegatedto,notasaconsultant.Itbecameapparentthatwewerenotallequallyclearaboutorcommittedtoanon-didactic,realtimeapproach;norclearabouttheimportanceofbeingcongruentandmodelingourbeliefsratherthantalkingaboutthem.Becauseofthepressureswefelt,wedidnotgiveourselvesthetimeorspacetodiscussandlearnabouteachother'svaluesandbeliefsand,importantly,understandthehistoryandrationaleforthework.Apowerstrugglewasdeveloping-wewereacompetitiveteam,notaclosepartnership.WestruggledonandIwrestledwithwhetherIshouldcontinue.Fortunatelymyclientreturnedjustbeforethefirstworkshop;thathelped.

Itwasnotaneasyprogram.Someoftheparticipantswereparticularlycautiousandreluctanttodoanypracticalwork.Therewasnotalotoftrustintheroombecauseofcertainpersonalities.Thiswasnothelpedbythefactthatourclientscouldsensewewerenotaunitedteam,fullysupportivetowardseachother.Somesessionsover-ran

considerably.Othersdidnotgetenoughtimetobefullyeffective.Thereweresomelengthydidacticinputs,outoftunewithanempoweringapproach.Ididnotperformatmybest.Therewereriftsoverthetutorteamworkinglate(analyzingtheday'seventsandplanning)insteadofkeepingourselvesingoodshapeforourclientsandabletolookatunderlyingissues.Weweremirroringthecultureoutthereintheorganizationratherthanofferingabetteralternative.Welaterheldateamdaytotrytosortoutourdifferencesbutitdidnotwork.Atfirstitwas

proposedIattendedunpaid!Iwas'demoted'toparticipantstatusandmyclienttriedtofacilitateus.Wereallyneededanotherexternalnotinvolvedinthe'stuff'tohelpus.

Forthesecondworkshop,myclient'sbosshaddecidedtoinvitetheCEOtocomeandanswerquestions.Thishadtheadvantageofbuildingtheconnectionwithhimandgettinghiminvolved.Butitclashedwiththerealtimeapproach.Itwasanexampleof'mixedmode.'Itprovedtobeamajordistractionawayfromseniormanagersempoweringthemselvesandameasureoftheculturechangeneeded.Certaingrownmen,normallyebullient,quakedatthekneesandlosttheir'bottle.'Preparationforthisvisitdominatedeverythingfor24hours.Therewaspanic.Noonetalkedaboutitofcourse.Peoplecompetedtoappearinagoodlight.Wemissedagoldenopportunitytoworkthepatriarchyordependencyissue.Becauseoftheriftswithinourteam,wedidnothavetheconfidenceasfacilitatorstobringthisdataoutintotheopenandworkwithitasakeysymptomoftheorganization'sdifficultywithempowerment-theirfearandaweoftheCEO.

IcouldseeIwasheadingforthefallguyrole.Criticismfocusedonmeduringandaftertheworkshops.Ithinkpeopleunconsciouslyreadthesignsandattackedtheweakestlink-thepersonwithleasttolose,theonewithleastconnection.Iwasnotinvitedtohelpagainandthathurt.AlsoIfounditverydisappointingtobedroppedfromworkwhichhadbeensosuccessfulandtowhichIwassocommitted.IfeltIhadalotmoretogiveandtheyneededcontinuity.Itseemedhighlyincongruentwithourgoalstopunishtheconsultantforallegedlymakingmistakesorspeakinghismind.Theywereactingoutthe'distress'oftheirorganizationIthought.However,overtimeIlearnedagreatdealasIreflectedontheexperience.MyreplacementforthenextprogramwasawomanforwhomIhavemuchrespect.Ihopedherstrongpresencewouldgivebettersupporttowomenleadersand

bringoutthegenderissue,whichuntilthenhadremainedbelowthesurface.

HowtheworkcontinuedafterIleft

Myclienttellsmehelearnedalotfromthisexperiencewhichseemedsobadatthetime.Thetwoprograms-oneatdirectorlevel,theotheratseniormanagerlevel-continuedonandon.Hemadeanumberofkeychanges.Firstly,hefurtherincreasedeffortstobuildtherelationshipwiththeCEO,theexecutiveand

thenon-executiveboardmembers.Hegotthemtosponsortheprogramswhichmeantthatmembersoftheexecutiveparticipatedinasessiononeveryprogram;non-executivedirectorsvisitedtoo.Secondly,myclientdecidedtoinvolvemysuccessorineveryprogramshecouldbeavailablefor.Shegavehimthecontinuedlong-termexternalsupportneededtotacklethereallytoughissuesfromthenon.ThisenabledthetwoofthemtoopenlyaddresstheissueofwhyitwassohardfortopmanagerstotalktotheCEO.Theyeitheraddressedthisatthetimebyencouragingdialogueorbeforeoraftertheevent.Healsoinstitutedapolicyofinvolvingadirectororseniormanagerasafacilitatoroneveryprogram.Theymightnotalwaysbesoskilledasfacilitatorsbuttheycontributedpassion,enthusiasmandknowledgeofthebusiness.Eachfacilitatorteamincludedawomanfromnowon.Hewasmuchmorecarefulinchoosingfacilitators-peoplewillingtobeconsultants,ratherthandidactictrainers,andpeoplewhowouldbegoodteamworkers.Healsobecamemorecarefulinchoosingparticipants.Finally,heconsistentlyinvitedwomenparticipantstotheprogramswhetherornottheymetthe'rank'criteria,sothatwomenwerewellrepresented.

Supportgroupmeetingsandnetworkingcontinued.'Networkevents'forpastparticipantsfromdifferentprogramsandfollow-updaysbetweenworkshopswereheld.Theprogramopenedmanydoorsformyclientandhiscolleagues,includingconsultingworkinthebusinesses.Theyinfluencedthewayotherprogramswereconducted.TheyraisedtheprofileofHRDandequippederstwhiletrainerstomoveintointernalconsulting.Butthemostimportantresultwastogivehimanopportunitytoworkatthemostseniorlevelsanddokeystrategicchangework,andtoseetheCEOandotherdirectorsasnormalpeoplewhoneededhelp.Alotofhometruthsbegantobeheard.HeencouragedtheCEOtohaveasimilar'retreat'fortheexecutive(participantswereaskingwhytheyheldthemselvesaloof

fromthisusefulprocess)buttherewasresistancetothisideaanditdidnothappen.Myexperienceisthataleadermayhavetoinsistifthiskindofworkistohappen.

Beforeitendedin1995,some200directorsandseniormanagershadparticipatedintheseprograms.WorkatthemostseniorlevelendedwhenthenewCEOwasappointed.Bythenalltopmanagersanddirectorshadbeenthroughtheprogram.LowerlevelworkendedwhenthenewCEOwiselyIthinkdecidedtodisperse

managementdevelopmentintothebusinessesandonlyretainatinycorporatepresence.MyclienthadnotbuilttherelationshipswiththenewcorporateHRdirectorfortheworktocontinue.Perhapsbythenthissix-yearinitiativehadlargelycompleteditsmission.Nowthereisanewpieceofworktobedone.Myex-clientisnowanindependentconsultantbringingthisapproachtootherorganizations.

Effectsonthebusiness

Theeffectsofthiskindofinterventionareinevitablyintangible.Dozensofmanagersanddirectorshavereportedonthechangestheyhavemade.Theyhaverecommendedtheprogramtotheircolleagues.Busydirectorsandmanagersareunlikelytodothisunlesstheyhavebenefitedsignificantly.Thesearetypicalreactions,reportedafterthefirstprogram:

'IthasfocusedmyattentionandenergiesinsearchingforandexpressingarealvisionandconvincedmeIcoulddoit!'

'Ithasre-emphasizedtheimportanceandvalueofpeopleandhowtomotivatethemmorefully.'

'Amajoreffectonmylife-businessandelsewhere-raisedmyself-esteem,helpedmegiveupsmoking.'

'Spiralingupwards.Thepackageisgreat,ithasgivenmeanewwayoflifeintermsoffitness-reallyhaschangedmylifethatway.'

'Hugeopportunity-thespaceforme.Itgavemeacertainsortofstrength.'

'Igotreallypositivehelp.IhavelearnedtofocusmyattentionandenergyonwhereIneedtogo'

'Tremendous-IenjoyedthechancetocomebacktoPartII.Thesecondworkshopwasalmostmorevaluable.'

'Clarifiedthingsthatwereabstract.Feellhavehadanoverhaul.'

'Ihadmuchconfusion,manyissuestodealwith.Itgotmyfeetbackonthe

groundandgavemetheabilitytoseethingsthrough.Quiteradicalforme.'

Myclienttellsmeheconstantlymeetspeoplewhosayhowmuchtheprogramaffectedthem.Essentiallyitwaspersonaldevelopmenthadapowerfuleffectonhowtheymanagedand

ledtheirorganizations.Hedoesnotknowhowfarthiscascadeddowntothefrontlinebutitgavetheparticipantstoolsforstrategyplanning,waysofworkingwithpeopleandwaysofconductingtheirmeetings.Heisinnodoubtthatthemodelwillworkfororganizationdevelopmentandworkforteams.

AnotherpowerfuleffectoftheprogramswasinopeningupchannelsofcommunicationwiththeCEOandcorporateboard,includingnon-executivedirectors.Ithelpedgetmessagesupward;itbroughtissuesuptothemostseniorlevelsandhelpedacceleratechangethatwasneeded.Peoplelearnedtospeakfrankly.

Learning

Iaskedmyclientwhathelearnedfromtheexperience.Thisiswhathesaid:

'Itispossibletododevelopmentforindividualswhichhasapowerfuleffectontheorganization.

Youhavetogettheexecutiveinvolvedandtheyneedtobeopenandlisten.

Itisaboutpartnershipwithdirectorsandmanagers,notdidacticteaching.

Peoplewhocomeneedtobepreparedtodothework-nogoodpretending.Soselectionisvital-participationmustnotbecompulsory.

Thosewhogotmostfromithavedonebestinthecompany.Thosewhogotleasthavenotdonewell.Youhavetobepreparedtolearn.

Youneedateamoffacilitatorswhoreallyunderstandandsupporttheapproachandeachother.

Youhavetoresolvetheissue:areyouinorganizationdevelopment

ormanagementdevelopment?

Itisagreatwaytodorealworkwithrealpeople.Themodelworks-thereisnodoubtinmymind.'

Mylearningafteraconsiderableperiodoftimeisthat,yes,Icouldhavedonebetter,beenlesssanguinewhenmyclientwasseconded

explainedbetterthatheneededtobeafulltimepartner,beenmoreauthenticandrelaxedinchallengingandbringingoutthedifficultissues.But,attheendoftheday,itprobablywouldnothavemademuchdifference.Sometimesthecombinationofpeopleandcircumstances(facilitatorsandclients)willleadtodifficultiesandsometimestheexternalconsultantswillbethescapegoatsandnotgetthecredittheymayfeeltheydeserve.Thenegativeorunhealthypatternsoftheorganization'sculturecanplaythemselvesoutinmicrocosm,you,theexternalconsultant,areinthethickofitanditisallhappeningsofast.Ihavetoremindmyself:

'Donotfearmistakes-therearenone.'MilesDavis.

ThemainthingisthatI,myclientandtheorganizationlearned,butitdidhurt!

Casestudy3:Topdown'Wheneverythingworkswell'

Asmallboroughcouncil-1,000people

Thisinterventionhadeverythinggoingforit:asupportive,openCEOwhodecidedtobeaparticipantandtowhomempoweringbehaviorcameeasily;arespectedandskillfulinternalconsultant(thedevelopmentandtrainingmanager)withabosswhobackedher;directorswhowantedtoparticipate,mostasfacilitators;agoodbalancebetweenwomenandmenatalllevels;goodcontractingwiththeCEOandhisteamandthoughtfulhandlingoftheownershipissue.Also,topandseniormanagementhadbeencloselyinvolvedindevelopingtheemergingstrategy.Finally,itisarelativelysmallorganizationandthathelps.Notsurprisinglymanybenefitshaveresulted,evenso,thereweresomedifficultiesastimewentonandtheseareinterestingtoanyonetryingtobringaboutchangeofthiskind.

Issues

Theorganizationwasfacinghugepressuresintryingtobecomeleanerandatthesametimedeliverhigherqualityservices.Itwasinthemidstofchangesresultingfromcompulsorycompetitivetenderingandtheformationofbusinessunits.Therewasalotofinsecurity.Manypeoplefelttheoddswereagainstthemandwerediscouragedbyanunappreciativepublic.Somewerefightingforthesurvivaloftheirunits.Therewasconflictbetweentheneedforacorporateapproachandpressureonbusinessunitstobecosteffective.Oldattitudesneededtochange.Inparticularpeopleneededtotakeindividualresponsibilityforsolvingproblems,improvingservicesandreducingcost,insteadofblamingupwardsorthinkingtheycouldnotdoanything.Qualityimprovementandcostreductiondependedonbothindividualempowermentandcollaboration.TheconnectionbetweenthewayemployeesweretreatedandtheservicetheydeliveredtocustomerswaswellunderstoodbytheCEOandmostofhiscolleagues.Theyhadpublishedamissionstatementsettingouttheirgoals,values,objectivesandstrategies.Thisdocumentmadeastronglinkbetweentheparamountimportancegiventocustomers,qualityandcost-effectivenessandhavinghighqualitystaffwhofeltwellsupportedandencouragedtocontributetheirfullpotential.Itemphasizedtheneedtoencourageinitiativeandcreativitywithindefinedcorporateobjectivesandthatteamworkandco-operationwereessential.Ourinterventionwasseenasameansofbringingaboutthechangesinattitudesandbehaviorneededtomakethisvisionareality.WhilsttheCEOwaswidelyrespected,somethoughthecouldgivestrongerdirectionandperhapstheinitiativewouldprovidehimanopportunitytodoso.

Howtheworkstarted

In1991myclientdecidedtoinvitemeintoworkwithherafter

attendingmyopenprogramonorganizationtransformation.Bythenshehadknownmefortwoyears(thedevelopmentoftrustbetweenclientandconsultantseemstobearepetitivetheme!)Shewantedsupportforalong-terminterventiontochangethecultureoftheorganization.Wefirstspentadaytogethermakinganorganizationdiagnosis,developinghervisionfortheorganizationandplanningtheearlystagesofanintervention.Hervisionforherorganizationincludedthefollowing:

Everyoneintheorganizationshouldfeelpartofitandresponsibleforthemselves,theirdestinyandresponsiblefortheorganization.

Anorganizationthatislearningallthetimeandadapting,ie,ishealthy.

Supportforeveryoneintheorganizationtocopewithchange.

Thetalent,energyandpotentialintheorganizationtobereleased.

Aleadershipstyleandculturethatenablesthistohappen.

Sheknewherorganizationwellandthiswasavisiontowhichmanypeoplecouldrelatestrongly.Itwouldinspirenotonlyherbutalsomanyotherswhoweretosupporther.

SoonafterwardswecontractedwiththeCEOabouthisobjectives,howtheproposedinterventionwouldhelphimachievethemandthesupporthewouldgivethework.Hewasveryclearabouthisexpectations-hewantedtobringaboutthechangesinbehaviorneededtomakethemissionstatementareality.Hewantedanempoweredworkforcethatwouldrespondflexiblytochangeandtakeresponsibilityatalllevelsforprovidinghighquality,cost-effectiveservices.Hewantedextraordinaryperformancefromordinarypeople.Hewantedpeopletolookforwardtocomingtowork.Thiswashisvisionanditrequiredachangeinhowpeoplewereledandmanaged.Hewantedtheinterventiontohelpbringaboutthatchange.Heagreedtoourinitialproposalsincludingtheinvolvementofthedirectoroftechnicalservicestoactasathirdmemberofthefacilitatorteam.

Nextwemettobuildourselvesintoateam,planapilotprogramanddevelopproposalsfortopmanagement.Akeydecisionwasthechoiceofdirectoroftechnicalservices.Hehadallthequalitiesweneededforagoodpartner:astuteness,vision,credibilitywithcolleagues,opennesstonewideasandthenaturalskillstobeagoodfacilitator

andsupportiveteammember.Thechoiceof12participantsatdirectorlevelandtheirreportswasalsocrucial-agoodmix(womenandmen),somecynicsbutmainlyleaderswhowouldmakegooduseoftheopportunityandhelpusmakeitasuccess.WedecidednottoincludetheCEOinthefirstworkshop-itwouldonlyaddtothenervousness.Betweenuswewenttoseealltheparticipants,consultedwiththemandcame

backtodesignthefirstworkshopofthetwo-partpilotprogram.Wesharedthedatawehadcollected,diagnosedit,setobjectivesanddesignedaworkshopintendedtomeetthesegoals.Theworkshopswouldfacilitateparticipantsinbringingaboutchangesinthebusinessandtacklingkeycorporate,unitandindividualissues.Theprogramwouldencourageempoweringleadershipanddevelophelpingorfacilitatingskills.

Inordertosavecosts,theworkshopswouldbenon-residential(exceptforthetutorswhowouldneedtodoreviewingworkandpreparation).Participantswouldstartwithcoffeeandstayfordinnerandnottrytofitinvisitstotheoffice.Thevenuewasalocalmanorhousesetinbeautifulcountrysideandgardens.Wepresentedourproposalsandthediagnosisonwhichtheywerebasedtothetopmanagementteamandthentotheparticipants,makingwhateverchangeswereneeded.(InallthecasestudiesIkeepstressingtherigorouswaythefacilitatorteamworked:contractingandteambuildingwitheachother,andthenwithourclients,collectingdata,buildingrelationships,firstindividuallyandthen[harder]asagroup,diagnosingthedata,goalsettingandfinallycontractingstructureandprocesses.Idothisbecauseitisfundamentaltoasuccessfuloutcome.)Wethenspentadaytogetherdevelopingtheskillsneededtofacilitatetheworkshop,partlybyfacilitatingeachother,rehearsingandfinetuning.

Myclienttellsmethatthefirstthree-dayworkshopwasanexcitingandnerve-rackingexperienceforherselfandhercolleague-itwasformetoo-differentfromanythingtheyhadexperiencedbefore.Theworkshopwouldstartatteatimeandwemetseveralhoursbeforehandtodomoreskillingup,preparationandgiveeachotherwhateversupportweneeded.Theparticipantswerenervoustoo.Weallsenseditwasacriticallyimportantevent-makeorbreak.Atthatstagewewereholdingtheanxietyofthewholeorganization.Thefirstdaywasexcitingbutnoteasy.Attheendofifwewonderedifitwasallgoing

toworkandweapproachedtheseconddaywithtrepidation.Bytheendofthemorningoftheseconddayweknew'wehaddoneit.'Theprocesshadworkedandoneofthe'cynics'wasbrimmingwithenthusiasm.Theirfirstexperienceofthe'flexibleprogram'wasdaunting,mytwocolleaguessay,butitworkedbrilliantly,theparticipantsreallytakingchargeofit.Onekeyissueforeveryoneintheflexibleprogramwas'Followingthesettingupofbusinessunitswhatdowenowmeanbycornoracy?Thewholegroupmet

fortwohourstoworkonthatissue.Manyotherissues,bothindividualandofinteresttovaryingnumbersofpeople,wereworkedon.Everyparticipantcameoutofthefirstworkshopwithplanstomakeimportantchangesintheorganizationandsomeplannedtomakechangesintheirbehavior.Supportgroupshadbeentheprincipalworkinggroups.Theyallmadedatestocontinuemeeting.

Howtheworkunfolded

Ithadbeenasuccessfulbreakthroughandthewaywasnowopenforfourmoretwo-partworkshopprogramstoincludeallmembersofthetoptwolevelsofmanagementandsomemembersofthethirdlevel.Eachprogramwouldhavethreefacilitatorsofwhomonewouldalwaysbeadirectorandatleastoneawoman.Fromnowonallfacilitatorswouldhavebeenparticipants.TheplanwasthatIwouldhelpfacilitatethenextworkshopinwhichtheCEOwouldparticipate(hehadnodifficultyworkingasanequalpartnerwithotherparticipantsnortheywithhim)andthenIwouldwithdrawfromtrainingfacilitatorsandactas'shadowconsultant.'Similarly,akeypartofmyclient'sstrategyhadbeentotransferownership.Thereforesheprogressivelywithdrewandhandedoverherroleasfacilitatorandworkshopleadertoothers.Ofcoursesomehaveperformedthistaskbetterthanothers.HoweverthispolicyhasenabledhertoconcentrateonmanagingtheinterventionandhelpingtheCEO,directorsandseniormanagerstodeveloptheemergingstrategyandprovidethenecessarysupportforfacilitators.

Asallthedirectorshaveparticipatedintheprogramandmosthavebeentrainedtofacilitateworkshops,theeffectsontheirattitudesandbehaviorareconsiderable.ThisledtomyclientandIbeingaskedtofacilitatetheirannualtopmanagementretreatandhelpthemimprovethewaytheyfunctiontogetherasateamandintheirformalmeetings.Workshopswereheldtotrainmoredirectorsandmanagersas

facilitators.Asecondseriesoffiveworkshopprogramshasbeenheldformiddlemanagers.Workwasharderatthislevelaspowerlessattitudesweremoreprevalent.Theprogramshavecontinuedtobefacilitatedbyateamconsistingofadirector,aseniormanagerandsomeonefromHR,includingatleastonewoman.'Networkevents'havebeenheldforparticipantsofthefirsttenprograms.Supportgroupshave

continuedandonestillmeetsafterfourandahalfyears.Atthetimeofwriting,nearlyallmanagersofpeople,some120,havebeeninvolvedintheprograms.Therewasinterestininvolvingcouncilmembersintheprogrambutthishasnotyetbeenpursued.Thereisnowanannualprogramfornewlyappointedmanagers.Finally,athirdphasefornon-managerialstaffhasbeeninitiated.Myclientconcludedthattheseemployeesneededadifferentkindofprogramtodeveloptheirself-confidenceandotherskillsifempowermentwastowork.Oneoftheseprogramsisofferedannuallyforvoluntaryparticipants.However,asthereareover800peopleinthiscategory,progresswillbeveryslow.Ihadhopedtherewouldbeademandforrealtimeprogramsinbusinessunitstoconsolidatethechangeinhowpeopledobusinesstogetherbutthatideawasnotsupported(withoneimportantexceptionmentionedlater).Thedirectorspreferredacorporateapproach.Myclientfeelsshehasnotsufficientlysucceededintransferringownershipandresponsibilitytoherclients.Ithinkthathascontributedtohergettingexhausted-acommonphenomenoninthiskindofwork.(Shetellsme,however,thatcertainfactorsinherlife,suchashermother'sdeathhavecontributedmoretothis.)ForatimeIactedas'shadowconsultant'butthenshefeltabletomanagetheinterventionwithoutoutsidehelp.Ithinkthiskindofworkrequiresoutsidesupport,partlytoavoidexhaustionbutpartlybecausetherearesomeissueswhichaninsideralonewillfindithard,ifnotimpossible,totackle.

EffectsandBenefits

Thisiswhatmyclientsaidabouttheprogramsomethreeyearsafterthestart:

'Itisalwayshardtoascribechangesinculturetoonespecificeventorintervention.HoweverIbelievethatthishasachievedthefollowing:

Peopleareadaptingmorewillinglyandeffectivelytochange.

Responsibilityisbeingpusheddowntheorganization.

Peoplearesupportingandhelpingeachothermore.

ToquotetheCEO:'Changingattitudes,changeintheculture.Peoplegivingrealcommitmentatalllevels-notjustseniorpeople.'

Therehavebeenmanytangiblebenefitsinallpartsoftheorganizationasparticipantshaveimplementedtheirstrategiesand

plans.Forsomepeopleithasopenedtheireyestothebenefitsofdevelopmentandtheyhavemadegreatchangesthemselves,andintheirpartoftheorganization.Herearesomecommentsfromparticipants:

''Anewapproachtopeoplemanagementwhichattemptstoputempowermentintopracticeandleadstomoredelegationofresponsibility.''

"Iammorepositive,communicativeandcommittedandfeelmorepartofateam."

"Clearunderstandingoftheexperiencehasenabledmetoapproach/react/responddifferentlybothwithotherswhohadattendedaswellasothersintheorganization."

"WhatIwill,willbe."

"I'velearnedhowtohandledifficultsituationsandstandback."

"Myimpressionisthatitishavingcontinuingimpact,forthegood,onattitudesandmorale."

"Verypositive-lotsofcorporatethinkingandsuggestionscomingoutofgroups."'

Ayearlater,Imetwithmyclientandoneofthedirectors.Hesaidthefollowing:

'Ithashadaprofoundandlastingeffectonme.Inessenceithasmademewelcomechange.Iwasdyedinthewool.Ithasmademeembarkonnewendeavors.Ithaslightenedupthewholeorganization.Iwasverycynicalpreviously.Iamlastinglychanged.

Whereithashadaneffectithasbeenlasting,particularlywithboosterseverynowandthen.Mysupportgrouphasflourishedandcontinuedforfourandahalfyears.Maybeotherstoo.

IthasgivenmeskillsIdidnotpossessinleadingsmallandbiggroupsandahugeamountofconfidenceandinsightintootherpeopleandtheirneeds;ithasmademelikepeoplemore.

Ihaverunmyowndepartmentalprogram...Throughmeithasopened

doorsforothers-they'velearnedskillsfromme.'

Ofanotherdirectorhesaid:'Hehascompletelychangedhowheoperatesinateamandhowherunshismeetings.Ithasconfirmedthestylehewasdeveloping.'Othershavebeeninfluenced:'IcanbemyselfandhaveideasaboutwhatIwanttodo'

Therehasbeenawiderangeofeffectsonfellowdirectors(seven)includingoneonwhomtheeffectswere'temporary'andanotherassessedashaving'none.'Theirteammeetingshavebecomemoresupportive(withcertainexceptionsrecently)andtheyalwaysconductareview.Furtherdown,theeffectshavevariedtoo,withfacilitatorsbeingmostaffected.Generallythereisagreaterdesiretoworkwelltogether,giveandgetsupport.Peopleareawarewhenbehaviordepartsfromthewayitwasintheworkshops.Ithasfreedupalotofpeopletosay'I'mnotgoingtocomplainandblame.I'mgoingtodosomething.'Ithasintroducedavocabulary,toolsandanawarenessofblamingandcomplaining.Ithasliberatedpeople.Networkinghashadbeneficialeffects,particularlyinsupportservicesunitswherepeoplehavegottogether,sharedcommonissuesandgiveneachothersupport.Forothersithasdonenothingandsomeareblatantlycynicalanddismissive.

Anumberofvaluablecorporateprojectshavegrownoutoftheprogramsandhavebenefitedfromthemanagementteamdelegatingmoretothem,makingtheirworkbecomeeasierbecauseofgreaterco-operation.Somemanagershavechangedtheirstyleandthathasbenefitedtheirteamsandtheircustomers.Butthishasnothappenedwheremanagershavebeenfrightenedtoletgoofcontrol.Manypeoplehavereportedobstaclesabovetheminimplementinganewapproach.Lowerdownintheorganizationtheprogramhashadlesseffect.Peoplefeeltheyhavelessautonomythanseniormanagers.Hereitishardertogetoverthemessage:'Youareinchargeofyou;theonlypersonyoucanchangeisyou.'

Theysummedupthepictureas:'Significanteffecton40%participants;someeffecton75%.'(Thefirstfigureisincludedinthesecond.)Itlookstomeasiftheeffectsarefadingsomewhatandaboostisneeded.Alsothe850-pluscoreworkersandteamleadershavenotreallybeenengaged-thisiswherethemosttangiblebenefits

aretobeachieved-andcouldnotbe,givenwhathasbeendonesofar.

Astothebenefitsformyclient,shesaysshehasgottoknowtheCEOandhisdirectorswell(shehashighcredibilitywiththem).Ithasraisedherprofileandincreasedherconfidence(andstature)suchthatsheappliedforandnearlygotherdirector'sjobwhenheretired.However,sheexperiencesstrainsandrole

inPersonnelratherthantheCEO'soffice-asignificantandnotunusualdifficultyforinternalconsultantswhoareattachedtothepersonneldepartment.

Thewayforward

Myclientandherdirectorcolleaguebelievethatthefollowingpointsneedtobeaddressed:

TheCEOandhisteamneedtoreviewwheretheyareintermsofchangingthemanagementstyleandcultureandachievingtheirobjectivesfortheintervention;theyneedtoreviewwheretheywanttobeandwhattheyneedtodonow.

Cracksareemerginginthetopmanagementteamandtheyneedsupportandchallengefromoutsidetohelpthemaddressrelationshipissues.

Thetopteamneedstoprovideanew'wayforward'-thewholeorganizationneedstoknowwhereitisgoing,particularlynowthereisanew(political)administration.

Theworkneedstocascadewithinunits.

IbackallthisbutIthinktheyneednotonlytoengagethecoreworkersbutalsotoinvolvecouncilmembers.Somehowtheyneedtotakethebraveandriskystepof'gettingthewholesystemintotheroom'todecidetogetherthewayforwardandplanitsimplementation.IthinktheCEOneedstobegivensupporttotakeafurtherboldstep.

Learning

Myclientbelievesthekeysuccessfactorsthathelpedtheinterventionworkareasfollows:

'ContractingclearlywiththeCEOandinvolvinghimearlyonasaparticipant.

Thepartnershipbetweenmyself,asleaderofthework,Bruce,asexternalconsultant,andsuccessivedirectorsasfacilitators,andparticularlyinvolvingadirectorinthefirstpilotprogram.

Usingdirectorsandseniormanagersastheprincipalsourceoffacilitators.

Ownershipofthestrategybeingclearlywithintheorganization-myselfandmyclients.

Workingonrealissueswithintheprograms.

Facilitatorsmodelingthevaluesandbehaviorwewantedtoencourage.'

Inretrospectshewoulddothefollowingdifferently:

'Iwouldstarttheinterventionwitha"wholesystem"approach.

Iwouldsharetheleadershipoftheinterventionwithatleasttwootherpeoplewithintheorganization.

Iwouldconcentrateonasmallerteamoffacilitators,thusensuringmoreofthelimitedresourcescouldbeputintodedicatedfacilitatortraining.

Iwouldbeclearfromtheoutsetwiththeexternalconsultantaboutwhenher/hisinvolvementwouldfinish.(Isthispossible?)

Iwouldputmoreenergyintoencouragingprogramswithinbusinessunits.'

Shehasstruggledwiththefollowingissues:

'Howtostopthe"secretclub"syndromethatseemstohavedevelopedamongstthosewhohaven'tbeenontheprogram.

Howtobuildonthesuccessoftheprograms,withoutdoingmoreofthesame.

Howtosustainmyenergyandenthusiasmoverthelongperiodittakestoachieveachangeinculture.

Whenistherighttimetomanagetheinterventionwithnohelpfromtheoutsideconsultant?'

Sheandherdirectorcolleague'sreflectionsareasfollows:

'Peoplehavealotmoretoofferthanyoufirstcreditthem

Changingthecultureofanorganizationtakesalongtimeandrequiresenormouspatienceandenergy.

Youmustnotgetdiscouragedifyoudon'tget100%success,butaimforitandgiveityourbestshot.

Youneedsupport-otherchampionswhoencourageyou.

Youneedveryconducivesurroundingsforworkshops.[Iwouldadd,notluxuryandthesamevenueforeveryone.]

Hitall1,000participantsatthesametime(themessagecangetsubtlyaltered).

Youneedconfidenceandabasicwayofoperating.'

Casestudy4:Stuckatthetop'Thesevere,absentfather'

Alargeorganizationintheeducationsector

Starting

Icontractedwiththetraininganddevelopmentmanager.Wehadknowneachotherformanyyearsandshehadreadmanyofmyarticles.Oneday,ataconference,shetoldmeherorganizationwasreadytotakeamajorinitiativetohelpchangethecultureandshewantedmyhelp.Theproposedinterventionwouldstartatthetop.Ithadastrongemphasisonqualityandequality.Transformingqualityandcopingwithrapidchange,inpart,dependedonwomenandmenworkingwelltogether,bringingoutpeople'spotentialandvaluingdifference.Theideawasthatthetopteamwouldsetanexample.ItwasanimaginativeandexcitingproposalandIfeltprivilegedtobeinvitedtohelp.Iadmiredherboldnessandcourageandfelttheprojectwasextremelyworthwhile.

TheCEOwasintellectuallycommittedtomanagementtrainingandequalopportunitiesandheapprovedherproposal.Inretrospect,hedid

notreallyunderstandwhathewaslettinghimselfinfor.Hegavemethe'onceover'foranhourandagreedtoherusingme.Aformeracademicwithagoodmind,extremelywellinformedabouthisworldandagoodstrategist,hewasinthemidstofbringingaboutmanyboldandneededchanges.Hecrackedalongatapunishingpaceandnoteveryonecouldkeepup.Iheard

thatworkingforhimcouldbehardandnotparticularlyrewardingforsome.Hewasabsentagreatdealintheexternalenvironmentofeducationandnotparticularlyinterestedinmanaginginternally,apartfromthestrategicandstructuralaspectsofchangeasopposedtotheso-called'soft'orhumanside.Hehadareputationforsettingupalotofinitiativesthenwalkingaway,laterholdingmeetingsthatbegan'whyhaven'tyou?'Itwassaidthathedidnotgivesufficientlyclearguidelinesormonitorrigorouslyorgivesupport.Sowhenthingswentwrongheapportionedblame.Laterhedidthesamewithus!Inshort,hewasastern,critical'absentfather'ofwhommanypeoplewereafraid.(Afewknewhowtostanduptohimbuttheytendedtobeofalikemind.)Thiswashowhecontrolled.WasthislikehisownchildhoodIwondered?

Imadeseveralunsuccessfulattemptstomeetandcontractwithhimaboutpurpose,objectives,howthisinitiativecouldhelphimachievehisgoals,whatsupporthewouldneedtogiveitandwhatitwouldreallybelike.NorwasIabletocontractwithhimandhisexecutivelateron.Thisbegantoworryme.Hewascommittinglargesumsandalotoftimewithoutbeingclearabouthisobjectivesorreallyunderstandingwhathewasembarkingonorhowheneededtomakeitsucceed.Ifthetoppeoplewerenotcommitted,itwouldnotwork.Theoutcomewasalmostpredictable.IwonderedwhetherIshouldcontinuewiththis,yetpeoplefeltitwasworthgoingonandhemightbewonover.Itwasadilemma.

AssoonasIwas'approved,'Iinvitedatrustedwomancolleague,interestedinandskilledwithgenderissues,tojoinus.Alsotwoofuswouldhaveabetterchancewithsomethingsodifficult.Workstartedin1992.WeweretoworkwiththeCEO,hisexecutiveandtheirdirectreports-some36people.Thegoalwastohelpthemchangethewaytheyworkedtogether,especiallythetwogenders,andhelpthemleadtheirpeoplemoreeffectivelythroughrapidchange.Broadlyspeaking

wefollowedtheapproachdescribedinChapter6andforthemostpartitworkedwell,winningthemover,gainingtheenthusiasticsupportofmostoftheparticipants,andlater,theirownership.Ourclient(thetraininganddevelopmentmanager),mywomanassociateandIformedafacilitatorteamandwewentoutandtalkedwiththedozencarefullychosenpeoplewhowouldattendthefirstofthree,mixedlevel,two-partworkshopprograms.TheCEOwouldbeaparticipantonthelastprogram.Thestrategy(riskybutperhaps

thebestwecoulddointhesituation)wastowinhimoverifthefirsttwowentwell.

Issues

Whatwelearnedwasthis.Theurgencyandpaceofchangewereexceptional.Therewasahighdegreeofover-working,somepeoplefailing,gettingillorhavingaccidents,andbeingside-linedandreplaced,sometimesbyfreshpeoplefromoutside.Peoplesupportedthechanges-theirdifficultywaswiththestyle.Igathertheculturewasfairlytypicaloftheacademicworld.Onthewholeitisgoodacademicswhorisetothetop,Theydonotnecessarilymakegoodmanagers,especiallyofrapidchange.Theydonotusuallyhaveexperienceofotherworldsofwork.Thereissomearroganceandegotismaround.Theplacecanbeintenselypolitical.Theycanmisusetheirintellectstoavoidtakingresponsibilityforchanging,talkingaboutitinstead.Theycanbe'intheirheads'andhighlycritical,ratherthansupportive.Wefoundmanyexceptionstothesestereotypes.Manywereenlightened,creative,awareandopentonewwaysofworking.Basicallytheyseemedlittledifferentfromtheircounterpartsinotherorganizations.

Astronginterestemergedinimprovingthewaythetopandseniormanagementworkedtogether.Also,perhapsbecauseofarelativelyhighproportionofseniorwomen,manywantedtoworkonthegenderissue.Someofthemenwererelativelyunawareoftheirimpactonwomencolleaguesandreluctanttoworkontheissue.Therewerevaryingdegreesofoptimism,pessimism,opennessandresistance.Butingeneraltheywerekeentoworkontheissuesthatemergedincludinghowtheyledpeopleandmanagedthemselvesinaperiodofrapidchange.However,theywereafraidoftheCEOandfrequentlyexpressedconcernsabouthowhewouldreactwhenhegotinvolved.

Howtheworkunfolded

Havingcollectedthisdatafromthefirstgroupwecontractedwiththematanintroductorymeeting,agreedobjectivesandhowwewouldworktogether.Itwasverydifferentformetoworkwithaclosecolleague.Thatmutualsupportmeantwewerestronger,perhapsbolderandmorecreativewithourclient'sissuesandIlearnedmoreWedidmostofthefacilitatingandourclientplayed

amajorpartindiagnosingandinterpretingthesituation.Weencouragedhertostayclosetoparticipantsbetweenworkshops.Withgenderissuessoimportantitwasgoodtohavetwofemalesandonemalefacilitator.Thefirstprogramworkedwell,asdidthesecond.BothprogramscomprisedthetwolevelsbelowCEO.Indeed,manythingswentwellrightuptotheend.However,therewasalotofpart-timeattendancebutperhapsthiswasinevitableinaneducationalinstitutionwithteachingobligationsbutIwonderedifitdemonstratedambivalenceamongstthoseclosetotheCEO.Welearnedtolivewiththatandalsotoworkflexiblyinoneverylargeroominwhichwecouldbreakintothreesupportgroups.Theylearnedtoworkinacircle,usetheempowermentmodel,workonreal,andhereandnowissues,toco-counsel,watchsilentlywhilstaseniorwomanandamanwerefacilitated,anddootherthingsthatmusthaveseemedstrangetosome.Theygrewincreasinglyenthusiasticand,atthefollowupworkshops,manyreportedchangesinhowtheymanagedandallkindsofimprovements.However,Ithinkweallknewatsomelevelthatatimebombwastickingaway.Therewasalwaysalotofattentiongiventothe'absentfather'whowasduetoattendthethirdprogram.

Weinvolvedparticipantsindevelopingtheemergingstrategyattheendofeachworkshop.Thekeyfeaturesweretwonetworkeventstobringtogetherallparticipantsafterthesecondprogram;anotherafterthefirstworkshopofthethirdprogram;similareventsforparticipants'organizationsorteamsco-ledbyparticipantsorco-ledwithoneofus;afacilitationskillsworkshoptohelpparticipantsleadorco-leadworkshopsintheirorganizationsorsimplyfacilitatetheirpeople;lunchmeetingsforparticipants;articlesintheorganization'snewspapertocommunicatewhattheyweredoing;acharterrepresentingtheirvaluesandintentions;andsupportgroupmeetings.Althoughparticipantsdidnotbecomeinvolvedinfacilitatingthemain

program,somehelpedatintroductorymeetingsandco-facilitatedthesecondnetworkevent.Ownershipwashighbynow.

ThemainfocusandenergyintheworkshopswasonhowtheseniorandtopmanagementworkedtogetherandtheirrelationshipwiththeCEO.Theymadeconsiderableprogresswiththefirstissuebutnotthesecond.ThatwouldhaverequiredtheCEO'sfull-timepresenceandwillinginvolvement.Whenhedidgetinvolved-inthethirdprogram-hismembershipwasverypart-timeand

inthesecondworkshophebeganexpressinggravedoubtsastowhethertheinvestmentwasvalueformoney.Hecalledforanevaluationtobeconductedbeforeanymoremoneywouldbespent.Perhapsweweregettingtoocloseforcomfort.Theevaluationwasusedtoturntheinterventionintoaphenomenon-somethingthatcouldbestudied,ratherthanajointendeavor,theresultsofwhicheveryone,includingtheCEO,wasresponsiblefor,aspartners.

Theevaluation,carriedout,notbytheparticipantsbutbytwoexperiencedpost-graduatestudents(didtheyunconsciouslyreadthepolitics?),wassufficientlyambivalenttoachievethegoalofstoppingitalljustwhenitwasgettingclosetothefundamentalissue,ie,therelationshipbetweenthestern,criticalabsentfatherandhisteam.Myinterpretationisthathedidn'twanttolookatthisbecauseitmighthavemeantchanging.Hedidwhatheoftendid-pouredcoldwateronit.Hethuswastedabiginvestmentinenergy,timeandmoneyandfurtherdiscouragedhisteam.Butnodoubthedidthiswiththesincerestconvictionthathewasactinginhisorganization'sbestinterests.

Theeffects

Lookingback,shouldwehavegoneahead?WasitprofessionaltocontinuewithoutproperlycontractingwiththeCEOandhisexecutive?Wasitpossibletoinsist?Wouldithaveworkedbetterifwehadorwouldithavebeenstoppedatthestart?Wewillneverknow.Ibelieveyoudowhatyoucando.Youtaketheopportunityandmakethebestofitthatyoucanatthetime.'Chaostheory'supportsthenotionthatlotsoflittlechangeshavebigeffectsinthetotality.Hadwenotgoneahead,manypeoplewouldhavebeendeprivedoftheconsiderablesupportandlearningtheygotfromtheprogram,andthemanypeopleworkingforthemwouldhavelostouttoo.Therewasalsoagreatdealoflearningforthethreefacilitatorswhichtheywere

abletotakeelsewhere.Sowhatwerethebenefits?Ittouchedmanyparticipantspersonallyandhasaffectedhowtheymanagetheirpeople,andperhapschangedthecultureoftheirorganizations.Intheseniorteamitopenedupdialoguesbetweenpeoplewhopreviouslyhadnottalked.Itimprovedrelationshipsbetweenacademicsandservices.Itbrokedownbarriersandbuiltrelationships.Themethodsweusedarestillbeingappliedintheirmeetings.Oneseniormanagerleftandis

applyingwhathelearnedinanotherimportantindustry.Anotherhasprofoundlychangedhowhemanagesseveralhundredpeopleandhesaysthat,asaresultoftheprogram,hegrewinconfidenceanditgavehimthecouragetogoforhisbeliefs.Hehasdoneamazingthingswhicharebenefitinglargenumbersofpeopleandincreasingtheflexibilityandqualityoftheservicetheyprovide.Thisisdescribedasabigsuccessstoryandithasreachedrightdowntomanualworkers.Hecreditsittotheprogram.Thisalonewouldmakeitworthwhileforme.

Conclusions

Itdidn'tchangethecorporateculture.HowcoulditifitdidnotreallyinvolvetheCEOandhisclosestcolleagueswhowereinsufficientlypresent?Youcannotexpectpeopleinaprevailingclimateoffeartosignificantlyinfluenceupward.Forpeopletobeinfluencedtheyneedtohavetheexperienceofbeingfullyengaged,full-timeparticipants.Forthattohappentheyneedtobelievethatitisessentialandwantit.Howdoyoubringthatabout?Not,Ithink,byinsistence.Peoplehavetocometoitintheirownway,attheirownpace.Youmayperhapshelpifyoucanbuildarelationshipoftrust(itisveryhardtodothatwithsomepeople)butitmayresultfromindividualexperiences,reflection,reading,listeningandthissortofrealtimedevelopmentprogram.Abiginfluencesometimesisaperson'sexperienceoftheirparents.Isuspectthisappliedinthiscase.BeingagoodenablingCEOisverymuchthesameasbeingagoodparent-notbeingtoostern,criticalorcontrolling,certainlynotpunishing.Beingmoreencouragingandenablingandlettinggo-yetbeingfirmaboutthosefewcrucialthings.Itisthekindofbalanceagoodparenthastolearnwithteenagers.Agoodparentlearnsfromtheirchildren.AgoodCEOneedstolearnfromherorhiswholeteamandthewholesystem.Alearningorganizationneedsahumble,learningCEO.Sheorhehastobestrongenoughtobeopentoitandtheyhavetobestrongenoughto

speaktheirminds.Theywon'tdothatiftheparentispunishing.Today'sCEOhastomoveawayfrompatriarchytosomethingmorelikepartnershipwithstrongadults,oneofwhomisleader.Likealltheothers,thisstoryisnotfinished.ThisCEOgavehisgiftsandsetgoodfoundations.Anotherwithdifferentgifts,whoisbetteratthemoredifficult

softerartsofleadership,whichareevenmoreneededintimesofretrenchment,mayfollow.

Whilereflectingonthesefourcasestudiesmanyinterestingissuesemergeandmanytentativeconclusionscanbedrawn.ToselectjustafewIwouldinclude:

TheroleoftheCEOisabsolutelycrucial.

Long-termsupportfromatrustedexternalconsultantseemstobeveryimportant,otherwisethemostdifficultissuesmaynotbetackledandenergyandimaginationmaywilt.Likeanythingelse,thiscannotbepredeterminedatthestartandneedstobemanagedwiselyandwithawarenesstoavoiddependenceorcounterdependence.Itneedstobeadynamicpartnershipinsomewayslikeagoodmarriage(butnot'tilldeathusdopart').

Partnershipisanotheressential:betweenclientandexternalconsultant;andallher/hisclients;CEO,theexecutiveandemployeesatalllevels.

'Ownership'runsparallelwithpartnership.Handingoverownershipwithoutabdicatingiscrucial.

Beingconstantlyawareoftheimportanceofeveryonebe-havinginawaywhichiscongruentwithgoalsiscrucial.ThereweresomanydeparturesfromthisinCasestudy2.Weneedtoaskeachotherfrequently'arewebeingcongruenthere?'

Idoubtthatyoucansuccessfullymixmodes,ie,facilitateorempowerandbedidacticandpatriarchalinthesameprogram.Thisislikelytobringoutpowerlessness,dependencyorcounterdependencyandsetbackyourworkalongway,forexample,asinCasestudy2.

Onlythosewhoparticipate(especiallyasfacilitators)reallygetthebenefit.Giventheprevailingcultureoffearofthetopand

powerlessnessatthebottom,itishardforindividualparticipantstoinfluencepeopleaboveorbelowthem.Wayshavetobefoundofinvolvingeveryoneandwithoutclassdistinctions,andinvolveeveryoneasfacilitatorstoo.Thereareallkindsofwaysofdoingthis-insmallgroups;inpairsandlaterintheirownorotherunits.

Ultimatelywehavetogetthewholesystemintotheroom-allstakeholders,too,perhaps.Weareallco-creatorsoftheorganization.However,thismaynotbepossibleatthebeginning,theneedmayhavetoemerge.Youstartwhereyoucan!

Supportfortheleadersofsuchaninterventionisvitalbecausegivingandsupportingotherscannotbesustainedindefinitelywithoutit.And,iftheexternalconsultantgets'stuck,'asIdidinCasestudy2,itiswiseforher/himtogetsupervisionfromsomeonenotinvolved.

Evaluationneedstobeseenasapositivewayofsupportingchangeandhelpingittocontinue;notasadetachedstudyofwhetheritworkedornot.

Someoftheseconclusionspointthewayforthenextchapter.

Ikeepaskingmyself'ShouldIandmyclientpresumetohelpchangethecultureofanorganization?'Whoarewetodothis?Ofcourseweshould.Thatiswhattheinternalconsultantisthereforandshe/heisperhapsoneofthefewpeoplebestabletothinkintermsofthewholesystemandbestabletoseeherorhisclientasthewholesystem.


Bach,R.(1995)Illusions-TheAdventuresofaReluctantMessiah,MandarinPaperbacks,RandomHouse,London,UK.

Holt,J.(educator)quotedinCameron,J.(1995)TheArtist'sWay-ASpiritualPathtoHigherCreativity,PanBooks,London,UK.

8GettingtheWholeSystemintotheRoomGainingthecommitmentofthewholeworkforcetochange'WearegoingtowinandtheindustrialWestisgoingtoloseout;there'snotmuchyoucandoaboutitbecausethereasonsforyourfailurearewithinyourselves.YourfirmsarebuiltontheTaylormodel.Evenworse,soareyourheads.Withyourbossesdoingthethinkingwhiletheworkerswieldthescrewdrivers,you'reconvinceddeepdownthatthisistherightwaytorunabusiness.Foryoutheessenceofmanagementisgettingtheideasoutoftheheadsofthebossesandintothehandsoflabor.

Wearebeyondyourmindset.Business,weknow,isnowsocomplexanddifficult,thesurvivaloffirmssohazardousinanenvironmentincreasinglyunpredictable,competitiveandfraughtwithdanger,thattheircontinuedexistencedependsontheday-to-daymobilizationofeveryounceofintelligence.'

KonosukeMatsushita,founderofMatsushitaElectricLtd,quotedinManagingontheEdge,RichardPascale,PenguinBooks,1991.

Myjourney

IexperiencedagrowinguneaseasIreflectedontheworkdescribedinChapter7.IfeltsurethattheEmpowermentModel

wasthoroughlysoundandtheapproachbasedonitcouldworkverywellindeed,givensufficientlyfavorableconditionssuchasthesupportofthetop.However,Ihadanumberofconcerns.

Itisallverywellworkingwithmanagersbutwhataboutthemassofpeopleintheorganization'doingtheactualwork'ofmakingthings,providingservicesanddealingwithcustomers?Howmucheffectwasourworktogetheractuallyhavingonthewaythingsareontheshopfloororonthequalityofproductorservicereceivedbythecustomer?Wewerenotsure.Alsotheseprogramsweretakingalongtimetorollout.Wheretherewasanattempttoinvolve'ordinaryworkers,'itwasinadilutedforminlessaffluentsurroundings.Whatmessagedidthatconvey?Itwasanotherreflectionofourclassattitudesperhaps.

Ihadotherconcerns,somemorefundamental.Systemsthinkingtellsusthatindecidingthewayforwardorresolvingfundamentalissuesyouneeddataaboutthewholesystem.Peopleatthetoporinthemiddle,inevitably,onlyhavedataaboutpartofthesystem.Ifgoodstrategicdecisionsaretobemade,dataisrequiredfrompeopleateverylevel,includingthebottom,andfrompeopleoutsidethesystem,suchascustomersandsuppliers.Ofcoursethatdatacanbeobtained,andoftenis,beforedecisionsaremade.Butformaximumorganizationallearningtotakeplace,differentstakeholdersorpeoplefromdifferentpartsofthesystemneedtobeintheroomtogether.Theyallneedtobelisteningtoeachotherandtheprocessneedstobeinteractive.Thereneedstobeacommonorshareddatabasebuilttogetherbyeveryoneintheroom.Peopleatthebottomneedtoseepeopleatthetoptakingonboardwhattheyhavesaid,respondingtoitinawaythatdemonstratesachangeinattitudeandactuallybehavingdifferently;showingthattheyreallymeanwhattheysayaboutinvolvingpeople,valuingtheircontributionandwantinganempoweredworkforce.Alsopeopleatthebottomneedtobegiventheopportunitytoactpowerfully,speaktheirmindshonestlywithoutfear

ofadverseconsequencesandtakeresponsibility.Topmanagementneedtoexperiencethisandseeitworks.Peopleneedtheexperienceofhearingdiverseviewsexpressed,sometimeswithpassion,andperhapsbeingmovedbythis.Theyneedtodiscoverhowconstructiveandvaluabledifferencecanbeandhavetheirfearsandstereotypesdispelledbyaconstructiveexperiencethatworked.Inotherwordsahugeamountoforganizationallearningcantakeplaceonlywhenyougetthe

wholesystemintotheroom.Realsustainablechangeoccurswhenpeopleexperiencetheparadigmshiftthatenablesthemtoseebeyondtheirsmallpartofthesystem.Fortheorganizationtolearnadifferentdance,thepartnersallneedtobepresent.AsweconcludedattheendofChapter7,'onlythosewhoparticipate,especiallyasfacilitators,reallygetthebenefit.'

Itisnotonlyaboutmakingsounddecisionsandlearningfromeachother.Itisalsoaboutsuccessfulimplementation.Forpeopletobecommittedtochanges,theyneedtobeinvolvedinandinformedbytheprocessofmakingthosedecisionsandtakeresponsibilityfortheirpartinimplementingthem.

Ihadanotherconcern.Sometimes,wehadencountereddependency,counter-dependency,resistancetoreallydoingseriousworkortakingresponsibilityfortheoutcomes.Wasthisbecausewefacilitatedtoomuch?Wouldthisbelesslikelytohappenifwestoodbackmoreandgaveeveryoneashareinfacilitatingthesmallgroupsatleast?Thatalsofittedwellwithourconclusionsthatpeoplewhobecomefacilitatorsbenefitmost.

WiththesethoughtsinmymindIstartedreadingMarvinWeisbord'sProductiveWorkplaces(Weisbord,1987)andIorganizedadevelopmentprogramformyselftolearnabout'largegroupinterventions',inotherwordswaysofworkingwithmuchlargergroupsthatmakeitpossibletogetrepresentativesofthewholesystemworkingtogetherinthesameroom.Iattendedworkshopswhichnotonlydescribedthemethodsbutalsogavemeexperienceofhowtheyworkeitherbymybeingaparticipantorthroughsimulations.Ilookedindepthatthefollowingfourapproaches:

Futuresearch

Openspacetechnology(OST)

Realtimestrategicchange(RTSC)

Searchconferences

InthischapterIshalldonomorethanintroduceyoutothesefourapproaches(therearemanyothers)andtellyouhowyoucanfindoutmoreaboutthem.AsyetIhavelimitedexperienceofusingthem(thoughIhavebeenaparticipant)andIhavenobigstoriestotell.Ihopethatwillcomelater!Theprinciplesandmethodshaveinfluencedallmywork.

Thecaseforgettingthewholesystemintotheroom

FirstIwillsummarizewhyIthinktheseapproachesneedtobeconsidered.TheconcernsIhaveexpressedabovedonotinvalidaterealtimemanagementdevelopment.RTMDcanhaveapowerfuleffectonindividualmanagerswhomaythenleadtheirorganizationsverydifferently.Itgivesmanagersanewvisionofhowteamsandgroupscanworktogether.Itgivesthemsomeofthetools.Itisalsoagoodwayofgoingwiththeenergy,acknowledgingwheretheorganizationisandstartingwhereyoucan.Likeeverygoodmethodologyithasitsstrengthsanditslimitations.Itmayofferyouthebestwayforwardgivenwhereyourorganizationisanditmayopenyourmanagersuptothepossibilityof'gettingthewholesystemintotheroom'-somethingforwhichtheorganizationwasnotreadywhenyoustartedout.Thischaptermayhelpyoutoprepareyourselfforwhenyourclientsareready.Tobereadytohelpyourclientsyouneedanewmind-set.

Iseeessentiallyfourpossibilitiesforinitiatingtransformation,asshowninFigure8.1.Thefirsttwoare'startingwhereyoucan'strategies.ThelasttwoarepossiblewhenyourclientistheCEOoftherelevantsystemorsub-system.ThelastisappropriatewhentheCEOisreallyreadytosharecontrol.

Startingatthebottomandworkingup.

Startingsomewhereinthemiddleandworkingupwards,outwardsanddownwards.

Startingatthetopandcascadingdown.

Gettingthewholesystemintotheroom.

Figure8.1Fourpossibilities

Top-downapproachestobringingaboutchangehavelimitations.Strategicdecisionsmadebytopmanagementmayproveflawedbecause

theywerenotinformedbydatapossessedbypeopleelsewhereinthesystem.Oftentopmanagementhasdifficultygaining'buy-in'orthefullcommitmentoftheworkforcebecausethelatterdonothaveafullappreciationofthesituationandtheywerenotinvolvedinthedecisionmaking.Keymes-

Decisionsareinformedbythewholesystem.

Ahighdegreeofinvolvementandengagementandhencecommitmentiscreated.

Collaborativebehaviorisencouraged.

Thereisahighdegreeoforganizationallearningandtheorganizationincreasesitscapacitytoadapt.

Peoplelearntovaluediversityandworkwithconflict.

Asenseofcommonvisionandpurposeiscreated.

Ahugegroundswellofenergyisgeneratedtobringaboutchange.

Topmanagementlearntoletgoofcontrolandrespondtofeedback;peopleatthebottom(orinthemiddle)learntoactpowerfullyandcontributemoreconfidently.

Neworganizationalnormsabouthowtobehavearecreated.

Peoplelearnhowtocopewithuncertainty,complexity,confusionandfluctuatingemotions.

Topmanagementcansignalthatthingsarereallychanging.

Alargenumberofpeoplecanbeinvolved.

Ahighdegreeofpersonalresponsibilityisencouraged-dependencyandcounter-dependencyareminimized.

Peoplelearnself-managementandfacilitationskills.

Figure8.2Majorbenefitsoflargegroupmethods

sagesmaybedilutedastheypassdowntheorganization.Similarlythereareobstaclestoinformationpassingupwards.Traditionalprocessesofcommunicationarerelativelylifelessastheyarenotsufficientlyinvolvingorinteractive.Thetop-downapproachtochangedoesnotprovideadequatelyfororganizationallearning.Increasinglyoftentoday,

traditionallinearmethodsofmakingdecisionsaresimplynotuptothejobbecausethedatainvolvedissocomplexandthesituationisinaconstantstateofflux.Finally,theprocessofcascadingstrategydownwardcantakeaverylongtime.Thatcanbetoolongintoday'sworld.

Someofthemajorbenefitsofusinglargegroupmethods,orgettingthewholesystemintotheroomarelistedinFigure8.2.

However,largegroupmethodsshouldnotbecontemplatedwheretopmanagementwantstotellorsell,andhasnointentionofsharingpowerorimplementingwhateverhasbeendecidedintheevent.Theyareonlyappropriatewhentopmanagementisgenuinelyinterestedininvolvingitsworkforceorco-creatingwithit.Iftopmanagementdoesnotrespondhonestlytofeedbackordemonstratethatitis'changingthewayitdoesbusiness,'moreharmthangoodwillbedone.

Backgroundhistory

LargegroupmethodscanbetracedbacktothecollaborationofFredEmery,anAustralian,andEricTristattheTavistockInstituteofHumanRelations,London,inthe1950s.Togethertheydevelopedthefirstsearchconferencein1960.TwoBritishaero-enginecompanieshadrecentlymergedtoformBristolSiddeley.Thepurposeofthisconference,tobeknownastheBarfordConference,wastohelpthenewlyformedcompanycreateunifiedstrategy,mission,leadershipandvalues.AftertheBarfordConference,FredEmery,MerrelynEmery,EricTristandothersfacilitatedhundredsofsearchconferencesinNorthAmerica,Australiaandelsewhereovertheyears.Thesearchconferencealsoinspiredthelaterdevelopmentoffuturesearch(Weisbord,1987andWeisbord&Janoff,1995);theworkofDannemillerTysonAssociatesindevelopinginteractivestrategicplanningandrealtimeworkdesign;andrealtimestrategicchange(Jacobs,1994).

RecentexamplesofwellknownUScompaniesusinglargegroupmethodsareMarriottHotelswhohaveusedthemtoembedqualitymethodsintothecompanyworldwide;theFordMotorCompanyusinglargegroupinterventionsaspartoftheirsuccessfulstrategytoturnaroundtheirbusiness;andBoeingusingthemethodologytoplanandbuildthe777inrecordtime.IntheUKtheapproachhasbeenusedverysuccessfullyintheEmploymentService.

EachofthefourapproachesIshalldescribeoffersagenericmodel.Noneoftheseapproachesismerelyanevent.Theeventisonlyastageinamuchlongerprocessforbringingaboutchangeprecedingandfollowingtheevent.

Futuresearch

Thefuturesearchconferenceisamethodco-developedbyMarvinWeisbordandSandraJanoffinthelate1980sforinvolvingawiderangeofinterdependent'stakeholders'inanorganizationorcommunityinworkingtogethertobuildapictureofthedesiredfuturetheywantandtoplantobringitabout.Atypicalfuturesearchconferencegets30to70(ideally64)peopleintoonelargeroomfor16hoursworkspreadoverthreedays(ie,2overnights).Participantsfromalllevelsareselectedfromeightcarefullychosenstakeholdergroups.Theapproachdepartsfromtop-downmeetingsorconsultation.Itspurposeistoenablethestakeholderstotakeresponsibilityforco-creatingtheirdesiredfutureandplanningtobringitabout.

Atitsverysimplestthefuturesearchdesignis:

Past-wherewe'vebeen.

Present-whereweare.

Future-whatwewant.

Action-howwegetthere.

Certainbasicsunderlythedesignofafuturesearchconference.ThesearelistedinFigure8.3.Fundamentaltotheapproacharebringingtogetherallthosewhohaveastakeintheoutcome,havekeydatatocontributeandwhowillplayacrucialpartinimplementation;creatingtogetherthebigpictureandanunderstandingofitbeforedecidingandplanningaction;focusingonthedesiredstateandwhatisagreed,ratherthanonproblemsandconflictswhicharerelativelyunproductiveandsapenergy;and,finally,peoplemanagingthemselvesandtaking

'Wholesystem'intheroom.

Globalexplorationbeforelocalaction.

Futurefocusandcommonground.

Self-managementandresponsibility.

Figure8.3Futuresearchbasics

1. Reviewthepast-milestonesinglobalsociety,selfandourorganizationorcommunity.Everyonewritesonhugewallchartsbuildingapictureofthepast.Mixedgroupsidentifytrendsandpatterns.

2. Explorethepresent-stakeholdergroupsidentifytrendsaffectingourfuture;whatwearedoingaboutthemandnotdoingthatwewanttodo;whatwearedoingthatweareproudofandwhatwearesorryabout.

3. Createidealfuturescenarios-mixedgroupsprepareanidealfuturefortheorganizationorcommunityanddramatizeittothewholeconference,presentingthefutureasiftheywerethere.

4. Identifycommonground-mixedgroupsandthenthewholeconferenceidentifythecommonfuture,waystoworktowardsit(projects)andunresolveddifferences(notagreed).

5. Makeactionplans-co-operatingandtakingindividualresponsibility-stakeholderandvolunteergroupsmakeplanstobringaboutthecommongroundfuture,stepstheywillactuallytakeandreportbacktotheconference.

Figure8.4Fivemainstages

responsibilityforaction.Alltheseenhancethechancesofsuccessfuloutcomes.

Thegenericdesignhasfivemainstages(seeFigure8.4).Thebasicmethodologyisasfollows:

Beforetheconference

Theeventiscarefullyplannedbyasteeringcommitteeofeighttotenpeoplerepresentingthestakeholders.

Greatcaregoesintoensuringthatparticipantsrepresentabroadspectrumofviewpoints.

Thepurposeoftheeventisclearlydefined.

Topleaders'backingissecured,asistheiragreementtobethereonly

asfulltimeparticipantsandsupportwhateveroutcomesemerge.

Threetosixmonths'leadtime.

Duringtheconference

Peopleworkineightgroupsofeight(hencetheidealnumberof64participants),eitherstakeholdergroupsormixedgroupsasappropriate.

Thereisamixtureofworkdoneindividually,workdoneingroupsorworkdoneinthewholegroup(notalwaysinthatorder).

Largewallspacesarecoveredinwhitepaper,orgroupscoverthewallswithcutupcharts.Self-adhesivecoloreddotsenablepeopletovoteonpriorities.

Thereisahighdegreeofself-managedlearningandplanning;groupsfacilitatethemselves,everyonetakingturnsasdiscussionleader,time-keeper,recorderandreporter.

Twofacilitatorsruntheeventasawhole,managingtaskandtimeboundaries,handlinglargegroupprocessissues,avoidingcreatingdependencyandcounter-dependency,andnotgettinginvolvedwithsmallgroupsorwithcontentissues.

Administratorsprovidethesmallgroupswithbriefingpapers,worksheetsandtakecareoflogistics.

Therearenotopmanagementorexpertlecturers-topmanagersorexpertsareincludedasparticipants;notrainingsessions.

Thefocusisoncommongroundandshareddesiredfuture;differencesareacknowledgedbutnotworkedon.

Thefocusisalsoondiscovery,learningandco-operatingratherthanhierarchy,power,conflict,passivity,adversarialbehavioranddependency.

Everyonetakesindividualresponsibilityforplanningactiontobringaboutthedesiredfuture.

Certaingroundrulesneedtobeacceptedbytheconference.ThesearelistedinFigure8.5.Amongstessentialconditionsforsuccessarethefulltimeattendanceofallparticipants,healthymeetingconditionsandpublicresponsibilityforfollow-up.

Myexperienceofthemethodologyisthatitisexcellentinhelpingpeoplelearnthattheycancopewithamassofcomplexandconfusingdataandmakesenseofitbytrustingtheright-hand,in-

Everyoneshouldacknowledgethatallideasarevalid-respectingeveryone'struth.

Everythingshouldappearonflipcharts.

Participantsshouldlistentoeachother.

Everyoneshouldobservetimeframes.

Everyoneshouldseekcommongroundandaction-notproblemsandconflicts.

Figure8.5Groundrulesoffuturesearch

tuitivepartoftheirbrain.Particularlythroughdramatizingthefuture(instage3oftheconferencedesign)theylearntobringtobearalltheircreative,andnotjustrational,faculties.Peopleexperienceandlearnhowtocopewiththe'roller-coaster'oftheirfeelingsatvariousstagesoftheprocessofgettingonboard,facingthecomplexmessthatseemsoutsidetheircontrol,owninguptowhattheyaredoingandwanttodo,becomingenergizedandexcitedbytheirvisionand,finally,realisticallyplanningwhattheywilldo.Peoplealsolearnagreatdealaboutdiversityanddifference.Workingproductivelywithpeoplewhoaredifferentbreaksdownstereotypesandencouragesrespect.Theyfindthatconstructiveoutcomesandmuchlearningaretheresultoflisteningtoeachother,acceptingthateveryone'sopinionisvalidandfocusingoncommongroundratherthanproblemsandconflicts.Ithinkpeopleareusuallysurprisedthat,whilstconflictsanddifferencesareexpressedandnotavoided,thereisahugeamountofcommonground.Thatisenoughtoenablepeopletomoveforwardinconstructiveactionplanning.Themethodologyalsomaximizesthechancethatpeoplewilltakeresponsibilityandnotengageindependencyandcounter-dependencyperhapsbecauseeveryoneisencouragedtoactivelycontributefromtheverystartandtakeaturninfacilitatingtheirgroup.

Futuresearchisbestlimitedtoabout70people.Thatisthemaximumnumberthat,intheexperienceoftheco-creators(MarvinWeisbordand

SandraJanoff),workswell.Sowhataboutthepeoplewhowerenotinvolved?Cateringtotheirneedshastobeamajorissuefortheactionplanningstage;alternatively,additionalorparallelfuturesearchconferencescanbeheld.

Futuresearchseemstobeanexcellentapproachtouseina

communityoranorganizationwhereleadersarepreparedtoco-createwithotherstakeholders.ItisparticularlysuitedtocreatingsustainabledevelopmentplansforLocalAgenda21.(AttheEarthSummitinRiodeJaneiroinJune1992,worldleaderssignedaglobalenvironmentanddevelopmentactionplancalledAgenda21.Overtwo-thirdsofthisplanrequiredthecommitmentandco-operationoflocalauthoritiestoimplementit.Eachlocalauthoritywasencouragedtocreateitsownsustainabledevelopmentstrategy,throughlocalparticipation,knownasitsLocalAgenda21.)IthasbeenwidelyusedinUSA,Canada,AustraliaandScandinavia(Weisbord,1987).

Openspacetechnology

AsIhaveonlyexperiencedthisapproachatprofessionalandpersonaldevelopmentconferences,notyetforabusinesspurpose,Iaskedmyfriend,MartinLeith,towritethissectionforme.Hereishisaccount.

Openspacetechnology(OST)wasdevelopedin1984byHarrisonOwen,anAmericanorganizationalconsultant.Itisamethodfororganizingaself-managedmeetingorconference,theprogramofwhichiscreatedbytheparticipantsthemselves.Themethodenablespeopletocreateandmanageanagendaofworkshops,discussiongroupsandothersessionsinwhichtheydiscussthethingsthatreallymattertothem,exploreissuesandopportunitiesandfindnewwaysforward.Anopenspaceconferencehasnoinvitedspeakers,justonefacilitatorwhoexplainstheprocedureandfacilitatestheplenarysessions.AlthoughOSTtendstoberegardedasameetingmanagementmethod,itsprinciplescanbeappliedtocreateawholenewwayforpeopletoworktogetherinorganizations.

Mostopenspaceconferencestakeplaceoverone,twoorthreedays.Atypicalone-dayconferencewouldhavefouropenspacetimeslots,forexample1000to1130hours,1130to1300,1400to1530and1530

to1700,eachwithanumberofdifferentsessionstakingplaceinparallel.

Theapproachissuitableforanysizeofgroup,12isprobablytheminimumnumberofpeople,andthecapacityofthevenueistheonlyfactorthatlimitsthemaximumgroupsize.Anopenspaceconferencewith500participantswouldnotbeunusual.

Whentouseopenspacetechnology

OSTisahighlyeffectivemethodforsurfacingpeople'sheartfeltconcerns,exploringstrategicissuesandopportunities,promotingdiscussionanddecisionmaking,developingactionplanswithahighdegreeofownership,andtransformingagroupofdisparatepeopleintoavibrantcommunity.Themethodshouldbeconsideredwheneveraprojectinvolveshighlevelsofcomplexity,diversityandconflictanddecisionsneedtobemadequickly.

Principles

Providetheabsoluteminimumofstructureandcontrol.

Participantsareencouragedtodisplaypassionandresponsibility.

Participantsself-manageeverythingexcepttheplenarysessions,includingthedevelopmentoftheagenda,theopenspacesessionsandtheproductionofthesessionreports.

'Whoevercomesaretherightpeople'-evenifonlyonepersonshowsupatasession,thiswillbeexactlytherightpersontodotheworkthatneedstobedone.

'Wheneveritstartsistherighttime'-ifasessionstartsearlierorlaterthantheadvertisedtime,thatisOK.Nooneneedgetimpatientorfeelanxious.

'Whateverhappensistheonlythingthatcouldhappen'-inotherwords,letgoofexpectations.

'Whenit'sover,it'sover'-ifeverythinghasbeensaid,moveon.

Ifaparticipantisinasessionandisnotgivingorreceivinganythinguseful,heorsheshoulduse'Thelawoftwofeet'tomovetowhereveraworthwhilecontributioncanbemade.

Methodology

Potentialparticipantsreceiveaninvitationthatshowsthetitleoftheconference.Thisshouldbeneithertoogeneralnortoospecific,forexample:WhataretheissuesandopportunitiesfacingtheXYZCorporation?

Time PlaceÞ Plenaryroom

Seminarroom1

Seminarroom2

Seminarroom3

Seminarroom4

LoungeBarTerrace

0900 Openingplenary

1000 Openspacesessions(1)

1130 Openspacesessions(20

1300 Lunch(restaurant)



Post-itnote

1700 Closingplenary

Figure8.6Openspacematrix

Peoplearriveatthevenueandtaketheirseatsintheplenaryroom.Thechairsarearrangedinacircletoindicatethateveryoneisaleader.

Thefacilitatorwelcomespeopleandexplainstheopenspaceprinciplesandprocedure.

Participantsofferasmanysessionsastheywish.Thoseofferingsessionsprepareahandwrittenposter,makeabriefannouncementtothewholegroupandtapethepostertooneofthewalls.Thiswallbecomestheconferenceagenda.Ameetingspaceisbookedbytaking,fromamatrix,apost-itnotewhichshowstimesandplaces,andattachingittotheposter(seeFigure8.6).

The'marketplace'commences.Everyonesignsupforthesessionstheywishtoattend.

Theopenspacesessionstakeplace.Oneparticipantineachsessiontakesnotesandproducesawrittenreportusingthecomputersandprinterslocatedinthe'newsroom.'Onecopyofeachreportistapedtothewallunderthebanner'BreakingNews'tocreateaconferencenewspaper.

Theconferencecloseswithaplenarysessionduringwhichparticipantsreturntothecircle,reflectontheirexperiencesandsharethemwiththeothers.Sometimesparticipantsgettogetherbeforethisfinalsessiontoprioritizeactionsarisingfromthedifferentsessionsandtoformself-managingprojectteams.

Aspeopleleavetheconferencetheyarehandedacopyofallthesessionreports.

Intheweeksandmonthsfollowingtheconference,individuals,projectteamsandinformalgroupscarryouttheagreedactionsandkeepeveryoneinformedaboutprogress.

Resultsdelivered

People'sgenuineconcernsareidentified.

Creativeandrelevantideasaredeveloped.

Concreteactionplansarespecifiedandcommittedto.

On-goingself-managedteamsareestablished.

Productiveworkingrelationshipsarecreated.

Newbehaviorsarepracticedandbecomethenorm.

Openspacetechnologyhasbeenusedsuccessfullyinmostpartsoftheworld.EuropeanorganizationswhichemploythemethodincludeDutchRailways,Guinness,ICI,PrudentialAssuranceandShell.Despitealongandgrowinglistofsuccessstories,openspacetechnologyshouldneverberegardedasaneasyoption.Itshouldnotevenbeconsideredifanyonewantstoexercisecontrol,whentheanswerisalreadyknownorwhentheachievementofaspecificoutcomeisessential.Butforthosewhoarewillingtostepintotheunknownandallowtheunexpectedtohappen,openspacehasthepotentialtoproducebreakthroughresults.

Realtimestrategicchange(RTSC)

Realtimestrategicchange(RTSC)wasdevelopedbyKathieDannemillerandRobertJacobsinthe1980sandis'aprinciplebasedapproachtofundamental,organizationwide,rapid,sustainablechange.'(Jacobs,1994).

Theunderlyingprinciplesare:

Treatcurrentrealityasakeydriver-acontinuousfocusonthesimultaneousandsometimesconflictingrealitieswhichexistintheinternalandexternalenvironments.

Workinrealtime-simultaneousplanningandimplementationofindividual,groupandorganizationorcommunitywidechanges.'''Realtime"meansworkingthroughrealissues,withrealpeopleaffectedbythemandgettingrealresults.'(Jacobs,1994).

Createacommondatabase-acommonunderstandingofstrategicissuesinformsthediscretionofpeopleatalllevelssothattheycan

makewisedecisionsindividuallyandcollectively.

Createapreferredfuture-acollective'imageofpotential'forthefutureformsthebasisforactiontoday.Acompellingrepresentationofwhatwilllookbetterandhowitwillfeeliscreatedbyparticipants.

Createcommunity-fosteranenvironmentwhereindividualscometogetheraspartofsomethinglargerthanthemselvesthattheycreatedandbelievein.

Fosterempowermentandinclusion-engagetheentireorganizationinwaysthatleadtoownershipofandcommitmenttoasharedpurposeandfuturedirectionandtheactionsneededtogetthere.Thisincludesfosteringownershipoftheprocess,contentandoutcomes.

Aswellasthesesixprinciples,theRTSCapproachisbasedonopensystemstheorywhichtranslatesintoawholesystemfocus.Asecondallencompassingnotionistocontinuallypursueandclarifypurposeanddesiredoutcomes.Thewholesystemfocusmeansinvolvingthewholesystem(oracriticalmass).Thusamicrocosmofthesystemdesignstheoverallchangeeffortandmicrocosmsofparticipantsdesignkeyinitiatives.Everyonewhoneedstomakechangeshappenisinvolved.

AmongstthekeycharacteristicsofRTSCarethefollowing:

Thereisnolimittothenumbersofparticipants-2,200peopletookpartinaneventheldatFordand500to5,000peopletookpartineventsatBoeing.

Thereisgreatemphasisoneventsbeingonlypartofachainofinitiativestobringaboutchangeinhowtheorganizationdoesbusiness.RTSCisnotjustbigevents.Theworkwithtopmanagementandotherlevelsofformalandinformalleadership,designworkandplanningareasimportantapartofthechangeprocessastheeventsthemselves.Apartfromevents,changeeffortsaremadeupofinitiativessuchasbenchmarking,workdesign,localimplementationofactionplansandleadershipdevelopmenttosupportandsustainthechanges.

Whereasfuturesearchisclearlyforthepurposeof'co-creation,'RTSCcanincludeboth'consulting'and'co-creating'(seeFigure8.9onpage155).Oftentherearesomeissueswhicharenot'upforgrabs'orfalloutsidetheparametersoftheeffort.Whenthisisthecaseacriticalpieceoftheworktobedonebytheleadershipanddesignteamsisexploringanddefiningexactlywherethesystemboundarieslieandwhatissuesareunderdiscussion.TheRTSCapproachencourages

leaderstoundertakeachangeeffortfocusingonandwork-inginthepreferredfuturemodeasmuchaspossible.Thismeansthatnormsandprocessesaroundauthority,decision-makingandaccountabilityaredevelopedduringachangeeffort,sobecomingthepreferredwayofdoingbusinessinthefuture.Leaderscarefullychoosehowmuchorhowlittletoincludeothersindecisionsofvarioussorts,understandingthelongertermramificationsofprecedentssetviathosechoicesandviatheprocessesusedformakingsuchchoices.Seniormanagementmaybemorewillingtotaketheriskwithasystem-wideRTSCeffortbecauseoftheflexibilityandcustomizationpossibleinhowpowerissharedintheorganization.AnexampleofthiscanbefoundinthedesignshowninFigure8.7illustratinghowstrategycanbedeveloped.

Thereisnogenericdesignastheprocessesofeachchangeeffortaredesignedtofiteachorganizationsituation.Eacheventisdifferentandtailoredtotheuniquepurposeandcircumstances.

Eventsaredesignedbydesignteamsusuallyconsistingof10-30diversepeoplewhoareamicrocosmofthesystemasdefined.Oneofthefirsttasksofthedesignteamistodefinethepurposeofanyinitiativewithinthechangeeffort.Designteamspartnerwiththeorganization'sleadershipteamtomakegooddecisionsforachangeeffortwhichhavebroadbasedownershipandsupport.Alogisticsteamhandlealltheadministrationbeforeandduringevents.

Duringaneventdesignedtoaligntheorganization,acriticalmassoftheorganizationwillbeintheroomasfull-timeparticipants.Peopleoutsidetheorganizationsuchascustomers,industryexperts,orrepresentativesofothercompanieswhohavebeentryingtotransformthemselves,maybeinvitedtocomeintocontribute.Theemphasisisoninvolvingkeystakeholdersinachangeeffort.Thepeoplewhoareneededtocontributeto'buildingacommondatabase,'

decidingstrategyandtheneedtoplanandimplementsystem-wideactionaretheoneswhobecomeinvolved.

Muchoftheworkisdoneinsmallgroupsofeight('maxmix,'ie,tablesrepresentingthewidestmixofparticipants).The

Gettingstarted

Welcomeandpurpose,logistics,roles,guidelines,self-introductions,climatebuilding.

Buildingacommondatabase

Viewfromleadershipteam:challengesandopportunities;strengthsandweaknesses;visionforthefuture;keystrategies.

Organizationdiagnosis:whatyouareglad,sadandmadabout.

Expertinput.

Viewfromcustomerperspective.

Presentationsfromotherorganizationswhohavetrodasimilarroad.

'Valentines'(ie,feedback)fromgrouptogroup:receivingandrespondingtofeedbackpositively.

Reviewingorganizationnorms-howwehavedonethingsuntilnow-andidentifyingprioritiesforchange.

Reviewingorganizationstrategy

Revisitingleadershipteam'sstrategy.

Givingfeedbackonthestrategy.

Leadershipreviewstrategyovernight.

Leadershippresentrevisedstrategyandgetfurtherfeedbackbeforefinalizing.

Planningaction

Planningsystem-wideaction.

Backhomeplanning.

Figure8.7Realtimestrategicchangegenericdesign:broadoutline

usualprocessisthatpeoplefirstworkindividually;thenasagroup

andthenoneofthegroupreportsbacktothewholeconference.The'maxmix'tablesareself-managed.

Thereisanefforttobuildandembedthecapabilityfortransformationwithintheorganizationduringachangeeffort.ThisisanimportanthallmarkofsuccessforanRTSCinitiative.

Theconsciousnessforthechangeefforthastobehowtheorganizationwantstoliveinthefuture.AnunderlyingthemeofRTSCistodesignanduseprocessesthattheorganizationwantstobeaneverydaypartofitsfuture.

Therearemyriadpossibilitiesforeventstofocusonissuessuchasprocessredesign;organizationculture;companymergers;diversity;re-engineeringandstrategy.Figure8.7showsagenericdesignforanimaginaryeventwhichfocusesondevelopingtheorganizationstrategyandplanningtoimplementit.Whenmanypeoplecometogether,itisanexcitingexperience.Ahugeamountofenergyisgenerated.Muchtimeandenergyneedstobespentworkingwiththeleadershipduringthewholechangeefforttoeducateandsupportthem(atwo-wayprocessforclientsandconsultants).Thiswillenablethem,inturn,toleadthecreationandsupportofapreferredfuturefortheorganization.Theyhavetoshowtheyreallymeantochangethewaytheydobusiness.Thisrequirestheirreallyhearingwhattheyarebeingtold,reallyshowingtheyhavehearditandmakingchangesthatconvinceotherparticipants.Iftheyfailtodothis,theywillsabotagethewholeendeavor.Alsotheirbehaviorasmembersof'maxmix'tableswillmatterenormously,forexample,seniorpeoplenotdominating.Thescaleoftheeventalsorequiresverydetailedplanning,wellstructuredanddesignedprocessesandimpeccableorganization.Italsorequiresflexibility.Dailyreviewsarecarriedoutandthesemayrequireacompleteovernightchangeinthedesign.Inadditiontoformaldailyreviews,correctionsin'realtime'arearegularpartofanRTSCeffort.Aswellastwofacilitators,alogisticsmanagerisneededandateamoflogisticsstaffwhokeeptheparticipants'tablessuppliedwithbriefings,worksheets,reviewforms,etc.Avarietyofmethodsareusedincludingindividualwork,groupworkandwholegroupwork.Participantsattablesofeighteachgetaturnatdiscussionleading,timekeeping,recordingonflipchartsandpresenting.

TheRTSCapproachhelpsclarifythepower,authorityanddecision-makinginfrastructureofanorganizationsothatthemostappropriatepeoplemakedecisionsforalltherightreasons.RTSCwillbestsuittheorganizationwhichhasapreferredfuturethatisagoodfitwiththesixprinciplesofRTSC.Itwillsuitanorganizationthatwantstoinvolveverylargenumbersofpeople;wishesaverymuchtailor-madedesignandprefersperhapstoin-

cludeelementsof'involveandconsult'aswellas'co-create.'Thelatterseemstorepresenttheultimateinlettinggoofandsharingcontrol.Forexample,itcangivetopmanagementthekeyroleinformulatingstrategyandreformulatingitinresponsetothecommondatabasethatisco-createdbyallparticipants.

Searchconferences

Thesearchconference,theoriginalmethoddevelopedinthe1950s,offersanalternative.FredEmeryandhispartner,MerrelynEmery,stillpracticefromAustraliaandBobRehmandNancyCebula,workingoutoftheUSA,areamongstmanyexponents.

Twokeyprinciplesunderpinthesearchconference.Thefirstisthedemocraticdesignprinciple.Anorganization,designedaccordingtothedemocraticdesignprinciple,locatesresponsibilityforcontrolandcoordinationwiththepeopledoingthework,tothegreatestextentpossible.Thebureaucraticprinciplelocatesresponsibilityforcontrolandcoordinationofworkonelevelabovewheretheworkoccurs.Thesecondprincipleisopensystemstheory.Inasearchconferencepeopleexperiencealearningcommunityinwhichtheysystematicallyexploretheirentireenvironment.Thepurposeistoactivelyplansothattheyarebothrespondingtoandchangingtheirenvironmentastheygo.Itmeansbeingactivelyadaptive-developingthesystem'scapacitytobeacommunitythatcontinuouslylearnsfromandchangesitsenvironment.Asystemcanreduceturbulencebychangingtheconditionsthatsurrounditandbyinfluencingtheirdirection.Tobecomeadaptive,asystemneedstomakesurethereisalignmentbetweenitsowndesirablefutureandthedesirablefutureithasfortheworld(seeFigure8.8).

Thekeyfeaturesofthisapproachareasfollows:

Thesystemisclearlydefinedandonlysystemmembersareinthe

room-notmembersofitsenvironment.Onlythosepeoplewhoareresponsibleforchangingthesystemareincluded.Datafromoutsidethesystemcanbesoughtbeforehand.Itisnotconsiderednecessarytogetthewholesystemintotheroom.

Optimallythereareonly20to40participants,ie,thenumberofpeoplewhocanengagetogetherinface-to-facedialogue.

Figure8.8Searchconferencedesign:theopensystem's'funnel'

Searchconferenceisalargegroupmethodandthebasicbuildingblockisthewholegroup.Sometimes,forthesakeofexpediency,smallmixedgroupsofeightareusedtoanalyzedataorbrainstormideasonbehalfofthelargegroup.However,thesearchconferenceisbasicallyalarge-groupself-managingprocessfrombeginningtoend.

Allworkisdoneinthewholegrouporinthesmallgroups-noneindividually.Thereisgreatemphasisonallworkbeingdoneopenlyanddisplayedpubliclyonflipcharts.

Becausenumbersaresmaller,theconferenceisnottimedtotheminuteandtheprogramis'chunkedout'broadlyintothirdsspreadoverthreedays:one-thirdcoverschangesintheworld(environment);one-thirdoursystem;andone-thirdstrategyandactionplanning.ThereasoningbehindthesethirdsisEmery'sopensystemsthinkingtheorywhich

suggeststhat,foraplantosucceed,thesystemandenvironmentneedtobedirectlycorrelatedwithoneanother.Thusthesearchconferencestartsbyexploringtheturbulentfieldtoagreeondesirableandprobablefutureworlds;thenworkcanproceedondevelopingthemostdesirablesystemandactionplanninginsuchawayastobeadaptive(directlycorrelated)withtheenvironment.

Becauseofthesmallersize,workinginwholegroupandmoreflexibletimeframestheconferencefeelsmorerelaxed,freeflowingandlessstructured.

Theapproachneednotinvolvethewholesystemandcouldbeusedforseverallevelsofmanagementorateam.Searchconferenceisnotawholesystemevent,asdefinedbyothermethods.Itisanopensystemmethod-systeminenvironment.

Thebiggestdifferenceapartfromtherelativelysmallnumberswhoparticipateisthemodelused.Withintheboundariesofthisenvironment,systemandactionplanningfunnel,eachsearchconferenceneedstobecarefullydesignedfortheclientandmanaged'ontherun.'

Thesearchconferenceisthemiddlepartofanoverallthree-partprocessconsistingofpreplanning,thesearchconferenceeventitselfandimplementation.Itisintheimplementationphasethatlargenumbersofpeoplecanbeinvolved.Howthisisdonewillmakeorbreaktheintervention-whetheritisdoneinaparticipative,democraticwayorabureaucraticway,usingthestandardcommitteeformatthattendstofrustratepeople(Emery&Purser,1996).

Thefollowingfourconditionsarefundamentaltothemethod:

1. OpennessAclimateofopennessandabsenceofmanipulationiscreatedpartlybydisplayingallworkonchartpaper.Itisassumedthatdifferencesinopinionarehealthyandmutuallearningfollowsfrom

sharingdifferentexperiencesandperceptions.

2. WeareallhumanswiththesamehumanconcernsWhenpeopleseethatthebehaviorsandmotivesofothersaresimilartotheirown,theycanadmitthattheycanlearnfromeachother.Ifanyoneactsasexpertortalksdowntoothers.

mutuallearningisreduced.Peoplediscovertheirsimilaritiesthroughsharingidealsabouttheirdesirablefutureworldandsystem.Theseidealstranscendgender,race,statusandage.

3. WeallliveinthesameworldTheruleisthatallperceptionsarevalid.Buildingtogetherasharedpictureofthechangingworldhelpsestablishthevalidityofthenotionthatweallliveinthesameworldandformsasharedcontextforplanningandaction.

4. TrustTrustdevelopswhenpeopleexperienceanopenlearningenvironment,appreciateweareallhumanswithsimilarconcerns,andliveinthesamerealworld.Thistruststrengthensanddeepensinterpersonalrelations,andincreasestheprobabilityofmutuallearningandnetworking.

Thoughexpresseddifferentlytheseconditionsandtheirconsequencesechotheexperienceofrealtimemanagementdevelopment,futuresearchandrealtimestrategicchange.

Thesearchconferencemaybettersuitasituationwheretheorganization'sleaderspreferwhatfeelslikealowerriskentryintolargegroupinterventions;wheretheywouldbemorecomfortablewithsmallernumbers;donotconsideritessentialtoinvolvethewholesystem;andwouldpreferthelessstructured,morefluidprocessthatispossiblewithasmallerscaleevent.Thismightbettersuitthestyleofsomefacilitators.

Comparingthefourapproaches

ItmayhelpincomparingthefourmethodsIhavedescribedtolookatthefivemodesforcreatingasharedvisiondescribedbyPeterSenge'scolleague,BryanSmith,inTheFifthDisciplineFieldbook(Senge,1994)showninFigure8.9.AsMartinLeithpointsoutinhisGuidetoLargeGroupInterventionsthesefivemodescanbeapplieddifferently

topolicy,vision,strategyandplanning.Myunderstandingisthatrealtimestrategicchangeinvolvespeoplethroughamixtureof'consult'and'co-create'usedasappropriate.Itseffectivenessdependsuponcontributionstostrategybeingevidentlytakenonboardthereandthen.

Modesforcreatingasharedvision

Tell Sell Text Consult Co-create

Requirescompliance

Seeksbuy-in

Invitesreactions

Requestscontributions

Createtogether

Figure8.9BryanSmith'scontinuum

Therearesignificantelementsofco-creationespeciallyincreatingacommondatabaseandinplanningimplementation.Openspace,futuresearchandsearchconferencearefirmlyinco-createmode.

Conclusions

Myconclusionisthatforlargegroupmethodstobeeffectiveyouneedarobustmodel-theEmpowermentModelcouldbeoneofthese;carefullythoughtoutunderlyingprinciples;appropriateprocessesthatreducedependency,conflictandtaskavoidanceandencouragepartnership,learningandtakingindividualresponsibility;andsimpletechniques(forexample,lotsofwallspace,hugesheetsofwhitepapertocoverit,scissors,tapeandcoloredself-adhesivedots)thatfitlarge-scaleworking.

Whatcharacterizestheseapproaches,incommonwithRTMD,isthatpeoplelearnanewwayofworking.Withouteventalkingaboutittheylearnabout:

Involvingthewholesystem.

Thelearning,self-adaptiveorganization.

Self-managedgroups.

Distributedworkgroups.

Howtohandlecomplexityandchaos.

Thefluctuatingemotionsinvolvedinchangingandlearning.

Valuingandrespectingdifference.

Afterwardstheorganizationwillneverbethesameagain.Itisnotjustanevent.Itisawholenewwayofdoingbusiness.

You,thefacilitator,needtobetruetoyourself.Youhavetobe

reallyclearaboutwhoyouareandwhoyoucanbe.Therefore,inadditiontomatchingthemethodologytoyourclient'sneeds,youneedtodecidewhatapproachfitsyourvalues,beliefs,needsandstyle.Perhapsyoufirstneedtoapprenticeyourselftoexperiencedpractitionersorgetonetoworkwithyou.Withexperienceyoumaydevelopyourownmethodology,drawingwhatyouneedfromdifferentmethods,oryoumaydecidetoadheretooneoftheprovenmethods.Whateveryoudo,aswithrealtimemanagementdevelopment,itistheprinciplesthatmatter.Itisimportantthatyouthinktheseoutandarticulatethemclearly.Youalsohavetolearntoletgoofoutcomescompletely.Wetalkaboutleavingtheegoatthedoor-trickybutbeingclientcenteredisdemandingenoughwithoutothercompetingneedsgettingintheway.

Ifyouacquaintyourselfwiththeseapproaches,Ipromiseyouthatallyourworkwillbeaffected.Youwillbeinfluencedbytheprinciples,bywholesystemthinkingandopensystemsthinking,bythegroundrulesandbythetechniques.Idoubtyourworkwilleverbethesameagain.Andyouwillbeopentotheopportunitytooffertheapproachtoyourorganization.Youwillbeabletoencourageittotakeabravenewstep.Alsoyouwillbegettinginvolvedinthequestforcommunitiestofindamorehumanwayofworkingtogether.

Iamconvincedthatthetimehascomeforthesemethodstobewidelyusedinbringingaboutsystemwidestrategicchange.Theyneedtobepartofthetoolkitoftomorrow'scompany-andyours!


Bunker,B.andAlban,B.(1992)'LargeGroupInterventions'specialissueoftheJournalofAppliedBehaviouralScience,Vol.28,No.4,December.

Bunker,B.andAlban,B.(1997)LargeGroupInterventions:

EnergisingtheWholeSystemforRapidChange,Jossey-Bass,SanFrancisco,USA.

Emery,M.andPurser,R.(1996)TheSearchConference:TheoryandPractice,Jossey-Bass,SanFrancisco,USA.

Jacobs,R.(1994),RealTimeStrategicChange,Berrett-Koehler,SanFrancisco,USA.

Owen,H.(1997)OpenSpaceTechnology-AUser'sGuide,Berrett-Koehler,SanFrancisco,USA.

Senge,P.(1994)TheFifthDisciplineFieldbook,NicolasBrealey,London,UK.

Weisbord,M.(1987),ProductiveWorkplaces-OrganizingandManagingforDignity,MeaningandCommunity,Jossey-Bass,SanFrancisco,USA.

Weisbord,MandJanoff,S.(1995),FutureSearch,Berrett-Koehler,SanFrancisco,USA.

Sourcesoffurtherinformation

Futuresearch:

Searchnet,Philadelphia,PA,USA.1-800-951-63331-215-951-0328www.SeachNet.org

NewEconomicsFoundation,London,UK.44(0)181-878-8062

MauriceDubras,Jersey,ChannelIslands.44(0)153423739

Realtimestrategicchange:

DannemillerTysonAssociates,AnnArbor,MI,USA.1-313662-1330

RobertJacobsandFrankMcKeown,5oceans,6027ToryLane,Chelsea,MI48118,USA.1-313-475-4215e-mail:[email protected]

RTSCGlobalLearningCommunityontheWorldWideWeb,http:\\www.rtscnet.com

PaulCoxVistaConsulting,Birmingham,UK.44(0)1527-837930e-mail:[email protected]

Searchconference:

NancyCebula&RobertRehm,Boulder,CO,USA.1-303-499-1607

Openspacetechnology:

H.H.Owen&CoPotomac,MD,USA.1-301-469-9259e-marl:[email protected].

RomyShovelton,WikimaConsulting,London,UK.44(0)171-229-7320e-mail:[email protected].

Allmethods:

MartinLeith,MartinLeithLimited,POBox4YY,LondonW1A4YY,UK.31(0)20-681-2518e-mail:[email protected]

IamindebtedtoMartinLeithwhoseGuidetoLargeGroupInterventionsIhavefoundinvaluableinwritingthischapter.Iamalsogratefulforhisvaluedcommentsingeneralandthesectiononopenspacetechnologyinparticular,whichhewroteforme.HarrisonOwenkindlyapprovedouraccountofopenspacetechnology.

Iamgratefultothefollowingfortheirvaluablecommentsandhelp:MarvinWeisbordonfuturesearch;PaulCoxofVistaConsultingandFrankMcKeownof5oceansonrealtimestrategicchange;RobertRehmonsearchconferences.

9GivingandGettingaGoodListeningToReleasingindividualpotential'Everyoneistheexpertontheirownlife.'RomyShovelton.

'Often,todiscoverwhatIthink,Ifirstneedtotalk.ThiswayIfindout.'Anon.

'Peoplehavealotmoretoofferthanyoufirstcreditthemwith.'Adirector.

'Allproblemscontaintheseedsofopportunity.'DeepakChopra.

'Trustinyourself.Yourperceptionsareoftenfarmoreaccuratethanyouarewillingtobelieve.'ClaudiaBlack.

'Listeningtootherstalkingabouttheirlivesanddeepestconcernswelearnmoreaboutourselvesbecauseweareallpartofoneanother.'Anon.

Listeningisanimportantpartofyourstrategy

Justimaginethepositiveeffectonanorganizationifhundredsofpeopleinitgeta'goodlisteningto'(IamindebtedtomyfriendKenHarrisonforthisphrase.Histhinkingisthatmostoftenwhat

peoplegetisa'goodtalkingto'whenwhattheyneedisa'goodlisteningto')anddecidetotrusttheirownthinking,takepersonalresponsibilityandinitiative,solveproblemsandgetthecustomerwhatshe/hewants,ontimeandtotherequiredpriceandquality.Itcouldtransformthebusiness!

Ifwewantourorganizationstothrive,therearetwothingswecanoffer:oneistohelpeveryindividualgivetheirfullabilitiesandtalents;theotheristohelppeopleworkcollaborativelydespiteourcompetitivegenes.Thetwoareinter-linkedbecausemostpeoplewillnotoffertheirfullpotentialinahostile,intimidatingoradversarialclimate(somethriveonitofcourse-nothingiseverthatsimple-butinmyexperiencemostdonot).Bringingoutindividualpotentialandfosteringcollaborationaretwoofthemostimportantskillsneededbyleaders.Theyarethetwocoreskillsmostneededbyconsultantstoo.Wealsoneedtodoalotofaskingandlisteningifwewanttounderstandthe'wholesystem.'FromgivingpeopleagoodlisteningtoIhavelearnedmoreaboutbusinesses,peopleinthemandtheissuestheyfacethanfromanyothersource.Inthisway!havelearnedmoreaboutmyself,too.Ihavelearnedthatineveryoneelsethereisanotherpartofme.

Thischapterwillconcentrateontheone-to-onerelationshipinreleasingindividualpotential.Thenextchapterwillfocusonleadingorfacilitatingteamsinwaysthatbringoutcollectiveexcellenceandfostercreativeandresponsiblecollaboration.

Skillinone-to-onefacilitationorhelping(usewhatevertermyoupreferorwillbemostacceptableinyourorganization)isthebedrockunderlyingmanyofyourpotentialstrategiesasaleaderorinternalconsultant(referbacktoChapter5).Itisacoreskill-seeFigure9.1.A'goodlisteningto'canvaryfromahalforonedayconsultationtoafewminutes.Itdoesnothavetotakeupalotoftime-especiallyif

bothofyouaregoodclientsandknowhowtousesupportwell.Itdependswhatyouwanttouseitfortoo.Developingastrategymayneedhalfadayoroneday.Dealingwithsomefeelingsorgettingreadyforacrucialmeetingmaytakeonlyafewminuteslacedwithatouchofhumour.

Fordirectorsandmanagers,teachingtheirpeopletogiveeachotheragoodlisteningtocanbeanextremelyimportantpartoftheirstrategy.Ontheonehandthiscansavehugeamountsoftheirtimebecause,insteadofcomingtothemforday-to-daysupport,peoplecanmoreoftengotoeachother.Ontheotherhand,thisalsohelpsbuildoneteam.Itbreaksdownbarriers,helpspeople

Encouragingindividualstounblockorganizationaltreaclebydecidingtotaketheinitiativeand'doit.'

Givingyoursupporttoleaderswhocontinuallyfacemassivechangeanduncertainty.

Gettingoutintothebusinessanddevelopingwidespreadfriendships.

Understandingthewholesystem.

Buildingreadinessforchangeandcollectingdatabeforerealtimedevelopmentprogramsorteamevents.

FacilitatingpeopleinsmallgroupsorconsultingtoindividualsonRTMDprograms.

Trainingmanagers,consultantsandotherleadersinfacilitating.

Teachingmentoringandcoachingskills.

Encouragingsupportgroupsandnetworkingandskillingpeopleforthis.

Breakingclownbarriersandinternalcompetition;fosteringpartnershipandcollaborationinstead.

'Givingandgettingagoodlisteningto'isanotherkeywayofdiscoveringourcommonhumanity.

Gettingsupportforyourselfandgivingittokeypartnersandallies.

Figure9.1One-to-onefacilitating:acoreskillforyourstrategies

muchtheyneedtoinformandinvolveeachother.Ithelpspeopleseethewholesystem.Italsofreesupthemanagertoholdlessfrequent,morestrategicallyfocusedsupportmeetingswithherorhispeople.Ahalf-dayoff-sitemeetingeveryquartertoreviewprogress(usingthe'UsefulQuestions'Model)canbeinvaluableascomparedwithastringofshortmeetingsor'Whyhaven'tyou?'meetings,andinmyexperienceitisfarmoreeffectivethanformalappraisalmeetings.Youcangoastepfurtherincreatingpartnershipandmakeita'co-counseling'ormutuallistening

toinwhichthetimeissplitbetweenthetwoofyou,eachgivingtheotheragoodlisteningtointurn.

Fortopmanagers,anotoriouslylonelyrole,theconceptof'gettingandgivingagoodlisteningto'withafewtrustedfriendsorcolleaguesinthebusinessworldcouldbeanotherattractive

Whyone-to-onefacilitatingissoimportant

Facilitatingone-to-oneisfundamentaltotransformation.Itisindividualswhotakeinitiatives,whetherontheirownorinpartnershipwithothers.Everyoneiscapableofofferingleadershipintheirownworkplace,communityorsocietyatlargeandinanexcellentorganizationorthrivingsocietytheywilldoso.Peoplelikethischangetheworld.ByleadershipImeantakingresponsibility,showingthewayandencouragingotherstodosoinwhateverrole,beiteverso'humble.'Peoplearemorelikelytodothisifgivensupportthatisbothencouragingandchallenging.Wewillcomebacktothispointattheendofthechapter.

Therearetwothingsgoingonforus:allthosechangesoutthere-theworldandhowotherpeoplearereactingtoit;thenthereishowyouandIarereactingtoallthis(seeFigure9.2.)Howwereactinsideandthereforeoutsidehasaneffectonwhatgoeson

Figure9.2

outthereintheworld-howotherpeoplereacttoyouandmebutalsohowthewholeuniversereactstowhatwethinkanddo.Ifwewanttochangewhatishappeningoutthereweneedtochangewhathappensinsideus:ourfundamentalattitudesandbeliefs;howweseethings;ourexpectations;whatweprojectaswellasouractions(Chopra,1994).

'Whenyourinnersituationisnotmadeconscious,itappearsoutsideasfate.'C.G.Jung.

'Undoubtedly,webecomewhatweenvisage.'ClaudeM.Bristol.

'Lifeshrinksorexpandsinproportiontoone'scourage.'AnaisNin.

'Everytimeyoudon'tfollowyourinnerguidance,youfeelalossofenergy,lossofpower,asenseofspiritualdeadness.'ShaktiGawain.

Howwereacttowhatisgoingonoutthere

Manypeoplefacemoreuncertainty,moreunpredictableandrapidchange,morestressthaneverbefore.Wecanbevictimsofit.Orwecanthriveonit.Itisourchoice.Muchofthatchoiceisabouthowwereactinside,butsomeofitisabouthowwechoosetoreactoutsidedespitewhatisgoingoninside.Or,maybe,atsomepointwecanchoosealessstressfullifestylebutwecanneverescapeitall.Uncertainty,unpredictabilityandchangearetheveryessenceoflife.Wecanneveravoidthatandweallneedawaytothriveonit.Thekeythingisthatwehavechoice.

IhavefoundthatitisessentialthatItrustmyintuitionandmyheartandthatIlearntodistinguishbetweenintuitionandotherkindsoffeelings.TodothisIhavetolookintomyselfandrecognizeandfollowmy'innerguidance.'OftenIalsoneedtoaskwhatitisinmyhearttodo.Ineedintuition,heartandheadworkingtogether.SometimesIhaveaverystrongurgetodosomethingandIcannotexplainorjustifyitrationally.Afterwardsitbecomesabundantlyclearwhyitwassoimportant.Furthermore,followingyourintuitionisoftentheonlywaythroughacomplex,changingandunpredictablesituation.Goodlisteningneedstoencouragepeopletolearnthislifeskill.Youcannotdothatunlessyouhavestartedtolearnityourself.

Figure9.3outlinessomeofthemostcommonreactionsthatpeoplehave.Theymaynotrevealthisatfirstbutwhentheyfeelsafeenough,thisiswhattheytellme.Clearlyalotofthetimewe'contain'thesefeelingsandgetonwithwhateverwehavetodo,maybeputtingona

braveorsmilingfacetotheworld.Thisisappropriate.Insideitmaybedifferent.Also,especiallyifweexercisechoice,wecanhaveagreatmany'positive'feelingsinthisinterestingandexcitingworldofourswhichisfullofcreativity

Insecurity,anxiety,fearorpanic.

Frustrationanddisappointment.

Angeraboutthingsthatdon'tmakesense.

Resentmentandbitterness.

Confusioninthecomplexityofeverything.

Feelingsofself-doubt,inadequacy,powerlessness,cynicism,evenhopelessness.

Guiltaboutwhatwehavetodoormistakeswemade.

Griefaboutwhatispassingandwehavetoletgoof.

Exhaustionfromthepressures.

Fatiguefromlisteningtothedifficultiesofothers.

Fatiguefromjust'gettingonwithit.'

Figure9.3Wayswereactinsidetowhatisgoingonoutthere

andpotential:anticipation,enthusiasm,highexpectations,hope,joy,satisfaction,calmandgoodfeelingstowardsothers.Thesearenottheproblem.Theproblemoccurswhenwehavedifficultycopingwiththeso-called'negative'feelings.Thesecan,particularlyifweholdontothem,sapourenergy,diminishourcreativity,damageourimmunesystem,affectoursleep,distortourjudgement,andaffectwhatwesee,whatwethinkandhowweact.Wecantakeitoutonothers,actoutourfeelings,dumpthemonothers,makepoordecisions,actwhenweneedtoreflectandnotactwhenweneedtoact.Ifalotofpeoplearedoingthis,itcreatesadeadeningclimate.Insteadwhatweneedisavibrant,excitingonewhichpeoplewanttobeapartofandwhichisattractivetocustomersandsuppliersaswell.

Ourtaskatwork,especiallyintimesofchange,istothinkandact

flexibly,makewisedecisionsandlearnfromourexperiences.Alsoitistoprovideexcellentleadershiptootherswhoarefacingsimilardifficulties,tobehopeful,inspiringandempowering.Forthisweneedallourenergy,goodwillandintelligence.Itishardtodothisifweareweigheddownbyfeelingsthatarenotdealtwith.Wecancontainfeelingsforawhile,'fakeittomakeit,'butnotfortoolong.

Reallyfeelingsarenottheproblem,theyarejustpartofbeinghuman.Theproblemisthinkingtheyareaproblem.Itismore

aboutreconcilingourneedswithwhatisculturallyacceptableinourenvironment.Latinstypicallyexpresstheirfeelings;Britsholdontothemandconfusethoughtsandfeelings.Ultimatelyfeelingscanbethesourcecreativityandenergy;sometimestheyaretellingyousomethingveryimportantsuchas'Idon'twanttodothis.'Thereareallsortsofwaysofworkingwiththem-walking,running,swimming,riding,music,dancing,beatingwithabaseballbat,kickingaball,dramatizingthem,beingfunnyorsillyaboutthem,singing,yoga,meditation,prayer,readingorwriting'morningpages'(Cameron,1995)orgettingagoodlisteningto.

IrememberwhenIwasstartingtowrite.Afriend,RichardAllen,andIdecidedtowriteanarticletogether.Webookedameetingroomtosketchoutthearticle.Istartedsaying'WhoamItowritethisarticle?Idon'thaveanMBA.I'mnotaprofessororbusinessleader.WhatrighthaveItowriteanarticlelikethis?'RichardlistenedtomewithaknowingsmilewhilstIexpressedallmyfeelingsofinadequacy.Thenhesaid'Getonyourfeet;walkroundtheroomandtalk.I'llwritewhatyousayonflipcharts.'Wedidthisfor20minutesorso.Thenweexchangedroles.Afteracoupleofhourswebothhadnotesforwhatprovedtobeaverypopulararticlethatgotusontoseveralconferenceplatforms,mademanyfriends,helpedinrecruitingpeopletoourteamsandlaterbroughtusclients.Iwentontopublishanother30ormorearticles.ThatallsprangoutofRichardgivingmeagoodlisteningtowhilstIwalkedandspokewithpassion.

IamindebtedtoRichardAllenforthediagraminFigure9.4.ItmakesalotofsensetomostgroupstowhomIpresentit.(WhenRichardusestheterm'fizzout'heisthinkingofpeoplewho,withoutsayinganything,exudeanger,resentment,cynicismorpessimism.Youknowtheyhavefeelingstheyarenotexpressingdirectly.Youjustdon'twanttobearoundthemifitisachronicstatethatgoesonandon.)IfindthatifIgetmyfeelingsout,expressthem,whatseemedlikeaproblemthenseemslikeanexcitingopportunity.'Negative'feelingsaresoontransformedinto'positive'energyandexcitement.

Usefulassumptionsaboutpeople

Inmywork,inmyrelationshipsandespeciallywhenIamfacilitatingsomeoneIfinditusefultomakeassumptionsaboutpeo-

Aswithphysicalhurts,sowithemotionalhurtsthereisanaturalhealingprocess.Basicallyitistogetagoodlisteningtosothatyoucantalkaboutorexpresshowyoufeelandgetitoffyourchest.Smallchildrendothisbrilliantlyifweletthem.

Unhelpfulprocess

Figure9.4Thegoodnews-'gettingagoodlisteningto'

Weareinherently...orhavethepotentialtobe...

Highlyintelligent,*flexibleandcreative.

Welcomingtowardschange.

Co-operativeandloving.

Attractiveandlikeable.

Keentodoourbestandimprove.

Enthusiastic,energeticandfun-loving.

Inquisitiveandeagertolearn.

Relaxedandconfident.

Powerful.

*ByintelligentImean,primarily,abletomakefresh,appropriateresponsestoeachnewsituation.However,asCharlesHandysays(Handy,1994),therearemanydifferentkindsofintelligencenotjustacademic,(eg,factual,analytical,linguistic,spatial,musical,practical,physical,intuitiveandinterpersonal).

Figure9.5Usefulassumptionsaboutpeople

ple-seeFigure9.5.Doesthissetofassumptionsstanduptoscrutiny?Certainlyintelligencevariesbutthereareallkindsofintelligence.Weneedthemall.Itissillytoranksomehigherthanothersaswedoinourclass-drivennationalculture.Asaresult,manypeoplegreatlyunderestimatethemselvesoraresignificantlyblockedabouttheirintelligence.IalsoobservethatalmosteveryoneIknow,includingme,iscapableofbehavinginthesepositiveways.Ithinkmostparentsseethisinherentnatureorpotentialintheirsmallchildren-ongooddaysatleast!Ofcoursewedonotalwaysbehaveintelligentlyorintheotherpositivewaysdescribed.Indeedhumanbeingsareallcapableofdoingtheopposite-beingdestructiveanddysfunctional.ButIdobelievewealwayshaveachoice.Ialsothinkthattheseareusefulassumptionsto

haveinourmindsaboutthepeoplewhoworkforandwithus,aboutourcustomersandsuppliers,aboutourpartnersandourchildren-aboutanyoneifwewanttobringoutthebestinthemandparticularlyinafacilitatingrelationship.Inafacilitatingrelationshipitisourjobtoholdupamirrorandreflectwithunshakablecertaintytheotherperson'sinherentnatureorpotential.JuliaCameroncallsthisbeinga'believingmirror'(Cameron.1995).

WhenIwasachildofsevenoreightIwasconstantlytoldbymyteacherthatIwasstupidandbad.ThatisexactlywhatIbecame.ItgottothepointwhereIwastooilltogotoschool.Myparentstookmeawayandmovedmetoanotherschoolwherethe73-year-oldheadmaster(itwaswartime!)believedinChristianlove.InallkindsofwayshetoldmeIwasintelligentandgood.Iflourishedandbecameacademicallysuccessful-alwaysnearthetopoftheclassfortherestofmyschoolcareer.FromthatexperienceIlearnedalotabouthowtoreleasepotential.

Howourpotentialgetsblocked

Sowhatisitapartfromsomefeelings,thatgetsinthewayofpeoplebehavinginthewaydescribedinFigure9.5?MyfriendJohnThatcherhasausefulwayofdescribingthis-seeFigure9.6.

Figure9.6Howwegetblocked

Ourownuniquedifficulties

Startingatthebottomofthepyramid,inthoseformativeyearsofchildhood,ifwearelucky,wearelovedbyourparentsandfamily.Wehavegoodrolemodelsandgetagoodstartatschoolfrom

wiseteachersandgoodfriends.But,despiteeveryone'sbestefforts,mistakeswillbemadeandwemaypickupunhelpfulmessageslike:'becareful','don'ttakerisks','youcanttrustpeople','youarenotveryclever'and'don'thavehighexpectationsoryou'llbedisappointed.'Thisisreallythedistressofourparentsorotherrolemodelsbeingofferedorinterpretedasguidelinesforliving.Alsotheremaybewaysinwhichourparentsarepoormodels,forexample,theyarepoorathandlingconflictorforgivingorgettingwhattheywantinlife,sowedonotlearnhoworweover-compensate.Dadmayhavetroubleexpressingfeelingsorbeanabsentworkaholic.Mummayaccommodateothers,putherselfsecondandavoidconflict,oranonlychildmaynotlearnaboutgiveandtake.Fatecandealcruelblowslikelosingaparentorsibling.Youmayhavenoparents.Mostpeopletriumphoverthesedifficultiesbuttheycanleavescars.OneveryableandsuccessfulentrepreneurIknowwasconstantlytoldbyhisfather'You'llnevermakeasuccessofanything.'Thatdidnothelpanditshowsupinhowheleadspeopleandleadshislife.Heputstoomucheffortintobeingasuccessandmakingmoneyathisownexpenseandtheexpenseofothers.Thequalityofhislifesuffersandsodidhisteam's.!toldyouabouttheteacherwhotoldmethatIwasstupidandbad.AlsoatnightIwasalwayslisteningforaeroplanes,bombsdroppingnearbyandmyparents'fights.Weovercomethesehindrancesbuttheycanleaveuswithpatterns,habitual,unhealthywaysofreactingorseeingtheworldwhichmayemergeparticularlyintimesofstress.Iamsureyouwillrecognizethisinyourselfandotherswhoareclosetoyouatworkorathome.Ithelpsexplainwhyableandsuccessfulpeoplesometimesactinappropriatelyinparticularwaysthatlimitthem.Itisadifficultytheyseemtohave.Thesameappliestomeandyou,weareallinthesameboat-awarenesshelps.

Limitingstereotypesandculturaldifferences

Humanbeingshaveafundamentaldifficultyaboutdifferenceandit

seemstostartaroundmiddleschoolyears.Littlechildrenseemtoplaytogetherquitehappilywhatevertheircolor,raceorreligion.Thensomethinghappens.

My13-year-olddaughterhaslovelywavyhair.Mostofherfriendshavestraighthair.Theycriticizeherforhavingwavyhairandshegetsupset

aboutthis.Therearemanyotherexamples.Intheendtheyallfearbeingdifferentinanyway.Itellhertobedelightedaboutherselfexactlyassheis.Nevermindbeing'cool';proudlybeherself.

AfewmonthsagoIheardastorytellerorchildren'sentertainerdescribinghisexperiences.Four-tosix-year-oldssquatinacircleandjustenjoythemselvesandlaughheartily.Attentotwelveyearstheystartlookingroundtoseeiftheircolleaguesarelaughing.Fearofbeingdifferenthasreplacedspontaneity.

Rightfromthetimewearehavingstoriesreadtousatbedtime,inallourexperiencesasyoungpeople,wearegettingmessagesaboutpeoplein'ourgroup'andpeoplewhoaredifferentfromus.Thesemayinstillstereotypesaboutmaleandfemale,blackandwhite,ourraceandothers,ourreligionandothers,peoplewithdisabilities,peoplewhospeaklikeusandpeoplewhodonot,peoplefromoursocialclassandpeopleinothersocialclasses,peoplefromourregionandpeoplefromotherregions.Wemaynotrealizethisisgoingonsoweendupwithideasandprejudicesabouthowyoungpeopleshouldbehave,howmenandwomenrespectivelyshouldbehaveandtheirrolesinsociety,prejudicesaboutworkingclassormiddleclassorupperclass,prejudicesaboutblackpeopleorwhitepeople,peoplefromtheNorth,peoplefromtheSouth,youngpeople,olderpeople,andpeoplewithdisabilities.Insteadofseeingthemaswhotheyuniquelyare,weseethemintermsofstereotypesandevenaslessthancompletelyhuman-howelsecouldwejustifytreatingthemthewaywedo(forexample,thewaytheNazistreatedJews,thewayIsraeltreatsPalestinians,howtheWestseeArabcountries,howAmericaseesCuba,thewayimperialpowerstreatedthepeopletheycolonizedandrecentmassacresintheBalkansandpartsofAfrica)?Wedemonizefoes.

Thesestereotypescanaffectusintwoways:firstly,thethoughtswehaveaboutthosenotinourgroup,differenttous,andthewaywebehavetowardsthem,and,secondly,wecaninternalizethe

stereotypesinsocietyaboutourgroupandthatlimitsus.Thisrestrictsthewaywebehave,limitsourexpectations,andgetsinthewayofexpressingouruniqueindividualityandpotential.Thisaddsuptoahugewasteofhumanpotential(ourownandothers).Itcanleadbothtomassiveunderachievementandoppressivebehaviorandtheinjusticesthatpeoplehavebeenfightingforgenerationsandwar.

Werightlybelievewearedecent,fair-mindedpeople.Thechancesarethatwearenotfullyawareoftheextenttowhichweareinfluencedbythesestereotypesandthesubtleandhurtfulwaysinwhichwereacttothem.Ifthisispointedouttous,wearelikelytobedefensiveandresistant.Wedonotliketofeeljudgedorguilty.

'Despiteitsbadreputation,awarenessiseverything(oralmosteverything).'B.Oshry.

Howcanwebecomemoreaware?Partlybyreflectingabout:

Whatourprejudicesare.

Howweacquiredthem.

Whatwehaveclonetoovercomethemandfightforjustice.

Whatmorewewilldotoputthingsrightinourrelationships,ourworkplaceandthewideworld.

Youcanaddressthosequestionsonyourownwithanotepadorinasupportgroupofpeoplelikeyouwithwhomitiseasiertobehonestandwhereyouwillnotcauseoffense.Anotheroptionistolisten(nondefensivelyandwithoutguilt)topeopleinothergroupsfromyourstellingyouwhatitislikeforthem(iftheywilltellyou),forexample,blackpeople,peopleofdifferentreligion,women,youngpeople,olderpeople,breadwinners,singleparents,fathers,mothers,workingclasspeople,andpeoplewithdisabilities.Youmaybedeeplymovedbywhattheytellyouabouttheobstaclestheyhavehadtoovercomeandtheabuseanddiscriminationtheyhavesuffered.Ifso,yourviewpointwillalmostcertainlychangeprofoundly.Thereisnothingtobeatlisteningtopeoplewhoaredifferentfromyou.Ifyoufeelprejudice,catchyourself.Theoddsarethatyoulackinformation-seekit.Remember,feelingguiltyorbeingdefensivehasnoplaceinthis.Youdidyourbestatthetime.

Astheworldshrinks,wetravelmoreandmoreofusworkintransnationalorganizationsandcross-culturalteams.Wearelearningmoreaboutourculturaldifferences.Insomerespects,aswelearnfromeachother,wearebecomingmorealike;yetinotherswearebecomingmoredifferentiated,moreawareofouruniqueculturaldifferencesandmoreanxioustoprotectandenjoythem.

Inbusinessthesedifferencescanbebewilderingandasourceofdifficulty,conflictandfrustration.Atfirstwethinkpeopleinotherculturesareextraordinaryandwrong.Thiscanberuinoustobusinessperformance.Perhaps,becausebusinesssurvivalisatstake,wearegraduallylearningtounderstandculturaldifferences,torespectthemand,astagefurther,tolearnfromthem(Berger,1996andseeChapter10).

Organizationnormsthatlimitpeople

Assoonasyoustartworkinginanorganization,youpickupitsculturalnorms.Someareuseful;somearenot.Forexample:youdonotchallengeyourboss;youworklonghoursanddon'ttakeallyourholidays;leadersmustleadontheirown,knowalltheanswersandnotadmitmistakesorshowanyweakness;don'tgetclosetopeopleyoulead;don'tadmittoputtingyourfamilyfirst;don'tsaywhatyouthink;don'tshowfeelingswhethertheybeexcitementordismay;andwearethebest.

OnebosssaidtomewhenIwenttohimprivatelyafterbeingside-linedinareorganization:'Bruce,you'llnevergetonifyoushowyourfeelingslikethis.'Hisadvicewasprobablysoundandwell-meaningbutIthought'poorman'and'poorfamily.'

Somenormsareuniquetotheparticularorganization;somecommontomanyothersandsome,suchastherolesofwomenandblackpeople,aretakenfromsociety;someareessentiallynational.Theeffectistoencouragedysfunctionalbehaviorofvariouskinds,suchasnotspeakingup,competingandoverworkingtoourown,theorganization'sandourfamily'sdetriment.Thislimitsthecontributionthatallsortsofpeoplemake.Ofcourse,ifwewanttobeeffective,wehavetobesensitivetoanorganization'snorms,butwedoneedtosortoutinourmindswhichonesworkwellandwhichdonotandwiselychallengethelatter.

Practicalimplications

Whatarethepracticalimplicationsofallthis?Firstly,ifwewanttohelppeoplebringouttheirpotential,perhapsbygivingthem

a'goodlisteningto,'beingacoachormentor,beinga'believingmirror'orsimplytohelpinourday-to-daycontactswiththem,weneedtobeawareofthefollowingfourthingsthatmaybegettingintheirway(andoursasahelper):

Straightforwardfeelingsaboutthesituationtheyfacethatmayneedtobeacknowledgedandexpressed.

Difficultiesorpatternsestablishedwhentheyweregrowingupthattheyneedtocontradictintheirlivestoday.

Stereotypesaffectinghowtheyviewthemselvesorothers.

Organizationalnormsthatlimitpeopleandneedtobewiselychallengedandchanged.

Thesefourfactorsnotonlyaffectourownlives,theycanalsocreepintoourhelpingofothers.

Theseideasmayalsoexplainwhywehavedifficultyinourrelationshipswithsomepeople.Ourownuniquedifficultiesorpatternsmayclashwiththeirs.That'swhyXis'likearedragtoabull'whenshemeetsY.Ourstereotypesmaypreventusseeingtherealhumanbeingunderthepatterns.Likewisetheymayhavedifficultyseeingtherealyou(orme).Butremember,anychangeinarelationshiphastostartwithyou(orme).You,only,havecontrolofyourownbehavior.

Givingpeopleagoodlisteningto

Aswithanyformoffacilitation-inmanagementdevelopmentprograms,supportgroups,teamevents,wholesystemevents-youneedsuitable:

Conditions.

Processes.

Models.

Whilsthavingagoodmodelyoualsoneedtobefullyresponsivetoyourclient(beclientcentered).Thismeansyourbeing(thisistheparadox)completelyflexibleandabletocastasideyourmodelandtrustyourintuition-thoselittlemessagesthatare

Givingcompleteattention-listeningandobserving.

Thinkingaboutwhattheotherpersonissayingandwhatyounotice.

Rememberingwhattheysaidearlierandlinkingthingstogether.

Listeningtoyourself,hearingyourintuition-thosemessagesthatarecomingup-andevaluatingthem.

Noticingyourfeelingswhicharesoimportantandindicative.Whataretheytellingyou?Perhapswhatisnotbeingexpressed.

Resistingthetemptationtogetinvolvedinthecontent-noteveraskingmorequestionsaboutitthanisabsolutelynecessarytohelpyourclient.

Planningandcontrollingthesession-thinkingaboutwhattheotherpersonwants,thestructuretogetthemthereandhowmuchtimeisleft.

Decidinghowtorespond.

Respondingbysilence,expression,postureandwords.

Figure9.7Theinnertaskoflistening

comingupallthetime.Givingagoodlisteningtoiscomplex.Youaretryingtodoalotofthingsatonce-noteasy-andtomanagethisyouhavetotrustyourintuition.TheinnertaskoflisteningisoutlinedinFigure9.7.Whenyoureadthroughityouwillseethatthereisnowonderthatlisteningisharderworkthantalking!

Theconditions

Therearesomeessentialconditionsforone-to-onefacilitatingandthesearelistedinFigure9.8.Letmecommentbrieflyonthem:Youcannotimposehelping.Toworkwellithastobewanted.Alsoitisnogoodifyougiveitreluctantlyandonlywithhalfamind;itisbettertopostponelisteninguntilyouarereallyready.Secondly,trustandsafetyareabsoluteprerequisitesforthe'client.'Thismeansexplicitconfidentiality,freedomfrombeingjudgedorpunishedandsecurityfromintrusions.

Thepersonbeinglistenedtoneedstobetotallyincharge-theydecidewhattheywilltalkabout,howmuchtheywillreveal,whatsuggestionstheywillfollowandwhatactiontheywilltake.Thisisanessential

Voluntaryandbymutualagreement.

Confidentialandsafe.

Personbeinglistenedtoistotallyincharge.

Reciprocalfacilitating,preferablyequaltimeforeachperson.

Figure9.8Essentialconditions

partofsafety.Ibelievefacilitatingisbestdoneonamutualbasis,ie,weco-counselorlistentoeachotherinturn-firstyou,thenme-andwesplitthetimeequally.Thisavoidsdependencyorcounter-dependency;reaffirmsthatweareequalpartners;dispelsthefalsenotionthatoneofusissuperiortotheother,wiserorlessinneed;re-inforcesourcommonhumanity;andwelearnmore,farmore,bylisteningtoeachotherandteachingeachothertofacilitate.

WhenImanagedateamweallco-counseledeachotherandIgotasmuchbenefitfromtheleastseniormembersasIdidfromthemost.Ithelpedbreakdownallkindsofbarriers,fosteredpartnershipbetweenusandhelpedpeopledevelopfaster.My18-year-oldsecretarywassuperbatgivingagoodlistening.Someyearslatershehadacquiredamastersdegreeandhadbecomeaseniorconsultant.Nowshehasherownbusiness.Iliketothinkthatthelisteningtoshegotfrommeandothershelpedherovercomemanyobstaclesincludingprejudicesabouthergender,age,education,raceandclass.AsamanagerIfoundthathalfaday,ofqualitytime,'listeningto'everyquarterwasfarmoreconstructivethanformalperformanceappraisalmeetings.

Theprocess

Figure9.9givesmysummaryoftheprocess.Thebigissuewithmostpeopleistounlearngivingadviceandsolvingproblemsforpeopleandinsteadtolearntosupporttheclientin'doingitforher/himself.'Thismeanslettinggoofcontrol(verydifficultatfirstformostmanagers)andlettinggoofcontent.Itmeansfocusingallone'seffortonfacilitating-twomindsattendingtoonelife.'Howcan!bestempowermy"client"?'

isthebigquestion.Respectmeanstrustingyourclienttocomeupwiththeirownuniquesolutions,confidentthattheywill.Disrespectmeansofferingsolutionsinsteadofsaying'Trustyourthinking.'

Giverespectfulandcompleteattention.

Respecther/hisbrilliance.

Showdelight,smile.

Highexpectations.

Relaxedconfidence.

Completeinterest-notconcern.

Listen,listen,listen,lookandthink.

Holdingamirrortoher/histruenature.

Followyour'client'doingitforher/himself-donotlead.

Seewhereshe/heisfunctioningbrilliantlyandwhereshe/heishavingdifficulty,ie,where'distress'ora'pattern'isoperating.

Similarlynoticewhereyouarethinkingbrilliantly(andwherenot)abouthowtogiveahand.Trustyourselfandactonyourbestthinking.

Achieveagoodbalancebetweenchallengeandsupport.

IamindebtedtomyAmericanfriend,CharlieKreinerforthesesimplepowerfulideas.

Figure9.9Theprocess

Models

ModelA:Justlisten

Thesimplestmodelofallandmaybethemostusefulisjustlistenandbefullypresent.Thisisabrilliantexerciseforpeoplewhonormallyofferadvice.Sometimes15minutesofbeinglistenedtocanmakeallthedifferenceandisallthatisneeded-nocomment,noresponseexceptalovingface,a'believingmirror'butmaybetheoccasional'goon';'tellmemore'and'keepgoing.'Ishouldknowbetter,butmywife

andchildrenkeeptellingme'AllIwantyoutodoislisten;Idon'twantanyadvice;don'ttellmewhattodo;Iknow;andmostofalldon'tgivemeany''lectures".'Butsometimes!forgetandgetsuckedintoinappropriatelyconcerningmyselfwiththecontent,usuallybecauseIgetworriedaboutthem.

ModelB:Thefacilitatingmodel

Thenextoneishighlyacceptableinbusinesses.Ihaveusedittotrainhundredsofmanagers,internalconsultantsandpeopleworkingwithsmallandlargeconsultancies.Themodelhas

workedwithahugerangeofpeopleincludingallegedlyhard-headedengineersandaccountantswhoarenotsupposedtobegoodatsuchthingsbutmostoftenare.

Onelargeconsultancywhousedthismodeltotrainitspeoplefounditgainedakeycompetitiveadvantage.Becauseitsconsultantsweremoreclientcenteredasaresult,itgotmuchmorerepeatbusiness.Thatisthecheapestwayofgettinggoodbusiness.Soithadabigbusinesspay-off.

WiththehelpofJohnSeddon,nowanindependentconsultantandauthor,wedevelopedafive-stagemodelwhenIworkedinalargefinancialinstitution.Weusedittotrainourselves,otherinternalconsultantsandanarmyofmanagers.Theylovedit.ItisbasedonGerardEgan'sthree-stagehelpingmodel(Egan,1997).IusedtocallitthehelpingmodelbutInowcallitthe'facilitating

1.Contracting Initialdefinitionofpurposeordesiredoutcomeofmeeting.Agreegroundrules,roleof'helper'andphysicalsetting.

2.Buildingarelationship

Gettoknoweachother;sharekeyinformation;buildtherelationshipthroughtrust,integrity,mutualunderstandingandself-disclosure.Understandthepersonandtheirdifficulties.

3.Exploringtheissue

Gettoknowtheissuepresented.Explorethedata,feelingsandissuesunderlyingit.

4.Understandingtheissue/opportunityandsettinggoals

Helptheclientseeunderlyingcausesandpatterns,makesenseofitall,gainfreshinsightsandlearning.Challengeandconfrontyourclienttohelpthemseethingsdifferently.Seetheopportunityundertheissue.Setgoalsforchange.Clarifywhatsuccesswouldlooklike.Whatwillthepay-offbe?Whathaveyoudonebeforethathasworked/notworked?

5.Planningactionand

Turntheneedforchangeintopracticalstrategiesforaction.Whatwillyouactuallydoto

support improve/transformthesituation?Whatmightgetinthewayandhowwillyoutackleit?Identifysupportneededforsuccess.Committoaction.

Figure9.10Thefacilitatingmodel

model,'anamethathasnoconnotationsof'therapy'or'weakness'thatcaninitiallyputpeopleoff(seeFigure9.10).

AsGerardEganoriginallypointedout,thisisadevelopmentalmodelandthetwopartiesmayneedtoreturntoearlierstages.Youmayneedtogobackandrecontract.Youmayfindyouneedtogobackandbuildgreatertrustbeforeyoucanworkwithwhatnowappearstobetheissue.Youmayneedtobuildastrongerrelationshipbeforeyoucanconfrontyourclientonakeyissue,oryoumayfindthatbyconfrontingthemyouaredeepeningtherelationship.Youmayneedtogobackandexplorethedatafurther,or,onlynowthatsafetyhasgrown,canyouworkonthefeelings.Asoneofmymanagerclientssaid:

'It'sabitlikepeelinganonion.Therearelayersandlayers.'

Anotherfeatureisthatthemodelisnotentirelysequential-forexample,youarebuildingtrustallthewaythrough,notjustatthebeginning.Everystepyoutakedemonstratesyourhumanityandintegrity.

ModelC:Theempoweringmodel

AnothermodelIuseisbasedontheEmpowermentModel.BeforeIstartwiththismodel,orindeedanyothermodel,IusewhatIcallbeginningquestions.Iinvitetheotherpersonfirsttotalkabouttwotothreethingstheyarepleasedaboutandthenmaybetoshareanythingthatisgettingintheway,forexample,anawfuljourney,arowwithapartner,orabadnight.ThenIaskgoal-settingquestionslike'Whatoutcomedoyouwantfromthis20minutes?''Whatdoyouwanttotalkabout?''Whatisthebestpossibleuseofthistime?''Whatwouldmakethebiggestdifferenceifyoucouldresolveit?'andmaybe'Howdoyouwanttogetthere?'and'Whatsupportdoyouwantfromme?'Theanswerstothesequestionswillenableyoutoplanastructure

together.Often,however,theheadingsoftheempoweringmodel(Figure9.11)canbeausefulstructuretopropose.

Tokeepthingsontrack,yourintuitionmaypromptyoutoask'Areweworkingonwhatyouwanttoworkon?''Areweworkingonthemostimportantissue?''Wehave10minutesleft-whatwouldbetheverybestuseofthattime?'

Withthis,oranyoftheothermodels,youhavetheoptionofusingflipchartstorecordthegoalsofthemeeting,thestructure

AiringthecurrentsituationTalkingaboutit.Whatisgood/difficult;whatwouldyouliketochange?Sharingfacts,thinking,feelings.Symptoms.

DiagnosingthesituationMakingsenseofitall;drawingitalltogether;whatitboilsdownto;definingthekeyissueorkeyissues.

ThedesiredstateYourvisionofthefuture-howwouldyoulikethingstobe?Ifeverythingweregoingreallywell,howwoulditbe?Ifyousettledfornothinglessthaneverything,howwouldthingsbe?

StrategyoractionWhatwillyoudotobringthisabout?Whatdoyouneedtodo?Whatarethosefewcrucialstepsyouneedtotake?

Whatmightgetintheway?Whatarethepotentialobstacles?Howmightyousabotageyourself?.Whatwillyoudotoensurecompletesuccess?Whatsupportdoyouneed/willyougetforyourselftomaximizeyourchancesofsucceeding,fromwhomandwhen?

CommitmentandsupportFinallythen,whatwillyoucommityourselftodo(includingsupport)?

Figure9.11Theempoweringmodel

youagreeand,thekeypointsordecisions.Youcanpresenttheflipcharttoyour'client'asagift.(Youcandothesameworkonaclipboard.)

ModelD:Thecontradictingmodel

Inthesectionon'Ourownuniquedifficulties'(startingonpage168)Italkedaboutdistressandpatternsandcontradictingpatterns.Igottheseideasfromco-counsellingorre-evaluationco-counseling(Jackins,1973).TheygiverisetoanothersimplemodelwhichIcallthe'contradictingmodel'(seeFigure9.12).Aswithallthesemodels,youcansharethemodelwiththeotherperson,writeitonaflipchart,putitonthewallandaskthemiftheywouldliketouseit.Ibelieveinbeingcompletelytransparentwithmyclients,alwayssharingmymodelswiththem,what!amdoingandwhy.Wecanthencollaborate

bettertogetheraspartners.Itisanotherwayofbuildingsafetyandtrust.Itgivesthemasayinhowweworktoo.Italsohelpsdeveloptheirskillsasfacilitators.

Stage1Whatistheunderlyingdifficultyordistresspatternhere?Andhowdiditstart?

Stage2HowcanIbesthelptheotherpersoncontradictit?

Stage3Suggestorofferacontradiction.

Stage4Askthe'client'whatthepay-offorbenefitswillbeif,fromnowon,theycontradictsthepattern.

Stage5Askwhatspecificstepsshe/hewilltaketomakethesehappenandwhatsupportshe/hewillget.

Figure9.12Thecontradictingmodel

Letustakeanexample.Theotherpersonkeepsshowinglackofconfidenceintheirintellectualabilityandsayinginvariousways'1amnotthatbright.'Youknowhowthisstarted-herelderbrotherexcelledatschoolanduniversityandgotalltheirparents'praiseandencouragement.Infactyouknowsheisveryintelligent.Onethingyoucandoissimplysay'Youareveryintelligent'or'Trustyourthinking-youareveryastute'orask'Whatwouldyoudoifyoutrustedyourthinkingabsolutely?',oryoucanofferanaffirmation.Suggesttoherthatshesays'ThetruthisIamverybrightindeed.'Thiswillalmostcertainlymakeherlaugh(withrelief?)orencouragehertowritedownanaffirmationlike'FromnowonlamgoingtorecognizejusthowbrightIam'andkeeplookingatitdaily.Anotherapproachistosuggestshecompletesthisstatement:'1nowacceptthatIamaverybrightpersonandthebenefits(orpay-off)willbe.............'Shethentellsyouallthebenefitsoflivingherlifeonthebasisthatsheishighlyintelligent.Youlistallheranswersonaflipchartandkeepaskingformore.Finally,youlistallthechangesshewillcommitherselftomaking.Thiskindofexerciseusuallyproducesalotoflaughteranditisbestdonewithhumor.Itisfunbuthastheseriousintentofcommittingthepersontomakingimportantchanges.Itcanbeusedforawidevarietyof'patterns,'forexample,over-working,lackofconfidence,criticizing,worrying,accommodatingothers,havinglowexpectations,neglectingourneeds,constantlyhurrying,puttingourselvesunderunnecessarypressure,etc.

Itiseasytothinkupappropriatecontradictions.Theyareusuallysimplytheoppositeofthedistress,forexample,forsomeoneconstantlyhurrying,'Ihaveallthetimeintheworld,'or'IwilltakethetimeIneed'or'Iwilldothiseffortlessly.'

'Contradicting'canalsobeusedtochallengepresentthinking,helppeoplereframe,getthemselvesintoadifferentmind-setand

seethingsinanentirelydifferentlight,forexample,toseesomethingthatappearsthreateningoraset-back,ifnotadisaster,asanexcitingopportunityfullofpromise.Therefore,the'client'maybeencouragedtosayabouttheapparentdisaster'Whatagift!'or'Iwelcomethisgoldenopportunity,'or,aboutamistake,'Whoops,here!goagain.'Themorehumorouslyandlight-heartedlythisisdone,thebetter!Ithelpstomakelightworkofourdistresspatterns.Wecanlaughourwayintoacompletelydifferentmodeofthinking/

Humanbeingsarecapableofholdingmanymodelsintheirheadsatthesametimeanddrawinguponthemasappropriate.Iknowthat,whenIamfacilitatingothers,Idrawontheseandprobablymanyothermodels.Istartbyfindingoutwhatmy'client'wants.ThenIusemyintuitiontoguidemetouseonemodelortopickandmixormaybenottouseanymodelatallandjusttrustmyintuitiontoguideme,orItrustmyclienttoknowwhatsheneedstodoandaskherthebestway.

ModelE:Thereviewingprogressmodel

Beforeyoufinishgivingagoodlisteningtosomeone,itisagoodideatoaskwhetheryoucangivethemanyfurthersupport,forexampleafollow-upmeetingtoreviewandsustainprogress.ForthispurposeausefulmodelisgiveninFigure9.13.

Thereisagoodreasonforstartingwithtriumphs.Mostpeoplewillhavedifficultyappreciatingjusthowmuchtheyhaveachieved,sometimesagainsttheodds.It'contradicts'theharshself-criticthatisinusallandinsteadputsusinamorebalanced,self-valuing,hopefulstateofmind.Whenwefeelgoodabout

Whatisgoingwell?Celebratemytriumphs.

Whathasbeendifficult?Whataretheset-backsordisappointments?

WhathaveIlearnedfromtheseexperiences?

Whatchangeshavetakenplaceoutthere?

Setnewgoals.

WhatdoIneedtotacklenowthatwillotherwisegetintheway?

Commitments:actionandsupport.

Figure9.13Reviewingprogressmodel

ourselves,aswedeserveto,wethinkbetter,wearemorecreativeandwearemorelikelytoaimhighandhavehighexpectationsofourselvesandothers.Wewon'tdothisweigheddownbyself-criticismorguilt.

Continuouslearningandimprovement

Ihaveadvocated'co-counseling,'ie,twopeoplefacilitatingeachotherinturn,bothgivingandgettingagoodlisteningto.Oneofreasonsforthisisthatwelearnalotmorebytakingturnsinboth'helper'and'helped'roles.Also,itisasimportanttobeagood'client'asitistobeagood'facilitator.'Thereissomethingincredible,andincongruousabouthelpingothersandyetnotbeingskilledinbeinghelped.Thatcanseemarroganttoo.(Indeed,Iwouldgosofarastosaythatifyouareinanymajorfacilitatingroleitisdangerousnottohavea'supervisor'or'shadowconsultant').

Itisimportanttodevelopanauthenticrelationshipwithclientsandpartners.Forme,itwasahugestepforwardinmydevelopmentwhenIdiscoveredthatoneofmyconsultants,whomIgreatlyadmired,hadasmanydifficultiesasIdid-justdifferentones!RogerHarrison'sbookhadthesameeffectonme(Harrison,1995).ItisoneofthemosthonestbooksIhaveread.

Weneedtodevelopbothsetsofskills-helpingandbeinghelped.So,attheendofeachlisteningto,bothpartiesneedtotakepartinabriefreviewtodeveloptheirskillsas'helpers'and'clients.'Thisisaboutbeinghumbleandrigorous.Firstdoareviewofthehelping:

Whatthefacilitatordidthathelpedorseemedtohelp(twotothreespecifics).

Whatthefacilitatormightdodifferentlynexttime(onespecific).

Thefacilitatorreviewsfirstandthenreceivesfeedbackfromthe'client.'Next,reviewwhatthe'client'didthathelped,thenwhatthe

clientmightdodifferently.Firsttheclientreviews;thenthehelper.

Noticethewaythequestionsarephrasedinanon-judgmentalway.Thatisimportantasitiseasiertoreceivefeedbacklikethat.Alsonoticethatthefavorablefeedbackcomesfirst.Mostofusarequitesensitivetowhatweinterpretascriticism.Wecanhearsuggestionsforimprovementmoreeasilywhenthereismorepraisethancriticism,whenitisphrasedinanon-evaluativewayandwhenwehavecommentedonourownperformancefirst.Itisimportanttobeconciseandtothepointwithfeedback.Ramblinglongpiecesoffeedbacktakeupalotoftimeandcanbequiteboring,sothinkfirst.Conductingareviewlikethisattheendofahelpingsession,isasimpleandeffectivewayofteachingpeoplehowtogiveeachotherfeedback.

Givingfeedback

Giving,seekingandreceivingfeedbackareextremelyimportantskillsforpeopleinorganizations.Yetalotofpeopleflinchfromgivinghonestfeedback.Equally,peoplearereluctanttoaskforitandhavedifficultyreceivingitnon-defensively.Mostofusaresensitivetocriticismandneitherwishtohurtnorbehurt.Manyofushavehadbadexperiencesofbeinghurtbyinsensitivefeedbackorbeingpunishedforgivinghonestfeedback.Yetultimatelywecanbemorehurtbynotbeinggivenhonestfeedback.Thisisonewaybusinessesfail-'NooneevertoldmeIwasfallingdowninthejobuntilitwastoolate'and'HowcanItrustpeopleiftheyonlytellmethegoodnews?'Peopleoftentalkabouttheproblemwitheveryoneexceptthepersonwhomostneedstoknow.Howcanwetrustpeopleiftheyarenotauthenticwithus?Authenticityisthefoundationoftrustandpartnership.

Althoughitisnoteasy,thereareprinciplesforgivingfeedback(seeFigure9.14)andthesearemorelikelytoproveconstructive.

Phrasingfeedbackinthefollowingwayismostlikelytowork:

First, 'ThesearethethingsImostappreciate/valueaboutyou...'or'Whatyoudothatreallyhelps/contributesis...'or'Yourmostvaluablecontributionsare...'

Then, 'Asagoodfriend,mysinglepieceofadvicetoyouis...'or'Mysingle"dodifferently"is...'

Itisimportanttobeconcise,truthful,nottowrapitupandyet

Feedbackismorelikelytobeactedonwhen:

Itisaskedforbytherecipientorofferedandonlygiveniftheotherassents.

Thetimingisright.Asimmediateaspossiblebutwhentheotherfeelsreceptive.

Thereisastrongrelationshipoftrustandgoodwill.

Thebalanceisright,ie,muchmoreappreciationisgiventhancriticism.

Itisphrasedinanon-evaluativeway-concise,accurateanddescriptive.

Itisgivenasfromonelovingfriendtoanother-someonewhocaresalotaboutyouandtheorganizationinwhichyouwork.

Figure9.14Givingfeedback

tobesensitiveinhowyouphraseit.Astherecipientitisimportantnottoqualifypraisenortodefendyourselfagainstadviceorsuggestions.Youmayclarifyitifyoureallyneedto,butotherwisesay,withgenuineappreciationforwhatisagiftandoftenrequiresbothcourageandmuchcarefulthought:'Thankyou.'Youmaydecidesimplytoreflectorsometimessaywhatyouwilldoaboutitifyouarereadyto.Resistthetemptationtoexplain,justifyordefend.Thisqualityoffeedbackisnotanattack.Inthissortofclimateitisrecognizedthateveryoneistryingtodotheirbestanddoesnotdeservetobeblamed.Feedbacklikethisisgiveninaspiritoflovingconcernforyouandtheorganization.Theleastwecandoisbegratefulandawarethatalmosteveryone'sinitialreactionislikelytoberesistance.

Givingandreceivingfeedbackisnotamajorpartof'givingandgettingagoodlisteningto.'Generally,theroleofthefacilitatorisnottoexpressopinionsorgetinvolvedinthecontent,butsometimesthe'client'willaskforfeedbackandyoumaydecidetogiveit.Alsochallengingyourclientbyofferingfeedbackisappropriate.

Sometimesyourintegritydemandsthatyougiveit.Ihaveincludeditinthischapterbecauseitisanimportantpartofbuildingreallytrustworthyandlovingworkrelationships.Itissuchanimportantpartoflearningandyetweseemtohavesomuchdifficultydoingit.Sooftenitleadstoargumentandpunitiveanddamagingconflict.Wehavetoagreenottogodownthatroute.

IfwedonotwanttobemembersofwhatmyfriendMaryThompsoncallsthe'cozyclub'weneedtolearnhowtogivelovinglyandreceivegratefullywhatshecallsthe'lovingboot.'IknowIstrugglewiththepainofitunlessIamgivenalotofreassurancethatIam'OK,'particularlyintheeyesofthepersonwhoisgivingmethefeedback.


Berger,M.(1996)Cross-CulturalTeamBuilding-GuidelinesforMoreEffectiveCommunicationandNegotiation,McGraw-Hill,Maidenhead,UK.

Cameron,J.(1995)TheArtist'sWay-ASpiritualPathtoHigherCreativity,PanBooks,London,UK.


Egan,G.(1997)TheSkilledHelper:AProblemManagementApproachtoHelping,6thedition,Brooks/ColePublishing,PacificGrove,USA.

Handy,C.(1994)TheEmptyRaincoat-MakingSenseoftheFuture,Hutchinson,London,UK.

Harrison,R.(1995)Consultant'sJourney-AProfessionalandPersonalOdyssey,McGraw-Hill,Maidenhead,UK.

Jackins,H.(1973)TheHumanSituation,RationalIslandPublishers,Seattle,USA.

Oshry,B.(1995)SeeingSystems-UnlockingtheMysteriesofOrganizationalLife,Berrett-Koehler,SanFrancisco,USA.

10TransformingTeamworkValuingdiversityandfosteringcollaboration'Reallearningcomesaboutwhenthecompetitivespirithasceased.'J.Krishnamurti.

'Whenwedon'tseesystems,weareattheirmercy.'BarryOshry.

'Poweristheabilitytoactasifyoucanmakehappenwhateveritisyouwanttomakehappen,knowingthatyoucannotandbeingwillingtoworkwithwhateverdoeshappen.'BarryOshry.

'Godlovesdiversity.'M.ScottPeck.

'ResponsibilityisbelievingthatIaminchargeofmyownbehavior.'SirColinMarshall,Chairman,BritishAirways.

Thisisastraightforwardandpracticalchapterwhichwillbeusefultoanyonewhowishestohelpateamorgroupworkbettertogether-whetheryouareamemberorsomeoneoutsideinvitedintohelp.

Thenameofthegamefororganizationsistosurviveinanunpredictableandpotentiallyhostile,potentiallybenignenvironment.Thisrequiresthediversecontributionsofeveryoneintheteam,alltheirdataandmore,alltheirdifferentkindsofintelligence,energyandinitiativeandtheircommitmenttoacommonpurpose.Wehumanbeingsdonotfindthiseasy.

IstartedthechapterwithsomequotesfromBarryOshrywhoseinsightsintothepatternsofrelationshipsinorganizationallife

arefascinating(Oshry,1995).Iamparticularlyindebtedtohimforhisanalysisofthebehaviorof'tops','middles'and'bottoms'andtheirilleffectsonthecustomer-moreaboutthislater.NowIwanttoputasidehisbookanddrawonmyownexperiencesandwhathundredsofpeoplehavetoldmeaboutwhatgoesonintheirteams.

Thebigissueinteamsishowcantheyrejoiceinthediversityanddifferenceofindividuals(seethisasablessingratherthanaproblem)andyetcombinetoachievecommonpurpose.Oftenthisseemsimpossible,forexamplewhenateamisdoingthe'danceoftheblindreflex,'asBarryOshrycallsit,unawareofthepatternsthataffectit.Therearetwocommonsolutions:oneistodominate,marginalizepeoplewhoaredifferentandforcethemtosubmit;theotheristoexpelpeoplewhoaredifferentandrecruitclonesorpeoplewhosubmit.Botharedangerousstrategies.Theyoftenleadtoblindness,deafnessandcomplacency.Isthereathirdway?Inthischapterweshalltrytofindit.

Thefamilymeeting-recentlymywife,Suzanne,andIwereshoutingateachotheroversomeconflict.Thechildrenheardus.FirstGeorge,theyoungest,said'Whydon'tyousitdownquietlyandtalkabouthowyoufeel?'Hannahofferedusahugandthensaidshehadreadinabookaboutafamilywhoheld'Indianmeetings.'Theyregularlygottogether,satinacircle,eachspokeinturn,whileeveryoneelselistened.Whydidn'twecometoherroomanddothat?Shespuna'talkingstick'andthepersonitpointedtowastostartfirst.Noonewastointerrupt,sheexplained.Suzanne,mywife,suggestedwefirstspeakabouthowwefelt.Thechildrenfacilitatedus-keptustothegroundruleswehadagreed,ie,tolistenandnotinterrupt,justify,defendorcriticize.Wedidthesameforthem.Firstwetalkedabouthowwefelt,thentheissuesthatconcernedus.Attheendweallfeltbetter;therewasakindofcalm.Wehadallbeenheard.SuzanneandIhadresolvedourconflict,giveneachothersomeessentialinformationanddecidedonanaction.Alsowehadmadesomeagreementswiththechildrenthatwouldremedysomeoftheirfrustrations.

WeallagreedtomakethisaregularmeetingonSundaymornings(Iamsorrytosaywehavelapsedonthisregularpart).

Teams,bigorsmall,arenotunlikefamilies.Ithinkthisillustratessimplywhatoftengoeswronginteams,howanyone,nomatterhowjunior,canintervenetobreakthe'dance'andwhatcanbedonetomakethingsworkwell.Perhapsthesimplest

andmostimportantthingpeoplecandoisagreetolistentoeachother.

Whatgoesoninteams-thepatterns

Herearesomeofthethingsthathappeninteamswhentheyarenotfunctioningwell.Thetops(oftenwhite,middle-agedmales)feelburdened,isolatedandresponsible;dominatethetalking;controltoomuch;bullyortalkloudlyandforalongtimetogettheirway;thinktheyareright;donotwelcomedivergentviews;anddonotadmitmistakesorthattheydonotknow.Theybehavelikewarringbaronsandfightoverterritory.Thebottomsholdthetopsresponsible;blamethetops;complainaboutlackofdirection;stayquiet;criticizethembehindtheirbacks;andareoppressedandfeelpowerless.Themiddlestendtofeellikepiggyinthemiddle,andareinanimpossibleposition,tryingtomeeteveryone'sdemands,andseeingallpointsofview.Sometimestheyadopttops'behavior;sometimesbottoms'behavior.Oftentheycompeteandblameeachothertoo.Customers(internalorexternal)wonderwhyallthesepeoplecannotgettheiracttogetherandtheyoftensufferpoorservice,poorquality,poorvalueandhugefrustrationwhentheytrytogetcomplaintsputright.Bottomsalsowonderwhytopsandmiddlesareinsuchchaos-particularlyastheyareoftenclosesttotheproduct,customerorsupplierandseetheconsequences.

Otherthingshappen,notnecessarilyconnectedwithtops,middlesorbottoms.Allthefactorsdescribedinthepreviouschaptercancomeintoplay-stereotypes,theculturallimitationsoftheorganizationandindividualblockages.Somepeopledoalotoftalkingandnotmuchlistening;theirviewsprevailwhileothersstayquiet,getdrownedoutorarenotheard.Theremaybeundercurrents,feudsandbattlesforpowerandcontrol.Theseissuesarenotaddressed.Indeedmanyissuesarenot.Oftentheatmosphereishostile:thereisahighdegree

ofcompetition,criticism,'trashing'doneopenlyoroutsidemeetings.Issuesarenotbroughtoutintotheopenbecauseoffearorfeelingsofinadequacy.Similarly,peopledonotadmittomistakes,notknowing,ornotunderstanding.Thereisalackofopennesstonewideas.'Groupthink'prevails.Becausetheyarenotsufficientlyinvolvedordonotriskexpressingthemselvesandtheirviewsarenot

heardorappreciated,manyteammembersfeel'turned-off',disengaged,cynical,angryorfrustrated.Notthattheyshowit,ofcourse.Theytrytolookhappyandaccommodating.Sometimestheysuspectthemeetinghasbeenriggedandtheissues'sewnup'beforehand.Theymayhavelittleinterestintheagendaiftheyhavenothelpedcreateitandthemeetingfeelsboringandritualistic.Peoplearewaitingforthemeetingtoendsotheycangetoutandgetbacktosome'realwork.'Andmeanwhiletheissuesthatmattermosttothemhavenotbeenresolvedandtheystillhavenosenseofcommonpurposeorcleardirection.

Thisisadangerousandwastefulwayforanorganizationorteamtobehave.Ateamneedstounderstandthewholesituationandthewholesystemneedstocontributetheirdata.Itneedsasharedvisionandasenseofdirectionandcommonpurpose.Thewholesystemneedstocontributetoagreeingkeystrategiesandindividualsneedtoenthusiasticallydecidetheactionstheywilltakewithinthebiggerframework.Thiscannothappenintheclimatedescribedabove.

Inateamthereisalwaysthepossibilityofeitherdestructive,dysfunctionalbehaviorontheonehandorcreative,responsiblebehaviorontheother.Ithelpsifwecanfirstseeclearlywhatwearedoing(awareness),seethatitispartlypatternsthataresystemicratherthanpersonalfailures(ie,theytendtohappeninanyorganization)andthenexercisechoice.Anyonecanhelptheteamdothis.Howevertheyneedtoexpectresistance-'thesoundoftheolddanceshaking'(Oshry,1995)-andnottakenoforananswer.

Breakingthepatternsandcreatinganewvisionofteamwork

HereIshouldliketoofferpracticalsuggestions-thingsyoucando.Ishallincludeanumberofmodelswhichyoucanbringintoplay,adapt,pickandmix.Somehavetheirrootsinthe'empowerment

model'or'usefulquestionsmodel.'

Beforehandwork-buildingreadiness

Assumingthatthereisanintentiontoholdaneventsuchasameeting,itmayhelptotalktoeachmemberoftheteambeforehandtostarttheirthinking,bringouttheirenergytochangethings

Whatdoyouenjoyaboutbeingamemberofthisteam?Whatdoesitdothatworks?

Whatisdifficultaboutbeingamemberoftheteam?Whatdoesnotwork?

Howwouldyoulikethingstobedifferentintheteam?Whatisyourvision?

Whatwouldbethepay-offifitwerelikethat?

Whatareyoupreparedtododifferentlytobringthisabout?

Howcouldthemeetingweplanhelp?Whatwouldbetheoutcomesifitwereacompletesuccess?

Figure10.1Qualityoflifeintheteam

forthebetter,helpthembecomeclearaboutwhatoutcomestheywant,collectdataabouttheirthinking,andstartinvolvingtheminplanningtheevent.Usuallyitismucheasierforpeopletoexpresstheirviewsinprivatetoanindividualtheytrustthantodosoinagroup.Itisusuallyeasiertobuildtrust,anddevelopreadinesswithindividualsthanwithagroup.Ifitisaverybigteam,youcantalkwithacrosssection.SomesuggestedquestionsaregiveninFigures10.1and10.2.Thefirstsetisappropriateifthekeyissueishowtheteamworkstogether.Thesecondsetmayapplyiftheissueishowwellitfunctionsasasysteminitsenvironment.

Whatarethekeychangestakingplaceintheenvironmentaffectingthisorganizationorteam?

Howistheteamresponding:well/notwell;succeeding/failing;systemworking/notworking?

Whatisyourvisionofhowthingsshouldbe(thedesiredstateorsystemifeverythingwereworkingwell)?

Whatneedstobedonetobringthatabout?

Whatkeyissuesorobstacleswillgetinthewayunlesstheteamtacklesthem?

Howcouldthiseventhelp?

Whatwouldbetheoutcomesifitwereacompletesuccess?

Figure10.2Howtheteamperforms

Questionslikethesewillprovidetheteamwiththedatatheyneedtosetprovisionalobjectivesfortheirevent.Dependingonthenumbersinvolved,twofacilitators,perhapsonewhoisamemberandonewhoisnot,couldcollectthisdata,summarizethekeyissuesveryconciselyandproposeobjectivesandasimplestructuretoenabletheobjectivestobeachieved.Itislikelythattheteamwillbesurprisedbythedegreeofcommonground.

Symbols

Ifwewanttotransformteamwork,symbolsareimportant.Wheretheeventormeetingisheld,thewaytheroomisarranged,whethereveryoneisincluded,whospeaksfirst,howlongpeoplespeak,howlatepeoplework,theattentionpaidtophysicalneeds(food,exercisefacilities,whethertherearealternativestoalcoholorstimulantslikecoffee),whethertoppeoplearefull-timeparticipantsorvisitors,howtheybehave-allthesethingsandmoreconveymessagesaboutthevaluesoftheorganization.Carefulthoughtneedstobegiventoensurethat,whateverchoicesaremade,theyarecongruentwiththekindofteamworktheleadershipwantstocreate.

Otherthingstoconsiderareseatingarrangements.Ifpeopleareseatedandworkinacirclethissuggestsnohierarchyhere.Iftablesareremovedthissuggestsopenness,flexibilityandnobarriers.Ifpeopleareinvitedtotakeaturntospeak,inturnroundthecircle,thatmaymakeiteasierfordiffidentpeopletoexpresstheirviewsanditimpliesnopeckingorder.Youmaysuggestcontradictingsomeofthestereotypes(mentionedinChapter9)byinvitingyoungerpeople,womenorthosewhohavenotyetspoken,etc.,tospeakfirst.Butthiscouldseempatronizing.Explainwhyyouaresuggestingitandseehowpeoplereact.Alwaysbetransparentaboutyourprocesssuggestionsandexplainyourthinking.Encouragepeopletotrynewthingsbeforedecidingwhethertorejectthem.

Beginningwork

Icallthesebeginningquestionsopeningcirclesbecausepeoplespeakinturn,goingroundthecircle.Itissimilartothetalkingstickwhichisanotheroption.Ifind,particularlyifIhavenotbeenabletotalktopeopleindividuallybeforehandorifwe

SomethingsIampleasedabout.Oneortwosuccessestocelebrate.

HowIamfeeling.Whatithasbeenlikeforme.

OutcomesIwantfromthismeeting-myhighestexpectations.

Figure10.3Feelingsandexpectations

havenothadapre-meeting,afewsimplequestionswillenableateamtoclarifytheirgoalsforameetingorevent(seeFigure10.3).

Thepurposeofthefirstpromptistocontradictthefeelingthat'Ihaven'treallyachievedanything.It'sallbeenprettybadreally.'Itistogetintouchwiththerealitythatwehavemadeprogressdespitedifficulties.Thesecondquestionenablespeopletogetthingsofftheirchests,expresstheirfeelings,learnfromeachotherwhatithasbeenlikeindifferentpartsofthesystemandunderstandtheircommonhumanity.Theywillbuildtrustbyriskingbeingopenwithoneanother.Throughthisprocesstheywillalsodiagnosethefundamentalissuestheyneedtotackle.TimeandagainIfindthathowpeoplefeelishowmanyotherpeoplefeelintheorganization.Theyareamicrocosm,abarometer.Thisdiagnosiswillenablethemtosetobjectivesoroutcomesfortheirmeeting.Theprocesswillenablethemtorecovertheirenergytoo.

Isuccessfullyusedfeelingstodiagnose,releaseenergyandsetgoalswhenIwasaskedtofacilitateagroupofleaderswhoweretryingtotransformqualityintheirorganizations.Theirenergywaslowandtheylookeddepressed.IgotthemtotalkabouthowtheywerefeelingandIwrotewhattheysaidonflipcharts.Basicallytheyfeltdejected,manipulatedbytopmanagementandpowerless.Afteranhourwehadafairlycomprehensivediagnosisofwhatwasgettinginthewayofqualityimprovement.Bynowtheywerefeelingmuchmoreenergized.Wesoonsetobjectivesforthemeeting.Theydevelopedasharedvision,freshstrategiesandplansfortransformingqualityintheirorganization.

Figure10.4givesquestionswhichwillproducenotonlyasharedvisionfortheteambutalsothegroundrulesnecessarytocreatethatvisionand

againstwhichperiodicprocessreviewscanbeheldItislikelythatthegroundruleswillbeaddedtoand

HowIwantthingstobeinthisteam-myvisionforitifwearetoperformandlearntoourhighestpotential.

Thegroundrulesthisrequires-thebehaviorthatIwantfromothersandthatIwillcontribute.

Figure10.4Developingavisionoftheteamwewanttobe

modifiedwithexperience.Itisoftenagoodideatogetpeopletoworkfirstinpairs,listeninginturn,whiletheothersayswhatitislikenow;howtheywouldlikeittobe;andwhatbehaviorthatrequires.Peoplecanthenworktogethertobuildateamvisionandteamgroundrules.First,theteamtalksaboutitsvision;thenthebehaviorthatisneeded.Eachpersonoffersoneideanotalreadymentioned;thentheremaybeanotherround.Thentheteamidentifieswhatallagreeto,ie,'commonground'andwhatis'notagreed.'Figure10.5listssomeofthemostimportantgroundrulesfortransformingtheclimateinateam.

Showrespectforeveryone'sopinion.

Listen,reallylisten,anddon'tinterrupt.

Beasconciseasyoucan.*

Proposeareviewortime-outorsomelight-hearted,sillygamesifthegroupseemstobegettingstuck.

Noblaming,'trashing'orjokesatanother'sexpense.

Appreciateothers.

Behonest-riskspeakingyourtruth.

Respectconfidences.

Everyonetakesresponsibilityfortheoutcome.

Havefun.

Havegoodworkingconditions.Takecareofyourphysical,energetic,emotional

andspiritualneeds.Wearecomplexbeings.

*Theimportanceofbeingconciseisthat,ifyouarenot,peoplemayfeelboredandlecturedatandfinditdifficultnottointerruptyou.

Figure10.5Groundrulesforateam.

Corework

Thecoreworkofateamistoconstantlyscanitsenvironment,rigorouslyappraisehowwellitisrespondingandtakethenecessarystepstoimproveandsurvive.TheEmpowermentModelprovidesausefulbasisforthis-sodotheothermodelsinChapter8.Letusassumetheteamisholdinganeventtodothiswork.Ithasalreadyagreedgoalsandgroundrules.Figure10.6givesausefulstructureitcanuse.

Thetrickhereistocreateabigpicturetogetherworkinginthewholegroupandusethefreedomofopenspaceorflexibleprogramandindividualworktoenableeveryonetotakeindividualinitiatives.Workinthewholegrouprequireslotsofwallspace.Abasicgroundruleisrespecteveryone'struthandvalueeveryone'scontributiontounderstandingthewholesystem.

Wholegroup

Ourenvironment-whatishappeningoutthere?

Ourcurrentsystem-howwellareweresponding?

Ourvision-thedesiredstate-howwouldthingsbeifeverythingweregoingwell?

Ourstrategy-whatarethekeystepsordecisionsweneedtotakeorchangesweneedtomaketosurviveandthrive?

Openspace-flexibleprogram

KeyIssues-whatarethekeyissueswe/Ineedtotacklethatwillotherwisegetintheway?Workonthem.

Groupsworktogetheronsharedissuesorinterests.

Individualsworkinsmallgroupsorpairsonindividualissues.

Actionsandsupport

TheactionsIwilltakeandthesupportIwillseek.

Wholegroup

Publiccommitmentstoactionsandsupport.

Reviewanddecisionsaboutfollowuporinvolvingothers.

Figure10.6Creatingsharedvisionandstrategy

Whencreatingasharedvisionandagreedstrategyitmayhelptodistinguishbetween'agreedbyeveryone'and'notagreed.'Includetheformerandsetasidethelatter.The'flexibleprogram'enablesindividualstoproposeissuesthatneedtobetackled,enlistthesupportofothersanddecideontheindividualstepstheywilltaketobringaboutthesharedvision.Thisapproachreleasesindividualenergiesandgiveseveryoneasenseofcontributinginthebestwaytheycan.Itavoidscreativepeoplefeelingconstrainedortyrannizedbyamajority.

Afterwork

Itreallyisessentialtohaveafollow-upsession.Someclientsdonot.Thereasonsareunderstandable-dailypressuresandcost-butnothavingafollow-upgreatlydiminishesthechancesofsucceeding.Iwouldgoasfarastosayitisnotrigorousorfullyresponsibletoinvesttimeinplanningandnotreviewprogresstogether.Itsendsoutamessageofnotreallyintendingtosucceed.Itsquanderstheinvestmentoftimeandmoney;encourages'disappointmentandcynicism;impliesalackofcommitmenttochangingandisquitesimplyunprofessional.Ausefulframeworkforafollow-upisgiveninFigure10.7.Typicallyadayortwoareneeded.Halfadaymightbesufficient.

Rebuildingtheclimate.

Rigorousreview-celebratesuccesses,sharedifficulties,whereIdidnotsucceed,howtheenvironmentchanged,whatIlearned,keyissuesInowwanttoworkon.

Openspaceorflexibleprogramtoworkonkeyissues,newgoalsandstrategies.

Newcommitmentsincludingsupport.

Reviewandplanfurtherfollow-upsandhowtoinvolveothers.

Figure10.7Follow-up

Duringwork

Lettinggoofcontrolandgoingintothemess

Oftenateamneedstogetintoamess,sinkintowhatfeelslikethedepths,stepintoconfusion,expressitsresistance,feelanger,

fear,cynicism,resentment,grieforwhateveritneedstofeel.Mostofusdonotlikethis.Itisextremelyuncomfortableformanypeople:membersoftheteam,itsleaderorafacilitator.Wemayfeelresponsible,incompetentandafraidwewon'tcomeoutofthisintoaclearbluesky.Asfacilitatorswemayfeeltemptedtohelptheteamout,makeproposals,solveproblems,soothetheteamandtakechargeofthesituation.Usuallythisisquitethewrongthingtodo.Insteadweneedtostaywiththediscomfortoftheteamandourown;encourageorallowtohappenwhateveritisthatneedstohappen;showrelaxedinterestandconfidenceintheteam(sometimesthisisnoteasy;Icanpanicinside).Resistingitwillmostlikelybringtroublefallingdownonyourhead.Wehavetotrustthatthisistheworktheteamneedstodoandwhenitisdone,theteamwillrecoveritsenergyandcreativity.

OneteamIwasworkingwithwerefacingreorganization.Somewoulddowellinthenewset-up;somewouldnot.Therewasalotofgriefandsomeangertowardstheleaderforthewaythereviewhadbeencarriedout-notinvolvingallofthemsufficientlytheythought.Theyneededtogetintothemessofexpressingtheirdiversefeelings.Theleaderwaswiseenoughtolistentothemwithoutdefendinghimself.Whentheyhaddonethis,theywereabletogetonwiththeconstructive,creativeworkofplanningimplementationwithgoodwillandresponsibility.

Workinginpairs

InthepreviouschapterIdescribedtheprocessofgivingandgettingagoodlisteningto,ie,pairupandlistentoeachotherinturn.Inmyexperiencethisisanextremelygoodprocesstouseduringteammeetingsorevents-tohelppeopleaccessanddealwiththeirfeelings,processorreflectonwhattheyhaveheard,accessandworkontheirownresistanceanddiscoverwhattheyreallythinkandwanttodo.Oftenitisusefulforpeopletopairupandlistentoeachotherinturnbeforetheysharetheirthinkingwiththewholegroup.Itcanbeextremelyvaluableifthegroupseemsstuck.Peoplefirstworkinpairs

sayingwhattheythinkishappeningbeforetheysharetheirinsightswiththewholegroup.Itisawayofavoiding'groupthink':ifyoufirstdiscoverwhatyouthink,youwillbelessinfluencedbywhatothersthink.

Ithasotheradvantages:teachingpeoplehowtolistenanddemonstratingthebenefitsoflistening;breakingdownbarriers;developingtrust;helpingpeoplerespectandvaluediversity;and

helpingpeoplediscovertheircommonhumanity.Andwhenyoulistentoanotherhumanbeingexpressingtheirintimatethoughts,youlearnaboutfacetsofyourself.Thegoldenruleislisten;beabelievingmirror;donotinterrupt.Whenpeopleareworkinginpairs,listeningtoeachotherinturn,theroomisnoisywiththebuzz;it'sfullofenergy.Itisquitedifferentfromwhatoftenhappensingroups-deadness,dullnessandsilence.

Givingfeedback

Whenasufficientlycloseandtrustingclimatehasbeencreated,itmaybeappropriateforpeopletogiveeachotherfeedback,perhapsone-to-oneandprivately,perhapsinsmallgroups,perhapsinawholegroup.Theeventmaybeagoodopportunitytodothisworkwell.Figure10.8givesausefulformatforthis.Therecipi-

WhatImostvalueaboutyouasamemberofthisteam(maybetwosentences).

OnesuggestionImaketoyouasagoodcolleagueorlovingfriend-somethingyoushoulddodifferently.

Figure10.8Givingfeedback

entmaythanktheotherperson,clarifyifreallynecessarybutitiswisenottodiscuss,defendorjustify.Itmustnotbeusedasanopportunityto'dump,'attackorsettleoldscores.Feedbackneedstobegiveninaspiritofgenerosity.

The'rugbyball'

Therearethreethingsthatrequireattentioninanevent:task;processandfeelings(seeFigure10.9).Thereisatendencyinmostteamstoconcentratesinglemindedlyonthetask.Yousug-

Figure10.9therugbyball

gesttheteamdecidespurpose,objectivesandaframeworkforgettingtherebutbeforeyouknowwhatishappening,theyimmediatelyplungeintothetask.Theydonothearwhatyouaresayingtothemaboutobjectivesandprocess.Ithelpstheteamtocontractwithsomeonefromoutsidethegroupwhowillfacilitatethemandfocussinglemindedlyontheprocessandnoticingfeelings.Ortheteamcandecidetorotatethistaskroundthemembersoftheteamsothateveryonelearnshowtodoitandthustheteamdevelopsitsawarenessofprocessandlearnstoshareresponsibilityforit.Thetaskentailscontractingwiththegroupaboutwhattheywantthefacilitatortodo;whattheytheteamwillberesponsiblefor;whattheobjectivesofthemeetingare;whatframeworkwillenablethemtoachievethoseobjectives;reviewinghowtheteamisworkingtogetherandagreeingwhateverchangesintheprocessareneeded;reviewingprogresswiththetaskandwithlearning;noticingfeelingsanddecidingwhatthosefeelingsmean;drawingattentiontotimeboundariesand,ifagreed,givingfeedbackaboutwhatthefacilitatorobserves.

Feelingsareimportant.Thefeelingsofthefacilitatorareoftenareflectionofthefeelingsofthegroup.Thefacilitatormaybea'barometer.'Sometimesfeelingsmaysimplybepartofthenormal'roller-coaster'thathumanbeingsexperienceastheyworkondifferentstagesofthetask.Sometimesthefeelingsmayindicateanissuethatneedstobebroughtoutintotheopen-akeyissuethatisnotbeingdealtwith-orthattheprocessneedstobechanged.Areviewtobringthesefeelingsoutintotheopenandfacilitateadiscussionmaybemostconstructive.

Reviewingwork

Reviewsareanimportantpartofeffectiveteamwork-checkinghowwelltheeventisworkinganddecidingwhetheranychangesareneeded.UsefulreviewquestionsaregiveninFigure10.10.

WhatIhavegained(thusfar).

WhatIhavelearned.

Whathashelpedourprogress.

WhatIsuggestneedstobechangedor'donedifferently.

Figure10.10Reviewofbenefitsandprocess

Thisworkcanfirstbedonein'listeningpairs'andthenshared.Noticethatthefocusisonthepositive-notoncriticismbutpositivesuggestions.Thisapproachenablespeopletoappreciatehowmuchtheyaregainingandlearningandwhatworks,ratherthanencouragingthedestructivepatternsofcomplaining,faultfindingandblamingwhichhumanbeingsarejustascapableof.Anend-of-dayreviewcouldincludethequestion'WhatIwilldotohelpmyselfandtheteamworkevenbettertomorrow?'Thisencouragespeopletotakeresponsibilityforthesuccessoftheeventratherthanblameothers.

Anothersetofquestionscanbeusefulifthegroupseemsstuck-seeFigure10.11.Firstpeople'listeninpairs';thentheyshare

WhatIhavenoticed.

Mydiagnosisofthis.

WhatIsuggestwedodifferentlytosortthisout.

WhatIwilldodifferentlytohelp.

Figure10.11Diagnosingtheprocess

theirthinkingandagreethewayforward.Itreallyisessentialthateveryoneacceptsresponsibilityforthesuccessofanevent;theydonotblameorholdthefacilitatorresponsible;andtheychoosetointerveneconstructivelywhentheyseeaneedandriskmakinga'mistake.'

Endingwork

Icallthese'closingcircles.'Theworkofendingincludesmakingcommitments,expressinggratitude,appreciatingpeople(includingself,othermembersandleadersorfacilitators),celebratingthesuccessoftheevent,reviewingandlearningfromwhatworkedandwhatmayneedtobedonedifferently,planningfollow-up,preparingfortheoutsideworldandsendingpeopleawayfeelinggoodaboutthemselves.Youwillbe

abletothinkofallsortsofwaysofdoingthesetasks.Somehavebeendescribedalready.Theyneedtobebriefaspeopleareusuallytiredandkeentogetawaybynow.Perhapsitismostimportanttomakesureeveryonegetssomeappreciation.Itcanbepublic-eachpersonreceivesappreciation,forexampletwoorthreesentences

fromthepersonontheirleft,oritcanbeprivate-eachpersonisgivenasheetofpaper,thepersonnexttothemwritestheirnameonthetop,writesasentenceofappreciationunderneath,foldsthepaperoverthewordsandpassesittothenextperson.Thusitgoesroundthecircleandtherecipienthasanicegiftofappreciationstokeepandreadasoftenastheywish.Usuallythismeansagreatdealtopeopleandtheycanrefertoitwhenlifeisdifficult.IhaveanoldbriefcasefullofsuchpiecesofpapertocheermeupwhenIamgivingmyselfahardtime.

Cross-culturalteambuilding

Iamindebtedtomyfriend,MelBerger,forthiscontributiononcross-culturalteambuilding.Formoreinformationandcasestudyexamples,seeBerger,1966.

Whendealingwithpeopleofdifferentcountriesandcultures,'rejoicingindiversity'takesonanaddeddimension.Peoplewhohavegrownupandlivedinanothercountryorregionalculturearegoingtohavedifferentbasicapproachestoworkandpersonalrelationshipsandaboutwhatisthe'natural,''commonsense'waytodothings.Thisislikelytobedeeplyinbred,stemmingfromdifferentchild-rearingpractices,educationaldifferencesandworkmethods.Weareallraisedwithasetofvalueswhichinfluenceourattitudesandbehavior.Thesevaluesarereinforcedbyparents,teachersandmanagerialbosses.Tonotconformistorisknon-acceptancebyourcommunity.

Becausevaluesaresobasictoeachperson,andoftennotconscious,youareunlikelytogetotherstochangetheirbehaviortowardsyours.Thebestyoucanhopeforistounderstandtheother,atleastpartially,andtorespectdifferences.Basedonunderstanding,itbecomespossibletorecognizetheculturalstrengthsandskillsthateachhastooffer,andblendthemtoachieve'cross-culturalsynergy.'Forexample,someculturestendtofocusmoreonthelong-termwhileothersfocus

onshort-termresults,andyetothersonbuildingaconsensus.

Whenconsultingtoaculturallydiversegroup,thestartingpointistocollectdataaboutpeople'sviewsandpreferences.CulturalvalueswhicharerelevanttobusinesspracticesarewellspelledoutbyHofstede(1980)andTrompenaars(1993).Theyhaveidentifiedvalueswhichdifferentiatecountries,someofwhicharesetoutbelow:

Openness

WhilemostWesterncountriesvalueopenness,inmanypartsoftheworlditisseenasupsettingtheharmonyofthegroup.Peoplewillnotspeaknegativelytowardsothersintheteamandtheywillnotbeimpolitetoyou,thequestionasker.Theymaynoteventellyouthattheydon'tunderstandyouforfearofinsultingyou.

Authority

Whilewevalueparticipation,delegationandempowerment,thisiscontrarytomanyculturesinwhichthemostseniormanagerisexpectedtoknowallandmakethedecisions.Ifyoustartquestioningajuniormanagerinfrontofaseniormanager,bothpeoplewillbeupsetandembarrassed.

Structure

Whenorganizingwork,somecultureslikealltherulesandprocedurestobespelledout,whileothersliketohavethefreedomtoactastheywish,aslongasitisdirectedtowardsagreedobjectives.

Toteaseouttheculturalbiases,youneedtoaskpeoplehowthingsaredoneinadescriptivemanner,andlateraskthemhowtheywouldideallylikethingstobe.Forexample,theymayfeelthebossisanautocratbutthatiswhattheyprefer.Youalsoneedtobecarefultophraseyourquestionsneutrallywithoutrevealingyourviews.Otherwise,peoplefromapoliteculture,forexamplemanyAsiancultures,willtellyouwhattheythinkyouwanttohear.Youarelikelytogetclosertoanopenanswerinaone-to-one,moreprivatesetting.Thegroupsettingmaybetoopublicforpeopletoreallysaywhattheythink.Youmayalsogetsomegoodanswersfromasyndicategroupdiscussionbutrecognizethatthemostseniormanagerislikelytobetheonetotellyouwhatthegroupthinks.Ifyouvalueeveryonebeingopen,youwillprobablybefrustrated.Ifyoupushforfullandopen

sharingofviews,youwillprobablyalienateyourselffromtheteam.Remember,also,thatitwilltakelongertogetinformationandhaveadialoguewithpeoplefromdifferentculturesthanfromyourown.Trustmaybehardertobuildandcriticaltoachieve.Thiswillbemoststronglyfeltwherethere

aredifferencesinlanguagefluencyandinone'snativelanguage.

Insummary,whenworkingwithmulti-culturalgroups,youneedmuchpatiencetofullyunderstandeveryone'sviewsandpreferences.Itwilltakemuchmoretimetoreachaconsensusamongstdifferentpartiesthanyouexpect.Ifyoucanremaincuriousandinquiring,youwillsucceedandlearnalotaboutthecultureofothersandyourself.

Conclusion

Ihaveusedallthesemodelsandapproaches.Theycanworkwithteamslargeorsmall,afewlevelsormany.Theprocessesjustneedadapting.Theydowork.Peoplemayfindnewwaysembarrassingandexpressresistance,butthatisjust'thesoundoftheolddanceshaking.'Youwillhelpthemifyouarerelaxed,confidentandflexible.Pushinghardagainstresistancewillonlymakeitstronger.Don'tgiveup,don'ttakenoforananswer,andkeeponandonbutinarelaxedandconfidentway.

Ithinkyouwillfindthat,byusingsomeofthesemethodsinteams,youwillgivepeopleaglimpseofwhatispossibleandwhatmostofthemhave,intheirhearts,alwaysyearnedfor.Youwillgivethematasteoftheteamtheyhavealwayswantedtobelongtoandavisionoftheteamtheywillcreate.


Berger,M.(1996),Cross-CulturalTeamBuilding,McGraw-Hill,Maidenhead,UK.

Hofstede,G.(1980),Culture'sConsequences,SagePublications,London,UK.

Oshry,B.(1995),SeeingSystems-UnlockingtheMysteriesofOrganizationalLife,Berrett-Koehler,SanFrancisco,USA.

Trompenaars,F.(1993),RidingtheWavesofCulture,TheEconomistBooks,London,UK.

11UsingSupportGroupsandNetworkingforChange'Surroundyourselfwithpeoplewhorespectandtreatyouwell.'ClaudiaBlack.

'Choosecompanionswhoencouragemetodothework,notjusttalkaboutdoingtheworkorwhyIamnotdoingthework.'(Anaffirmation.)JuliaCameron.

Whyyouneedsupport

Transformingyourcompanycanbehardwork.Ithasitsjoysbutitcanbeexhaustingandattimesdiscouraging.Youencounterallthefeelings,stereotypesand'patterns'describedinChapter9-yourownandthoseofothers.Inparticularyouencounterresistanceandbecausethatusuallyrequirespatience,itcanbefrustrating.Itisnoteasytokeepupenergy,optimism,enthusiasmandgoodwill.Itishardtomaintainrespectfordifferencewhenyoubelievesomeoneisprofoundlymistaken.Maybeitwillbeeasierifyoudecidetogiveupjudging.Neverthelessitishardwork.Itcanbeextremelylonelyfortoppeoplewhomayfeeltherearemanythingsthattheycannotconfideintheircolleagues.

Itisnotsurprisingthatpeoplelooktoothersforsupport.Itmakesgoodsensetodoso.Throughouthistorypeoplehavebeengatheringroundthempeopletheytrust.Thischapterisaboutdoingthis

Whenitworksandwhenitdoesnot

Thereisatendencytoseekoutcolleaguesandbuildateamaroundyouwhoarelike-minded.Historyprovidesnumerousexamplesofpeopledoingthis.Atanextremetheymaybeyes-menandflatterers.Thisisadangerousthingtodo.Andyetweneedanoasis,ahavenfromthenormalday-to-day,oftenhostileworldwherenoteverythingissweetreasonandlight;wherepeoplebehavelesswellthantheywouldlike;losetheirtempers;attackeachotherandcompete;andsometimesbetrayconfidencesorstabyouintheback.

Attimesyouneedaplacewhereyouwillbenurtured;yourwoundswelldressed;wherethereisa'believingmirror';whereyoucanreflectonwhathappenedandhowyouactedwithoutbeingjudgedorattacked;whereyoucanexpressyourfeelingswithoutguilt,nomatterhowextremeoroutrageoustheymaybe;whereyoudon'tneedtohideanything;youcantrustpeople;youcantalkaboutthemostdifficultandconfidentialissues.Thisplacemaybeamongstyourfriendsinsidethecompanyoroutsideamongstpeoplewhohavenoconnectionwithitandwhohaveanequalneedforcompleteconfidentiality.

Gettingrobustsupport

MyfriendMaryThompsonhasaneatmodel,thesupportgroupmodel(seeFigure11.1).Goodsupportmeansagoodbalanceofgentlenurturingontheonehandandchallengeontheother(whatMarycallsthe'lovingboot').That'sreallove.Ittakesalotoftrouble,careandjudgmenttoknowwhenandhowtodeliverthe'lovingboot'-andtojudgewhenthereisenoughtrustforittobeacceptedasagiftfromafriendwhoreallycares.Ihavelearnednottotrustpeoplewhodonottellmewhattheyreallythinkandonlygivemethegoodnews.EquallyIhavelearnedtoavoidpeoplewhoareaddictedtocruel

criticism(Ihaveknownsomeconsultantslikethat);discourageme;don'tnurturemytenderideas;can'treallygiveanyoneelseattentionformorethanafewsecondswithout'turningthetables,'reversetheprocessandtalkingabouttheirownproblemsinstead;liketooffermesolutions;can'tstanditwhenpeopleexpressfeelings;trytoprotectmewhenIneedtofeelmyfeelingsfully-in

Figue11.1Supportgroupmodel

otherwordsdonotreallyrespectme.'Respect'saysitallforme:itimpliestheyknowIamstrongenoughtofacethetruth;handlemyfeelingsandthatIamcreativeenoughtofindmyownsolutions.AlsoIdonotwantsomeoneasasupporterwhowilltakesidesorcolludewithmeinanyway-forexample,withmytendenciestoblockmyself;reactinflexibly;resistchange;forgetmyvision;lookontheblackside;underestimatemyselforblameothersinsteadoftakingresponsibility.Iwantsupporterswhowillencourageme;believeinme;remindmeofmyvision;andchallengemegentlybutrelentlessly;notprotectmefromthetruthnorallowmetodeludemyself.ThatisthekindofpersonIcantrust-someonewithawarenessandintegrity.

Asupportgroupisaplacewherepeoplearegivingtheirverybesttoeachother.Wecan'tkeepthisupallthetimeintheheatofthekitchen-butwecanandmustdoitinasupportgroup.

Callitwhateveryoulike

Ifyoudonotliketheterm'supportgroup'callitwhateveryoulike.Callita'goldencircle.'JuliaCamerondescribes'SacredCireleshersuperbbook(Cameron,1995).

Choosingmembership

WheneverIgetthechance-onarealtimemanagementdevelopmentprogram,atateamworkevent,workingone-to-onewithpeopleorwhentrainingtheminfacilitatingskills-Iencouragepeopletoformsupportgroups.Asupportgroupcanconsistofpeoplefrominsideoroutsidetheirorganization-ideallyboth.Isimplyaskthemwhosesupporttheywantorneedand,iftheynameonlytwoorthreepeople,Iaskagainandagain,ifnecessary.Itisunwisetorelyononlyoneortwopeoplebecauseitplacestoogreataburdenonthem-especiallyifoneisyourpartner.IalsoencouragetheformationofsupportgroupsasoneofthemainworkplacesduringanyworkshopIfacilitate.Iinvitepeopletochoosetheirownmembership.Iofferthecriterialistedin11.2.

Intuition-takefirstthoughtsseriously.

Peopleyoutrustandadmire.

Peopledifferentfromyou.

Peoplewhowillnotcolludewithyou.

Peoplewhochallengeyouinsomeway.Youmaynotfindthem'comfortable.'

Agoodmixture.

Peoplewhocanlisten.

Figure11.2Criteriaforselectingmembers

Avoidingthe'cosyclub'

Ifasupportgroupbecomesa'cosyclub'itprobablywillnotlastlong.Oftenpeoplesay:'Let'smeetforlunchordinner'or'haveadrinktogether.'Thisisanenjoyable,nicethingtodo.Butthisisleisuretime,relaxation.Itisnotasupportgroupmeeting.Intheseconditionstherearetoomanydistractionstoworkrigorously.Norisasupportgroupa

discussiongrouporadebatingsociety.Thepurposeofasupportgroupistohelppeopletransformtheirorganizations,orsocietyortheirlives.

Norwillitworkunlessthereissufficienttimeforeachperson(sayfourtosixpeople)togetenoughtimefortheworktheywant

todo.Probablyhalfadayoratleasttwohoursisneeded.Alsosomeoneneedstofacilitate.Theroleoffacilitatoristothinkaboutthegroupanditsneedsbeforehand;findandarrangeavenue(ordelegatethistask);planandproposeasimplestructureorprogram;activelyfacilitatethegroupwhenneeded;makesureeveryonegetsanequalamountoftimetodotheirwork;keeptime;orappointatime-keeperandplananeffective'openingcircle'andanappropriate'closingcircle'includingareview,appreciationsandagreeinganewdateandvenue.Itisbesttorotatethefacilitator'srole.Thisappliesequallytothedifferentrolesoffacilitatingthemeetingasawholeandfacilitatingindividualsduringthemeeting-whicheveryonecando.Otherwisethegroupwillencouragedependencyononeorafewpeoplesupposedlygoodatit.Thatwillultimatelyleadtoresentmentand'counter-dependency,'ie,rebelliousordestructivebehavior.Andthegroupwillmissthechancetodevelopeveryone'sfacilitatingskills.Anotherjobofthefacilitatoristobealerttotheformationofcollusiverelationships.Itneedstobe'oneteam,'ie,everyonegivingtheirbesttoeveryoneelse.Ihavebeeninsupportgroupswheretheleaderandanotherformacollusivepair.Iwasinanotherwhereonepersonwasoftenleftoutofbeingaskedtofacilitateone-to-one.Ultimatelythisgroupdidn'tworkwellandbrokeupasaresult.Ihavebeeninsupportgroupswhereeveryoneseemsartificially'nice'-allhugsandappreciation.Thiscanbearelieffromtherealworldatfirstbutintheenditmademefeelsickandangry.Suchagroupdoesnotsurvivelongbecausepeoplearenotbeingsincereorauthentic.Idonotwanttobeattacked,criticizedandabused-Iamnotamasochist-butIdowantthatessentialbalancebetweenencouragementorwarmthandchallenge.Iwant'real'peoplewhoarebeingauthentic.Authenticityisfundamentaltopartnershipandtrust.

Basicprocessesforasupportgroup

Insomewaysasupportgroupmeetingislikeateamworkevent.Similarprocessescanbeused.Yetofcourseasupportgroupisnotateam.Thebigdifferenceisthatthefocusisonsupportingeachindividual-notdecidingateam'sfuturedirectionandhoweachindividualwillsupporttheteam'spurpose.Theessentialroleofmembersofasupportgroupistogivetheircollectiveat-

tention,giveeachotheragoodlisteningtoandeverythinginChapter9applies.

Firstmeeting

Ifthegrouphasnotmetbefore,agoodprocessforthefirstmeetingmaybeformemberssimplytotelltheirlifestories.Forthispurposeitmaybehelpfultosuggestsomeheadings(suchasthosegivenforintroductionsatthestartofarealtimemanagementdevelopmentworkshop,seeChapter6),oritmaybebettertoleaveitopen.Thenpeoplemaybeinvitedtosharetheirhighestexpectationsofthesupportgroup;itspurpose;theirexcitingvisionforwhatitwillbe;whattheywantfromit;theworktheywanttodo;thekindofsupporttheybenefitfrom;andhowoftentheywanttomeet.Thiscanleadtodefiningitspurposeandagreeingacharterorgroundrules.Someoneneedstorecordanddistributethis.Itiseasytoforgetpurposeandgroundrules.Iftrustistodevelop,itisessentialtocontractonconfidentiality.

Secondmeeting

AtasecondmeetingitmaybeusefulforeachpersontodotheworkoftheEmpowermentModel.Thiswillenableeachpersontothinkthroughthesituationtheywanttotransformanddecidetheactiontheywanttotake.Italsoenableseveryonetounderstandwhateachpersonistryingtodoandthesupporttheyneed(seeFigure11.3).

Myexperienceisthatitisbetternotto'speaktothegroup'butinsteadtoinviteonepersontofacilitateyouthroughthisagenda.Thisempowersthatpersontohelpyouthroughitintheirown

Majorenvironmentalforcesmyorganizationfaces.

Howmyorganizationisrespondinganditsfundamentalissues.

Myvisionandpurpose.

Mystrategy.

KeyissuesIneedtotackle.

Actionsandsupport.

Figure11.3Developingvisionandstrategy

uniqueway;promptyou;encourageyou;andhelpyouwithyourblocks.Theycan'tdothatifeveryoneis'pitchingin.'Ihaveoftenseenthathappenanditcanbeveryoff-puttingtothe'helper.'Thoughwellintentioneditmayarisefromunawarecompetition.Thereneedstobeagreementthatotherswillnotinterruptwhilethisworkisgoingonandthateveryonewillgivetheircompletebutsilentattention.Silentattentionispowerful.Youcaninvitefeedbackfromeachpersonwhenyouhavefinishedyourwork.Ithinkitneedstobestressedthatasupportgroupisnotadiscussiongroup.Onewaypeoplecancolludewitheachotherandavoidrealworkisbyhavinginterestingacademicdiscussions.Thatisnotthebestuseofasupportgroup-notitspurpose.Itisabigtime-waster,andoftenaformofunawareresistance.

Subsequentmeetings

Havingdonethisgroundwork,theprimarypurposeofsubsequentmeetingsistohelpmemberstriumphovertheupsanddownsofmakingchanges;celebratetheirsuccessesandworkthroughdifficulties;feeltheirfeelings;fulfilltheirdreamsandvisions;learnandgrow;andcreatenewvisionsfortheirlivesandwork.

Ausefulagenda(basedonUsefulQuestionsModel)foreachpersontoworkonisgiveninFigure11.4.

Celebratemysuccesses.

Talkaboutmydifficulties,disappointmentsandfeelings.

Shareinformationabouthowmyenvironmenthaschanged.

Setnewgoals.

Workonwhatwillotherwisegetinmywayoutthereandespeciallyinme.

Mycommitmentstoactionandsupport.

Figure11.4Reviewingprogress

Reviewing

Attheendofeachpieceofworkitisusefultoconductabriefreviewof:

Whatthehelperdidthatworked.

Whatthehelpermightdodifferentlynexttime.

Firstthehelpercomments,thenthe'client.'WetalkedaboutthisinmoredetailinChapter9,thereisnoneedtorepeatithere.

'Openingcircles'and'closingcircles'

Whoeverisfacilitatingthemeetingneedstoproposeawayofbeginning.Theirsenseofwherepeopleareandtheirintuitionwillguidethemastowhatisappropriate,seeFigure11.5foronepos-

WhyIampleasedtobehere.

Anythingthatisgettinginthewayofmybeingfullypresent.

Twogoodthingsthathavehappenedrecently.

WhatIwantfromourmeeting.

Figure11.5Openingcircle

sibility.Icallitacirclebecause,the'talkingstick'goesroundthecircle,eachpersonspeakingwhentheywanttowithoutgettinginterrupted.Theagendaofthemeetingwillemergefromwhatpeoplesay.TheymaywanttofollowFigure11.4,orsomethingelsemayemerge.Itisimportanttosensehowpeoplearefeelingduringthemeeting.Feelingsmayindicatethattheprocessisworkingwellorthatareviewisindicated.Ifthegroupisalargeone,itisalwayspossibletosplitintopairsortwoormoresmallergroupstodowhateverworkpeoplewanttodo.Noteveryonemaywanttodothesamething.

Endingsareimportant.Figure11.6givesonepossibilitythatfocusesonwhatpeoplehavegained,whathashelpedthemeet-

WhatIhavegainedorlearnedtoday.

Whathasworked.

WhatIsuggestwedoordodifferentlynexttime.

Figure11.6Closingcircle

WhatIappreciateabout(thepersonontheleft).

WhatIappreciateaboutmyself.

WhatIhaveappreciatedaboutthewayyouhavefacilitatedthisevent.

Figure11.7Appreciations

ingworkandpossiblechangesthatareneeded.Itisusefultoconsciouslykeepimprovingandlearninginthisway.Itwillsendeveryoneawayfeelinggoodiftheynotonlyencapsulatewhattheyhavegainedbutalsogiveandreceiveappreciation-appreciateeachother,themselvesandthefacilitator(seeFigure11.7).

Itisraretoreceivehighqualityappreciation.Itcanmakesuchadifferencetoourworkandourlives.Wecanlearnmoreaboutouruniquenessinthisway,alsoitisusefulforusto'ownupto'whatweappreciateaboutourselves.Itenhancesoursenseofourselvesanditisimportantthatwereallyvalueouruniquegifts-giftsweweregiven,giftsweoffertheworld.Thiscanbedifficultformanypeople.

Itisfunnyhowpeopleoftenargueaboutanyappreciationtheyaregivenjustasmuchastheydefendthemselvesagainstanycriticism.Itisbesttoreceivebothgraciously,beopentoitandreflectuponit.Difficultiesinreceivingeitherappreciationorcriticismareformsofblockagewhichworkagainstfulfillingourpotentialtoachieveallwearecapableof.Ithelpsperhapstoseethesedifficultiesasformsofresistance,waysinwhichweblockourselves.

Self-love,self-esteem

Self-loveor,ifyouprefer,self-esteemisacrucialissue.IknowthatwhenIfeelgoodaboutmyselfIfunctionbetterineveryway.Iammoreabletorecoverfromset-backs,learnfromdifficulties,mistakesorcriticism.Imakewiserdecisions;Iammorerelaxed;moregenerous,moreflexible,morehumorousandIammoremytrueself.Iammore

likelytoachieveagoodbalancebetweenmyresponsibilitiesandmyownneeds.Ichoosebraver,bolder,more

interestingoptions.Iamlesslikelytothinksmalloractonresentment.InshortIamamoreattractiveandlovinghumanbeing.

YetmostpeopleIknowstruggletomaintaintheirself-esteemandsenseofself-worththroughtheupsanddownsoftheirlives.Ifwereallylovedourselves,wouldoursenseofwell-beingbesodependentonwhatotherpeoplethoughtaboutus,howsuccessfulwewere,ourstatus?Formanypeopletheirsenseofself-worthseemsquitefragile.Wepainfullycompareourselveswithothersandmeasureourworthbytheoutwardtrappingsofposition,power,achievements.Iknowthissometimesappliestome.ItisasifIamnotreallyworthanythingasidefrommysuccessesandachievements-apainfulstateofmind.IcatchmyselffeelingbadasIcomparemyselfwithsomeoneelse,theirsuccesses,theirskills,theircar,theirhouse,etc.HowcanIbesosilly?Iamuniqueandsoismycontributionandmyjourneythroughlife.Thissortofcomparisonispointless.Isthefragilityofouregosattherootofgreed,competitiveness,thedesiretoberight,dominateandcontrol,towintheargument,knowtheanswers,andourdifficultyinadmittingmistakes?Dowesometimessurroundourselveswithelegantpossessionstocompensateforinneremptiness?IamsureIdo.Dowetrytomakeourselvesfeelgoodbytryingtobebetterthanothers?Ifsooursecurityisextremelyprecarious.Isuspectthisisattherootofmuchoftheadversarial,competitiveandterritorialbehaviorthatbedevilsrealteamwork.Theremustbeabetterway.Itistofindoursecurityandsenseofwell-beingwithinourselvesratherthanoutside.Thenwemaybeabletobegoodstewardsandbetterabletomakeresponsibledecisions.

Ithelpstobelongtoasupportgroupinwhichpeopleexpresstheirappreciationofyouandloveyouforwhoyouare,notforwhatyouare,whatyouknoworwhatyouhaveachieved.Youcanlearntovalueyourselfunconditionally.Ithelpedmewhenonememberofasupportgroupsaidtome:'Bruce,youdon'thavetodoanotherdamn

thingtoproveyourworth.'

Trustyourthinking-theprincipleofthefirstthought

Weknowalotmorethanwethinkweknow.Someofwhatweknowisintuitive.Thereisatendencytodiscountitbecausewecannoteasilyexplainitorgivereasons.Similarly,ourdreams

(ourvision)arehardtoexplainandsometimesdifficulttojustify.Yettheyareextremelyimportant.Lifeispartlyaboutfulfillingourdreamsandthiscanbethemostgenerousandresponsiblethingtodo.Itusuallyleadstogivingourgifts.Whywewantpassionatelytodothesethingsandtheirimportancemayonlybecomeapparentintime.Oftendoubtssetineitheraboutourintuitivethinkingoraboutwhatwedeeplywanttodo.IhaveaconstantdoubterandcriticinmyheadthatIhavetosilencefirmly.Ineedbelievingnotdoubtingfriends.IfindIneedgoodfriendswhowilltellme:'Trustyourthinking-don'tdoubtit';similarly:'Trustyouroriginalvision-goforit.'Muchthesameappliestofeelings.Oftenyourfeelingsaretellingyousomethingextremelyimportant.Atthebeginningyoumaynotknowwhatitis.Iusedtosaytomyself'Stopbeingsounreasonable.Pullyourselftogether.Belikeotherpeople.Lookatthem,theyallseemfine'.NowIaskmyself'Whataremyfeelingstellingme?''WhyamIfeelingsobored?''WhyamIfeelinglow,notexcited?''Whydon'tIwanttodothis?'Itisnogoodarguingyourselfoutofyourfeelings.Ifyouthink'WhydoIfeelsouncomfortablewiththisdecision?''Whatdeeplyheldvaluesarebeingcontradictedhere?'perhapsyourheartistellingyousomething.Againyouneedfriendswhowillencourageyoutoacceptthemessagesofyourheart.Youmayneed'agoodlisteningto'or'morningpages'(Cameron,1995)tofindtheanswers.

Ifyouarefacilitatinganothermemberofyoursupportgroup,questionslikethesearehelpful:

'Ifyoudecidetotrustyourthinkingcompletelywhatconclusiondoyoucometo?'

'Whatwouldyoudoifyoufullytrustedyourthinking?'

'Ifyoudecidedtotrustyourvisioncompletely,whatwouldyoudo?'

'Ifyoudidnothavetoearnaliving,whatworkwouldyoudo?'

'Ifyoufollowedyourheart,wherewouldittakeyou?'

ThereisanothertechniqueIfinduseful.Iwillcallittheprincipleofthefirstthought.Youaskyourclientakeyquestionandthenyouadd:'Firstthought?'Thefirstthoughtisextremelyimportantifyoucancatchitinthatinstantwhenitcomes.Itisthe

thoughtbeforeself-doubtcensorsit.Itcanbecensoredsoquicklyyoudonotevennoticeitsoyouhavetobequick!Itistheintuitivethought;themostcreativethought;theboldestidea;thegem;theridiculous,outrageous,brilliantidea-beforeyoublockit.

Anotherhelpfulquestionis:'Whatisthewin-winsolution?'or'Whatisthatelegantsolution,wherebyeveryonegains?'IknowIwouldwantpeopleinmysupportgroupwhoaskedmequestionslikethese.Iwouldwantwisefriends.ThereissomuchwisdominDeepakChopra'sTheSevenSpiritualLawsofSuccessandJuliaCameron'sTheArtist'sWay-ASpiritualPathtoHigherCreativity.Iwouldencouragemysupportgrouptoreadbothbooks.

YouwillrememberfromChapter7thatmanyofthesupportgroupswhichstartedduringRealTimeManagementDevelopmentprogramsortraininginfacilitationskillswentonandonforyears.Iwasinasupportgroupforseveralyearswhichwecalledthe'GoldenCircle.'Thisgrouphelpedmetakeboldactionasaninternalconsultant,latertheyhelpedmethroughthetransitionofstartingmyownbusiness.Italsohelpedmebecomeafatherwhowasbetterabletoexpressmyaffectiontowardsmychildren.Asapersonwhohadbeentaughtnottotalkaboutmyfeelings,nottosharemymostintimateconcerns,especiallynotwithmen,andwhosemenfriendsandcolleaguesweresimilarlyconditioned,theGoldenCirclewasarevelationtome.Itliftedgreatburdensfrommyshoulders,also,IdiscoveredIwasnormal-justlikeothermeninside!Whatarelief!Itwasfriendslikethesewhofortenormoreyearskepttellingme'Bruce,youshouldwriteabook.'Finally,Ibelievedthem.

Networking-creatingoneteam

OneofthestrategiesIsuggestedinChapter5istodevelopwidespreadfriendshipsintheorganizationandtonetwork.HereIam

suggestingthatyoubuildone-to-onerelationshipsforawidevarietyofpurposesandencourageotherstodoso.Buildingrelationshipsinthiswaypromotestrust,awarenessofotherpeople'ssituationsandneeds,andunderstanding.Today,teamsareconstantlychanging,andhenceneedtoquicklyre-form.Ifpeoplehavebeennetworkingextensivelythishappensmoreeasily.Thewholeorganizationneedstobeoneteam.Networkingisa

keywayofbringingthisaboutandhelpingpeopleappreciatehowinterdependenttheyare.Networkingisimportantto:

Builda'oneteam,''weareallinterdependentpartners'philosophy.

Gainabetterunderstandingoftheorganizationanditskeyissues(wholesystem).

Givesupporttopeopleyourespectandadmire.

Gainknowledgeandexpertiseyouneed.

Testoutandgainsupportforinitiativesyouaretryingtotake.

Getfeedbackyoucantrust.

Influence,getthingsdone,achieveyourdreamsandgoals.

Formpartnershipswithpeopleinjointinitiatives.

Provideeachotherwithmutualsupportforthechangesyouaremaking.

Someoftheserelationshipshavethepotentialtobeineffectone-to-onesupportgroups.Allofthemwillbeenhancediftheyareofmutualbenefit.Tovaryingdegreesyoumaybeabletouseyourfacilitatingskills,theskillsofthesupportgroup,tomaketheserelationshipsmorerewardingandtoassistleaderswhoaretryingtoflourishinanuncertainenvironmentandbringaboutbeneficialchange.Itisanimportantwayofexercisingyourchoiceandyourleadership.Bynetworkinglikethisyoucanquietlyteachpeopletheskillsofgivingandgettingagoodlisteningto.Also,throughyournetworkingthebenignuniversewilldeliveryourdreams.




Chopra,D.(1993)AgelessBody,TimelessMind,Rider,London,UK.

Egan,G.(1975)TheSkilledHelper,Brooks/ColePublishing,PacificGrove,USA.

Handy,C.(1994)TheEmptyRaincoat-MakingSenseoftheFuture,Hutchinson,London,UK.

Jackins,H.(1973)TheHumanSituation,RationalIslandPublishers,Seattle,USA.

Oshry,B.(1995)SeeingSystems-UnlockingtheMysteriesofOrganizationalLife,Berrett-Koehler,SanFrancisco,USA.

IwishtoacknowledgehowmuchIbenefitedandlearnedfrombeingamemberofChrisBull'ssupportgroup,theGoldenCircle,atacriticalpointinmylife.

12DevelopingWidespreadFacilitationSkills

Theneedforfacilitationskills

Therearemanygoodreasonsfordevelopingwidespreadfacilitationskillsintoday'sorganizations.Themainonesaretobringouteveryone'sfullpotential,tohelpthemworkwelltogetherandtosupportpeoplethroughchangeanduncertainty.Oneofthekeytasksoftoday'smanagersistosupportandfacilitatetheirpeople.Thisstrategywillequipthemtofulfillthisimportantrole.

Oneofmyclientstoldmethatteamsinherorganizationarechangingsooftenthatconventionalteambuildingisnotappropriate.Anorganizationthatisasfluidashersneedstobeoneteam.Peopleneedtofullyappreciatehowinterconnectedtheyareandinstinctivelythinkaboutwhotheyneedtoinvolve.Theyalsoneedtobeabletorapidlyre-formintonewteams,absorbnewmembersorquicklyformeffectiveadhocprojectgroups.Ithelpsifgoodworkingconnectionsbetweenmanypeoplealreadyexist.

Teachingpeopleone-to-onefacilitationskillscanpromotethesortofrelationshipsmyclientwantstosee.(Thisalsoarguesthecaseforlarge-scaleevents.)Itencourageswidespreadnetworking,breaksdownbarriersandbuildstrustbetweenpeopleindifferentpartsoftheorganization.Ithelpsthemseehowbeneficialthiscanbeandgivesthemanappetiteforit.(Thediscredited'oldboynetwork'thatoiledthewheelsofcommerceinby-gonetimestakesonanewmeaningtoday.)

Teachinggroupfacilitationskillscanhelpmembersofteamsorprojectgroupsmorerapidlytobringnewpeopleinorestab-

lishthemselvesasanewgroup.Itgivesmemberstheskillstodothis.Theseareskillsneededbymanagersandteammembers.Rotatingtheroleoffacilitatoramongstteammemberscanhelpdeveloptheirgroupfacilitationskills.Theyshouldnotusuallyhavetocallinexpertstofacilitatethem.Thejobof'experts'istotransfertheirskills,coachtheirclientsindoingitforthemselvesandhelpthemwhentheyare'stuck'andreallyneedsomeonefromoutsidethesystem.

Anotherclient,intheengineeringbusiness,wantstobuilda'developmentculture.'Topmanagementwantpeopledevelopmenttobeseenascentraltoachievingtheirgoalofgaining'competitiveadvantagethroughpeople.'Hebelievesthatfacilitationskillsneedtobepartofeverymanager'stoolkit.Thishaslongbeenthephilosophyofmanywellruncompanies.

Peopleinthecompanyliveinaworldofuncertaintyandupheaval.Thisincreasestheirneedforsupportsotheycanrespondpositivelytochange.Yetflatter,morecomplex,lesshierarchicalstructuresmakeitharderformanagerstomeetthisneedamongsttheirpeople.Therearesimplytoomanyofthem.Thuspeermentoringorco-facilitatingbecomesimportant.Thereisagrowingneedforpeopletolearn,notonlytofacilitatetheirstaffbutalsoeachother.Thiscanfreeupthetimeofmanagersforlessfrequent,strategicallyfocusedmeetingsandfor'walkingthejob.'

ThiscompanyhassubstantialgrowthplansinEurope.Managersarealreadyunderenormouspressureandthefearisthattheymaygettobreakingpointunlesstheyadoptnewwaysofcoping.Thereisaneedtogrowpeopleformoreresponsibleandbiggerroles.Theyhavefoundthatfacilitatingorhelpingisthecoreskillrequiredfortheeffectivementoringandcoachingthatwillhelpgrowsuchpeople.Forallthesereasons,facilitatingskillsareincreasinglyimportant.Theybelievethebetternetworkingandgoodrelationshipsthatcanresult

willalsohelppeopleinfluenceacrossboundaries,breakdownbarriersandcompetition,createseamlessmanufacturingandbuildanorganizationinwhichpeopleworktogetherinpartnership.

Usingalltheopportunitiestodevelopone-to-onehelpingskills

Thereareallkindsofopportunitiestodeveloppeople'sone-to-onefacilitationorhelpingskills.(Let'scallaspadeaspade.Youmayfinditjudicioustouseadifferentwordinyourorganization,especiallyatfirst,but'helping'isasimple,unpretentiouswordandIlikeitforthatreason.)IlistsomeoftheminFigure12.1.

Modelinggoodhelpingskillsinyourcontactswithpeopleinyourorganization.

Encouragingpeopletopairupandlistentoeachotherinturnaspartoftheprocessinmeetings.

Teaching,demonstratingandusinghelpingskillsinRTMDprograms.

Incorporatingone-to-onelisteningintotheprocessesofawaydays,retreats,teammeetingsandlargegroupevents.

Usingone-to-onehelpinginsupportgroupsandinnetworking.

Includingitasakeypartoftrainingformentoringandcoaching.

Workshopstodevelophelpingskills.

Figure12.1Usingalltheopportunitiestodevelopone-to-onehelpingskills

Partofthetaskistodemonstratetopeoplejusthowvaluable'gettingagoodlisteningto'canbeandhowrewardingitistogiveit.Inmyexperience,mostpeoplereadilyappreciatethebenefitsiftheygettheexperienceofdoingit.Itrequiressomeonetobeboldenoughtoproposeitandpushthroughtheinitialembarrassmentorresistancetoanewor'soft'idea.Peoplediscoverthat'co-listening'inpairscanbeanenliveningwayofstartingameeting,canraiseenergylevels,helppeopleprocessnewinformation,dealwithfeelingsoffearorresistance,decidewhattheyreallythinkandwhattheywanttodo.Itcanbeausefulpartofreviewingandendingameetingasdescribedin

Chapter10.Itisaquestionofintroducingpeopletoanewpracticeandenablingthemtodiscoveritsbenefits.Youcangivethemasimplebriefingonhowtodoitandtheywilllearnbydoing,realtime,inallthesedifferentsituations.

Successfullyintroducingworkshopstodevelopone-to-onehelpingskills

However,atsomestage,peoplewillbenefitfromtrainingingreaterdepth.Realtimeworkshopstodevelophelpingskillscouldbeanimportantpartofyourstrategytotransformyourcompany.

Onesuccessfulworkshopcanbethestartofanevolvingprogramtodevelopwidespreadhelpingskillsinyourorganization.Astutelyintroduced,thistrainingislikelytoproveextremelypopularwithmanagers.Ademandfortraininginmentoringorcoaching(wordsthatarewidelyunderstoodandacceptedinorganizations)mayprovideyouwithanentrypointbecausehelpingistheunderlyingskillinbothcases.AlternativelyasuccessfulRTMDprogrammayleadtoademandfortraininginfacilitationskills(bothone-to-oneandgroup)formanagers.

Inmyexperiencetherearecertainrequirementsforsuccessfullyintroducingworkshopstodevelopone-to-onehelpingskills(seeFigure12.2).Startingwithapilotworkshopenablesyoutogathertogetheragroupofpotentialchampionsandfutureworkshoptutorswhomaywellhelpto'spreadthegoodword'andinitiatetrainingintheirownpartoftheorganization.Theyusuallyappreciatebeingaskedtocollaboratewithyouindevel-

Establishaclearlinkbetweendevelopinghelpingskillsandachievingbusinessgoals.

Startwithapilotworkshopforcarefullyselectedparticipants.

Involveinfluentialmanagersindesigninganddeliveringpracticalworkshops.

Useapracticalrealtimeapproach,ie,asktheparticipantstobringtheirrealissuesandopportunitiestoworkonintheworkshops-donotuseroleplaying.

Giveonlyshortinputsandconcentrateonlearningbydoingandreviewing.

Workinsmallgroupsofthreeorfourwithatutor.

Enablepeopletolearnbyworkinginthreerolesinturn:helper;clientandobserver.Eachroleoffersdifferentlearningopportunities.

Figure12.2Essentialsforsuccessfulworkshopsinone-to-onehelping

opingsomethingthatwillbebeneficialtotheircolleagues.Inmyexperience,althoughmostmanagersareintenselybusy,theywillstillmakethetimeforthisworkandtheygreatlyvaluetheopportunitytotakesometimeouttostandbackandtakealookatsomeofthekeyissues.Involvingoneortworespectedmanagersindesigninganddeliveringtheworkshopshelpsmakesurethedesignisappropriatetomanagers'needs,demonstratesthepracticalityandrelevanceofone-to-onehelping,startstocreateacadreoftutorsandequipsmanagerstodeliverworkshopsintheirownpartoftheorganization.

Usingmanagers'ownrealissuesandopportunitiesforthepracticalworkintheworkshopsdemonstratesthevalueofhelpingskillsfarbetterthancontrivedroleplays.Managersgoawayfromtheworkshopnotonlyhavingdevelopedtheirskills,theyhavealsobeenhelpedwiththeirrealproblemsandissues.Thisconvincesthemofthevalueofone-to-onehelping.Alsothereisfarmoretobelearnedfromreal,livesituationsthatmatter-ascomparedwithimaginary,contrivedroleplays(trainersretaincontrol!).

Inmyexperiencetheabsoluteminimumlengthforaneffectiveworkshopformanagersisaboutoneandahalfdays.AnoutlineofsuchadesignisshowninFigure12.3.InaworkshoplikethisthepriorityistoteachModelB:TheFacilitatingModeldescribedinChapter9.TheremaybetimetobrieflyintroduceothermodelssuchasModelC:TheEmpoweringModelandModelE:TheReviewingProgressModel.Intrainingconsultants,afour-orfive-dayworkshopmaybejustifiedinwhichcaseallthemodelsofferedinChapter9canbeintroducedandpractised.

Thebulkoftheworkshopisbestspentdoingpracticalworkinsmallgroupsofthreeorfour,workingwithatutor.Almostthewholeoftheseconddayisusedinthisway.Theprevioushalfdayisspentputtingtheworkshopincontext,establishingtheimportanceoffacilitating

skillsinachievingcompanygoals,agreeingobjectivesfortheworkshop,buildingaclimateoftrustandsafetyinwhichpeoplecanworkonimportantand,often,sensitivepersonalissues,presentinganddiscussingModelB:TheFacilitatingModelandenablingpeopletogettoknoweachotherandformsmallgroupsoftheirownchoice.Althoughparticipantswillhavebeenpreviouslybriefed,theymayneedsomehelptogetusedtotheideathattheywillbeworkingontheirownrealissuesandopportunities.Theywillalsoneedanexplanationofhowthepracticalworkinsmallgroupswillbecon-

DAY1

4.00 Session1

Introductionandcontracting

Objectives,approachandagenda.

Verybriefintroductionsor'openingcircle.'

Buildingtheclimateandbehaviortoworkandlearneffectively.

4.30 Session2

Theimportanceofhelpingskills

Whytheseskillsaresoimportant.Relevancetobusinessgoals.

Hopesandvisionforthestrategythatwillemergefromthisfirstworkshop.

4.45 Session3

Thefacilitatingmodel

Explanationofthefive-stageModelB.

Briefingonsmall-groupwork.

5.30 Session4

Gettingtoknoweachotherandformingsmallgroups

Self-introductions,sharingissuespeoplewanttoworkon.

Formingsmallgroups.

Planningpreparationfortomorrow.

6.30 Finishfollowedbydinner

DAY2

8.30 Session5

Practicalworkinsmallgroups

Openingreviewinwholegroup.

Workinsmallgroups:stages1-3ofModelB.

Reviewoflearninganddiscussionofissuesinwholegroup.

Presentationoffurthermodels.

12.30 Lunch

1.15 Session6

Furtherpracticalwork

Workinsmallgroups:stages4-5ofModelB.

Planningindividualactiontocontinuelearningandpromoteone-to-onehelping.

3.45 Session7

Reviewofworkshop

Sharingplans.Reviewingworkshop.

4.00 Session8

Thinkingaboutstrategy

Planninganemergingstrategytodevelopwidespreadone-to-onehelpingskills.

4.30 Finish

Figure12.4

ductedandthethreeroleseveryonewillexperienceinturn.StartingonthepreviousdaywillgivepeopletheopportunitytoassimilateModelB:TheFacilitatingModelandpreparethemselvesforthepracticalworkondaytwo.

Theseconddaywillbelargelydevotedtopracticalworkandlearningfromit.Themembersofeachsmallgroupwilltaketurnsashelper,clientandobserver(seeFigure12.4).Thisisprobablythebestsequenceashelperisthemostdemandingroleandbeinganobserverprovidesarelativebreakbeforetakingaturnasclient.Eachroleprovidesrichanddifferentopportunitiesforlearning.Also,asIhavesaidbefore,learningtobeagoodclientisasimportantaslearningtobeagoodhelper.Agroupofthreeisprobablyideal-inadayeveryonegetstwogoodchunksoftimeineachrole.Aftereachpracticesessionareviewisheldandanotherreviewoflearningtakesplaceattheendofthemorning.Learningisthensharedintheplenaryorlargegroup.OneoptionisforpeopletoworkthroughthefirstthreestagesofModelB:TheFacilitatingModelinthemorningandthefinaltwointheafternoon.Itisimportanttohavethemorningandafternoonsessions,ie,'twobitesatthecherry.'Ifeveryonehasasecondturnashelperintheafternoon,theycanincorporatewhattheylearnedfromthefirstattemptinthemorning.Itisimportanttogivepeoplethesatisfactionofdoingbetterthesecondtime,otherwisetheyhavenothadanopportunitytoputtheirlearningintopractice.ThisisonereasonwhyIregardaone-and-a-halfdayworkshopasabsoluteminimum.

Afterthesecondsessionofpracticalwork,itisimportanttogive

participantstimetomakeandshareindividualactionplansandtocontributetoplanningastrategyforthefurtherdevelopmentofone-to-onehelpingskillsintheorganization.Theirindividualplansarelikelytoincludearrangingregularsupportmeetingsornetworkingwithotherparticipantsorcolleagues;

andtakingtheinitiativetotutoronorleadsimilarworkshopsintheirpartoftheorganizationorfortheirteams.Theyarelikelytorecommendfurtherworkshopsandmanyoftheparticipantswillofferthemselvesastutors.Forthesethingstohappenrequiresgentlepushingfromtheworkshopleaders.

Ihavefoundthatthisstrategyforintroducingworkshopsinone-to-onehelpingalmostinvariablyworksaslongaswhoeverisresponsiblefortraininganddevelopmentorinternalconsultingkeepsupthemomentum.Thisrequiresgentlepushing,ie,leadershipfromtheinternalconsultant.Withoutthatitwon'tjusthappen.Thismeansmatchingthegrowingenthusiasmofmanagerswiththenecessaryoverallleadershipandsupport(includingbudget).Animportantpartofsuchanemergingstrategyistoletgoofcentralcontrolandencouragemanagerstoowntheworkanddevelopitinthebusinessintheirownway.

Developinggroupfacilitationskills

Groupfacilitationskillsareneededjustasmuchasone-to-onefacilitatingskills.Aswithone-to-oneskills,itissmarttorecognizeandusealltheopportunitiestodeveloptheseskills(seeFigure12.5).

Thereisanaturalprogressionwhichcanbeusedintrainingpeopleforanykindoffacilitation(one-to-one,grouportofacilitateRTMDprograms)(seeFigure12.6).Astutejudgmentsneedtobemadeastowhetherandwhenpeoplearereadytomovetothelasttwostages.

Modelinggoodpracticewhenfacilitatinggroupsandexplainingwhatyouaredoing.

GraduallyhandingoverthefacilitatorrolewhenworkingwithsmallgroupsonRTMDorotherworkshops.

Usingparticipantsasfacilitatorsinsmallgroupsinallkindsofeventsandworkshops.Rotatingtherole.

Havingparticipantsatlarge-scaleeventstaketurnstofacilitate,record,keeptime

andreportbackfromtheirsmallgroups.

Involvingparticipantsinthedesignofevents.

Figure12.5Usingalltheopportunitiestodevelopgroup

Experienceasaparticipant.

Experienceinsmallgroupfacilitation.

Co-facilitatingamediumorlargegroupwithanexperiencedleader.

Workingasleadingfacilitator*withlessormoreexperiencedfacilitators.

*Theleadingfacilitatorhasoverallresponsibilityfortheeventandleading,supportingandcoachingotherfacilitators.

Figure12.6Four-stagetrainingforfacilitators

Noticethatallthesewaysofdevelopinggroupfacilitationskillsarelearningbydoing.Cantherebeanyreallearningwithoutit?Iflearningbydoingistobeeffective,regularreviewsofwhatisworking,whatisdifficultandwhatneedstobedonedifferentlyareessential.Alsoexperiencedsupportandcoachingneedtobeavailable.'Shadowconsulting'canbeprovidedtoo,ie,someonewhoisnotactuallypresentattheeventbutwhocanprovidesupportbeforeittakesplace,isavailableonaphonelineduringbreaksandcanhelpinreviewingitafterwards.

Workshopsingroupfacilitationskills

Thereisalsolikelytobeaplaceforpracticalworkshopsingroupfacilitation.Thiscanbeintheformof'mini'workshopsaspartofthepreparationforanactualevent,orfullscaleworkshopsoftwoormoredayscanbearrangedifthereareenoughpeopleneedingthistraining.Itwillworkbestifparticipantsarepreparingtodofacilitatingworkintheirorganizations,ie,theworkshopsareastageinastrategy.Theycanthenusetheworkshopstoplan,design,prepareandskillthemselvesforworktheyareabouttodo.Theywillbringthisworkintotheworkshopsasrealmaterial.

Ausefuldesignforaworkshopingroupfacilitationskillswill,asfaraspossible,modelordemonstrategoodgroupworkintermsofitsstructure

andprocesses;demonstrategoodfacilitation;provideexperienceofgroupprocesses;provideopportunitiesforparticipantstofacilitatethegroup;andopportunitiesforthemtoplan,workonandpreparethemselvesforgroupwork

theywillactuallydooraredoingoutthereinthebusiness.Thismaymeanpracticingorrehearsingandgettingadviceandfeedback.Chapter10providesmaterialfor'inputs'thatmayberequired,however,additionalinformationfollowsthatmaybeusefultopotentialgroupfacilitators:

Someadditionalmodelsforgroupwork

FollowingthemodelgiveninFigure12.7willenableafacilitatortobeclearaboutthestagesagroup(neworexisting)willgothroughandwhatthetasksofeachstageare.Thiswillhelpthefacilitatorplanandrespondappropriately.She/hewillalsoknow

Stages Focus

1.Forming orientation.

dealingwithanxiety,trustandsafetyissues.

relationshipswithleader(s)andothermembers.

groundrulesandbehavior.

purpose,structureandboundaries.

2.Storming

conflictbetweenindividualneedsandgroupcohesion.

testingtheleader'scapabilityoftenexpressedinrebellion,inter-groupconflictsandresistance.

3.Norminggroupcohesiondevelops.

waysofworking,sharednormsandvaluesaredevelopedandmutualsupportisexpressed.

4.Performing

conflictbetweenindividualneedsandgroupcohesionisresolved.

thegroupfunctionswellandthetaskisperformed.

5.Mourning

thefocusisonending,expressinggriefandtransitiontoanewenvironment.

Figure12.7Thestagesofgroupdevelopment

thatthegroup'sbehaviourisnotapersonalreactiontoher/himbutpartofwhatanygroupneedstodo.Thiswillhelptonottakereactionspersonally-anessentialpartofafacilitator'srepertoire.

PetrushkaClarkson'sarticle'GroupImagoandtheStagesofGroupDevelopment'inGroupRelations,providesusefulguidanceaboutwhatfacilitatorbehaviorwillbedestructiveandconstructiveateachstage(Clarkson,1991).Ingeneraltermsitwillhelpifthefacilitatorisawareofwhatthestagesareandallowsthemtohappen;providesclearandappropriateguidanceordirectiontothegroup;isrelaxedandconfident;isnotdefensiveorblaming;anddoesnottakethegroup'sbehaviorpersonally.'I'mokay,you'reokay'asalifepositiongetsseverelytestedatstage2.Sometimesitmayhelptoexplainwhatthestagesaresothatthegroupismoreaware.EricBerne'swritingprovidesfurtherinsights(Berne,1963).

Figure12.8Thedramatriangle

Anotherusefulmodel(seeFigure12.8)wasintroducedbyS.B.Karpman(Berne,1975).Itisparticularlyusefulforafacilitatortobearinmindatstage2-Storming!Thisdescribesthethree'reactive'positions.Ratherthanrespondinginan'adult'(Harris,1973)orappropriateway,weget'hooked'intobehaviorthatiscounter-productiveandbasedonhabitualpatternsfromthepast.Forex-ampleatstage2,afacilitatormaygetfrustrated,loseher/his'cool'andbully,criticizeorblamethegroup.Thisissteppingintothepersecutorrole

whichwillsoonleadtothefacilitatorbecomingthevictim.Orthefacilitatormaystepintotherescuingmode.Thiswillnothelptoempowerparticipants.Thefacilitatoristhen

1. Pseudo-communityMostgroupsspendmostoftheirtimeherehavinglowenergy,pretendingdifferencesdonotexist,gettingonwiththetaskinpoliteandamicableways,andavoidingunderlyingissues.

2. ChaosThefrustrationsofstage1cantakethegroupintothismoreenergeticstate.Atthisstagepeopleattempttoobliteratedifferencesbytryingtopersuadeotherstotheirpointofview.Thereisnospaceforpeopletobethemselves.Awarenessofgroupprocessesislostinacompetitivestruggletocomeoutontop.

3. EmptinessTherearetwowaysoutofchaos-eitherbygoingbacktostage1orbyemptying,ie,givingupthebeliefthatweknowwhatisbest,lettinggoofcontrolandinsteadbeingauthenticandopenandrespectingdifference.Ifenoughpeopledecidetoletgointhisway,ahighleveloftrustandacceptancecanleadthegroupintostage4.

4. CommunityThisstageischaracterizedbyahighlevelofauthenticity.Conflictcanbedealtwitheffectivelyanditiseasiertomanagetaskandprocesssimultaneously.Differencesarewelcomedandlearntfromandhealingtakesplace.Inotherwordsthegroupfunctionswellandbecomesfullyeffective.

Note:ThisfigureisbasedonnotesprovidedbytheFoundationforCommunityEncouragement.

Figure12.9Stagesincommunitybuilding

likelytobecomeexasperated,stepintothepersecutorroleandendupasvictim.Allthreerolesareunhealthypositions.Theyarewaysofavoidinghonestcontact,takingresponsibilityandmakingchanges.Beingawareofthesetrapshelpsusavoidthem.ScottPeck(1987)offersanothermodel(seeFigure12.9)whichbearssomesimilaritytoTheStagesofGroupDevelopment.

Ifoundthismodelusefulinhelpingmeunderstandthatchaosmaybeanecessarystagebeforereallyeffectivefunctioningcantakeplace-nottobeafraidofitbuttofacilitatethegroupthroughit,beingconfidentthatitcanleadtogroupeffectiveness.Tryingtopushthegroupbackintopseudo-communitywillnothelp.IfoundIwasabletousethiswisdom

withsomeclientsjusttwodaysafterattendingtheFoundationforCommunityEncouragementworkshop!

BillThatcheroftheFoundationforCommunityEncouragementhaspointedouttomethatmovementthroughthesestagesisnotlinear;norisitaone-timeprocess.Groupsmaystartatstage2;movefrom4backinto2.A'normal'groupwillmovebetweenthestagesoverandoveragain.Identificationofthestagescanhelpagroupdecidewhereitisandwhetheritwantstostayataparticularstageormoveon.Thatcertainlyfitsmyexperience.

Somuchofgroupfacilitationissimplybeingapresence,representingconfidencethatthegroupwillworkthroughtheappropriatestages.Itisalsothefacilitator'stasktoprovideusefulbroadstructuresand,sometimes,well-judgeddirectionandtosharewhatshe/heobserves(withoutjudgment)toheightenawareness.Todothiswellrequiresyoutoberelaxedandconfident,firmyetflexibleandperhapsmostofall,tohavesufficientself-esteemnottoget'hooked'intopersecutor,victimorrescuerbehavior.Youneedtobeabletocontainyourfeelingsandusethemasinterestingdata.

References,suggestedfurtherreadingandresources

Berne,E.(1963)TheStructureandDynamicsofOrganizationsandGroups,GrovePress,NewYork,USA.

Berne,E.(1975)WhatDoYouSayAfterYouSayHello?Corgi,London,UK.

Clarkson,P.(1991)'GroupImageandtheStagesofGroupDevelopment,'GroupRelations,theJournaloftheGroupRelationTrainingAssociation,Vol.2,No.3,March.

Harris,T.A.(1973)I'mOK-You'reOK,Pan,London,UK.

Peck,ScottM.,(1987)TheDifferentDrum,Rider,London,UK.

TheFoundationforCommunityEncouragement,USA.001-206/784-

9000andCommunityBuildinginBritain,44(0)1635-47377.

13UsingtheExternalConsultantWiselyAfruitfulpartnership'Marriageseemslikeausefulmetaphorforwhatwearetryingtocreateatwork.Imagineulong,successfulmarriageinwhichtwostrongpeoplechoosetospendtheirlivestogether,workingthroughtheircommonissuestowardssomesharedhighergoals.Itisnotalwayspeacefulbecausethetwoaresodifferent.Therearepeaksandvalleys,painandprogress,allaccompaniedbyindividualgrowthbecauseoftherelationship.Eachfindstheother'sperspectivealternatelycrazyormystifying,unreasonableorprincipled,ignorantorenlightened.Throughtimethebondbetweenthetwogrows,therespectgrows,thetrustandopennessgrow.Asuccessfulmarriageholdsoutthepossibilitythattwopeoplewithquitedifferentinterestscandealwitheachotheronanequalbasis,inaninterdependentway,choosingtodependoneachother.Manyofuscanlearnsomethingfromtheworkwearedoingwithinourmarriage,takethatlearningtowork,andapplyittoourrelationshipswithourmanagement,ourcustomers,andotherkeyplayers.'GeoffreyBellman.

Whyuseanexternalconsultant?

Therelationshipbetweenaninsiderwhoisfacilitatingorganizationaltransformationandanexternalconsultantcanbeanempoweringandrewardingone.Itcanmakeallthedifference.Buthowcanyoujustifythetimeandcostinvolved?

Facilitatingyouinmakingaboldorganizationaldiagnosisandindevelopingachallengingstrategy.

Givingyoutheskillsandconfidencetodeliverthestrategy.

Givingyoulong-termsupporttothinkwiselyandpersist.

Providingtheperspectiveofsomeoneoutsidethesystem.

Doingworkwhichreallydemandssomeonefromoutsidethesystem.

Figure13.1Thedifferencetheexternalconsultantcanmake

Remember,therearealwayspowerfulforceswithinanorganizationresistingchangeandsocializingyouintoconformity.Also,whilststructuralchangescanbemaderapidly,makingchangesinthecultureofanorganizationandtheattitudesandbehaviorofpeoplemaytakemuchlonger.Peoplemaywanttodothingsdifferentlybuttheyalsohavealotofresistance.Forallthesereasonsitisextremelyhardforsomeoneinsidethesystemtochangeitwithoutsupportfromoutside.

Myexperience,firstasaninternalconsultantformanyyears,andlaterasanexternalconsultant,isthatthereareessentiallyfivewaysinwhichagoodexternalconsultantcanhelp(seeFigure13.1).Havingexternalsupportwhenyouaremakingyourdiagnosisanddevelopingyourstrategywillhelpyoufullytrustyourthinking,breakfreeoftheconforminginfluenceoftheorganizationandtakebold(andyetastute)decisionsaboutstrategy.Anoutsidercanalsochallengeyouwhereyouneedtobechallenged.Oftentheycanseethingsclearlywhichyouaretooclosetosee.WhenIworkedwithmylastemployer,Ihaddifficultyfullytrustingmythinkingandsummoningthecouragetotaketheboldactionthatwasrequired.Iwasnotuniqueinthisrespect!YetIdidtakethatboldaction,partlybecauseIhadsolidexternalsupportoveralongperiod.

Youmaynotyethavetheskillsorexperiencetodosomeofthethings

required(suchasrealtimemanagementdevelopmentorlargegroupinterventions)anditwillhelptoworkalongsideandinpartnershipwithanexternalconsultantindevelopingsuchinterventions.Ibelievemuchbetterworkwillbedoneiftheexternalconsultantdoestheworkwithyouratherthanforyou.Eachofyouhassomethinguniquetocontributewhichwillmake

forafarbetteroutcome.You,theinternalconsultant,haveauniqueunderstandingoftheorganization,awidenetworkofcontacts,trustandcredibilityandyouprovideleadership.Theexternalconsultant'sexperienceandconfidencegainedfromhavingdonethesethingsbeforemaygiveyouandyourorganizationthatdegreeofsafetyneededtosuccessfullytakeastepintotheunknown.ButIbelievethejoboftheexternalconsultantistoworkwithyou,handovertheseskillstoyouandthenstepaside,makewayforyoutodoityourself.She/heneedstheconfidenceandmaturitytoknowwhentowithdraw.

Howevertheremaybesomeworkthatreallydemandssomeonefromoutsidethesystem.Topmanagementmayfeelitneedsanoutsider.Sometimesyoumaysimplynotbeabletohelpyourclientswithissuesthatneedthehelpofsomeonefromoutside.Youmaybetooclosetotheproblems,toomuchpartofthesystemtoseetheissuesclearly,tooeasilyseducedintocolludingwithyourclients.Thisisajudgmentwhichyouandtheyneedtomakewisely.Itmaybeagoodsolutionforyouandtheexternalconsultanttofacilitatetogether.

Althoughtheexternalconsultanthaswithdrawnfromworkingalongsideyoudirectlywithyourclients,youmaystillbenefitfromlong-termsupportor'shadowconsulting,'ie,someonewhohelpsyoureviewyourwork,workthroughblockages(yourownandtheorganization's)anddecidewhatnewdirectionsneedtobetaken.Myexperienceisthatintheearly,excitingphasesoforganizationaltransformation,thingsoftengowell.Thereisagreatdealofoptimism,energyandenthusiasm.Gradually,dependenceandresistancecantaketheirtollonyou.Oftentheinternalfacilitatorgrowsweary,staleandgets'stuck.'Theremaybeproblemsintransferringownershiptotheclients.Mistakesareboundtohavebeenmade,difficultiesandsetbacksexperienced.Wiseadvicemaynothavebeentaken(peopleneedtodothingsintheirownwayandfindoutforthemselves).Perhapsatthispointtheorganizationis

confrontedwithsomeofitsmostfundamentaldifficultiesyetmaybeunawarethatthisishappening.Oftenatthisstagetheremaybeadesiretoavoidissuesandtrysomethingdifferent,offloadtheexternalconsultantandtrysomeoneelsetolookforanotherway,abettermagicianwhowilldoabetterjobandrescueus.Ortheorganizationmaydecidetocontinuewithoutoutsidehelp.Itquestionswhethertheoutsiderisaddingvalueandbelievesitshoulddoitwithoutoutsidehelp.Perhaps

thatwillbeanotherwayofavoiding.Youmaycolludewiththatandbelievetheyshouldmanagewithoutsupport.Thatmaybeyourblockage.Allthiswillbehappeningwithoutawareness.Itisacriticalpointinthetransformationworkacrossroads.Oneroadcanleadtoavoidanceandultimatelycynicism.Theothercanleadtoadeeperrelationshipwiththeexternalconsultant,deeperlearningfortheorganizationandultimatelysuccess.Ittakeswisdomandmaturitytodecideastutelythatyouneedtobringbacktheexternalconsultanttohelpovercometheblocks.

Phasesintherelationship

Anotherprocessisgoingonwhichaffectstherelationshipwiththeexternalconsultant.GeoffreyBellmanremindedmeofamodel(Bellman,1992)whichilluminateswhattendstohappenintherelationshipbetweenclientandconsultant(seeFigure13.2).Italsocastslightonfamilyrelationshipsandrelationshipsbetweenleadersandtheirteams.

Interdependence

Independence

Counterdependence

Dependence

Figure13.2Fourstagesinconsultingrelationships

Theclient/consultantrelationshipbeginswiththeclientinarelationshipofdependenceontheconsultanttoprovideexpertiseandsupport.Therelationshipisnotassimpleasthatofcoursebecausetheconsultantisheavilydependentontheclienttoprovideher/himwithwork,incomeandopportunityforfulfillmentandlearning.Andtheclientalwayshastheupperhand.Sobothpartiesareinfactdependentoneachother.The

theupperhand.Sobothpartiesareinfactdependentoneachother.Thewiseconsultantwillworkfromthepositionofempoweringtheclientandhandingoverher/hisskillsandexpertise,thusenablingtheclienttodotheworkforher/himselfwithaviewtoultimatein-

terdependenceandpartnership.Thisfirstphaseisusuallyveryrewardingandenjoyable.Thenextstageisthepreludetomovingoutofdependenceanditmaybecharacterizedbyconflictsandwhatmightbedescribedas'irrational'behavior.Thiscanbepainfulfortheconsultantwhoishighlydedicatedtotheworkandhasenjoyedaconstructiveandrewardingrelationship.Itseemsstrangehowtwopeoplewhogotonwellnowseemtohavedifficultieswhichcanonlybeexplainedbysomethinggoingonatanunaware,unconsciouslevel.

Thenextstageiswhentheclientinonewayoranotherbreakslooseanddeclaresindependence.Theynolongerfeeltheyneedyourhelp.Thisiswhere'shadowconsulting'orsupportrolemaybeappropriatebuttheclientmaydecidetohavenoneofit.Itisquitepossiblethattheworkmayactuallysufferasaresultoftheclient'sindependence.Butthisstageisinthenatureofthings.Theclientmaywelldotheworkextremelysuccessfully.Ortheclientmaylookforadifferent'mentor,'puttingher/himselfbackintothedependentstagebutwithsomeoneelse.Thismaybepainfulforthefirstconsultant.Finally,theclient/consultantrelationshipmaymatureintointerdependencethestrongestandmostconstructivepositionforrelationshipsatworkandinthehome.

'Thisiswherewechoose,outofstrengthandtrusttorelyonothersaswedoourjointwork.Interdependencemeanschoosingtodependonanothernotbecauseyoucannotstandonyourownbutbecauseyouseeitasmoreeffectivetoundertakethispartofyourworkandyourlifeinpartnershipwithsomeoneelse.'G.Bellman(1992).

Ifyoucanachieveit,thisisamaturerelationshipofequals,wherethereisrealhonesty,sharingofresponsibility,lackofpretense,admissionofdifficultiesandnotknowingwhattodo,notexpectingperfectionorputtingtheexternalconsultantonapedestal,readyforgivenessofmistakesandlearningfromeachother.Itisjointexploration,ajourneytogether.Oftentherelationshipdoesnotreach

thisstageordoessoonlyafterabreak.ThisisapitybecauseIreallybelievethatsuccessfulconsultingworkbenefitsgreatlyfromalong-termpartnershipbetweentheinternalandexternalconsultant.Theworkbenefitsfromarelationshipwithsomeonewhohasagrowingunder-

standingoftheorganizationanditsdifficulties.Asinanyrelationship,thereismuchtobegainedandmuchtobelearnedfromworkingthrough,ratherthanavoiding,difficulties.

Withthebenefitofpastexperiences,Inowoftenthinktomyself:'Willthisclientletmestaywiththemlongenoughtoachieveasuccessfuloutcome?Orwilltheyunintentionallysabotagetheworkbydroppingmetoosoon?WhatcanIdotopreventthiswithoutseemingtobeclingingtothework?'

Aswehavesaidbefore,awarenesshelpsconsiderably.Atthebeginningofalong-termpieceofworkitisawiseinvestmentfortheinternalandexternalconsultanttosharetheirexpectationsandvisionfortherelationshiphowtheywantittoevolve,theirrespectiverolesandhowtheycanbestsupporteachother.Thiscancreateakindofcharter.Thisdiscussioncanbeinformedbythefour-stagemodel,thenbothwillbeawareofthephasestherelationshipislikelytogothroughandbetterabletotalkopenlyaboutanydifficultiesthatmayemergeandmanageitconstructively.Theywillbeabletoagreethebestrolefortheexternalconsultantateachstage.Itwillalsobewisetoplanregularreviewsofhowtherelationshipisworkingandwhatconstructivestepstheywanttotake.Itmaybedifficulttospendtimeandmoneydoingthisbut,consideringhowmuchisatstakeinalong-termintervention,itisawiseinvestment.Itmayalsobewisefortheexternalconsultanttoarrangeforexternalsupportorsupervisiontobeavailableforherorhimself.Theexternalconsultantcangetstucktoo!

WhenIstartedthinkingaboutthischapter,anumberofthemesenteredmymind:

Congruence

Ifwewanttoinfluenceourclientsintheorganizationforthebetter,thenhowwe(theexternalandinternalconsultant)behavewitheach

otherourrelationshipmattersgreatly.Ourclientswillbemoreinfluencedbyouractionsthanourwords.Theywillbewatchingtoseewhetherwhatwedomatcheswhatwesay.Thiswillbefundamentaltoourcredibilityandthetrustpeopleputinus.ThatbecameaproblemintheworkdescribedinCasestudy2inChapter7.Itwasnotaproblematfirstbutitbecameonewhentheconsultingteamchangeditsmembership.

Inthewayweworkwewillinvolveourclientsandseektowintheirheartsandminds.

Wewillempowerandenableeachother,modelpartnershipandworkforthesamerelationshipwithourclients.

Wewilldemonstratethebenefitsofvaluingdifferenceinthewayweworktogetherandwithourclients.

Wewillrejoiceinunpredictabilityanduncertainty,respondwithcreativeflexibilityandhelpourclientsdothesame.

Wewilldemonstratebeingpassionateaboutourworkandlovingeachotherandourclients.

Wewilltakealong-termperspectivetowardsourworkanddemonstrateanattitudeofstewardship.

Figure13.3Draftcharterforatransformingpartnership

Principles

IftheprinciplesforbusinesssetoutinChapter2arevalidandIintendtobecongruent,thentheyneedtogovernmyrelationshipswithmyclients.Theymayneedtobeadaptedtofitthiskindofrelationshipbuttheyshouldstillstand.Perhapstheycouldbemodifiedtoformadraftcharterfortherelationshipbetweeninternalandexternalconsultantsandtheirclients(seeFigure13.3).

Love

ThisisadifficultwordtouseinthecontextofbusinessandInoticemyembarrassment.Itsoundssoftandsentimental,butthatisnonsense.Basically,itjustmeanscaringagreatdealandactingaccordinglycherishingtheworkwearedoingasapreciousopportunityandcherishingeachother.WhenIreflectonthebestworkIhavedonewithclients,wehavedoneitwithpassionand,yes,lovingsupportforeachother.Peopledoingtransformationworkareundertakingsomethingso

difficulttheyneedaspecialkindofsupport.Coldprofessionalismisnotenoughtoenablepeopletodogreatthings.Wehavebeenbothsupportiveandnurturingandrigorousandchallenging.ItgoesbacktoMary'sbalanceofgentleencouragementandthelovingboot!Thisisnoteasy.Beingauthenticmayfeelveryriskyfortheconsultant.It

mayendthepartnership.Becauseofthefourphases,therelationshipmayenterastormytimebeforeinterdependenceisachieved.Theconsultanthastohanginthere,aswedowithourteenagechildren,beingauthenticwithoutinterferingtoomuchadelicatejudgment.Childrendon'tusuallybreakwiththeirparents.Clientsdosacktheirconsultantssometimesjustwhentheworkisenteringitsmostcriticalphase.Itwillhelpifbothpartiesareaware,asIsuggestedearlier.

Along-termrelationship

ImustadmitIpreferlong-termpartnerships.Idonotparticularlyenjoydoingshort-termpiecesofwork.Thatisbothastrengthandalimitation.Idonotreallybelieveskilldevelopmentworkshopsmakemuchofadifferencetotransforminganorganization,exceptaspartofalong-termstrategy,althoughtheymayhelpindividuals.SoIdeclaremypersonalbias.

Onthewhole,transformationworktakesasustainedeffortoveralongtime.Itisfacilitatedbyalong-termrelationshipwithanexternalconsultantwhohelpsyoudevelopalong-termstrategyandsupportsyouthroughtheupsanddownsofseeingitthrough.Thatconsultantbecomesincreasingvaluableasshe/hegainsadeepeningunderstandingoftheorganizationandofyou,theleaderorinternalconsultant,andcanlightlyandhumorouslyhelpyoudealwithyourblockages.

Youmaylearnalotaboutdifferentapproachesandaddtoyourrepertoireofskillsbyworkingwithasuccessionofexternalconsultants.Butthatwillnotnecessarilyhelpwiththehardworkoftransforminganorganization.Acquiringknowledgeandskillsisinterestingbutwhatmakesadifferenceisusingthem.Youneedtoaskyourselfwhetherthereissomethingyouareavoidingbyhavingasuccessionofpartnersorconstantlysearchingfordifferentapproaches.

Becauseofallthehazardsalongtheway,andthedangerofgettingtoocloseandtooinvolvedinthesystemanditsdifficulties,theexternalconsultantmayneedsupervision.Thebestconsultanthastobecompletelythereandpresentfortheclientandyet,atthesametime,abletostandoutsidethesituation.Thiscanbedifficulttodooveralongperiodoftime,especiallywhenwearedeeplyinvolvedandcommittedandourliving,ourreputationforcompetenceandourself-esteemareontheline.Itishardto

yet,ifyoudocarepassionately,detachingyourselfandlettinggomaybepreciselywhatyouhavetodo.

Finally,canIputinaperspectiveherefromtheviewpointoftheexternalconsultant?Itseemstomethatmoreandmoresuccessfulorganizationsarevaluingtheirsuppliersasimportantstakeholdersasimportantascustomers,employeesandotherstakeholders.Theyinvestintheirsuppliers,aimforlong-termrelationshipswiththemandtreatthemfairlyandwell.Itisnotanexploitativerelationshipbecause,inthelongterm,thatwillnotworkorproducevalueandquality.ShallIsayIhavenotalwaysfelttreatedasavaluedandhighlyesteemedsupplier,particularlyafteraspecificpieceofworkhascometoanend?Simplethingsmakeabigdifferencetotherelationshipanddomuchfortheimageoftheorganization(suppliersareusuallycustomerstoo).Forexample:beingpaidontimeorearly;respondingtophonemessages(aftertheworkisended);investingthetimetoreviewapieceofworkwhenitisfinishedandrigorouslydecidewhetherthegoalswereachieved,whatcanbelearnedandwhatfurtherstepsneedtobetaken;keepingintouchtobrieftheconsultantonprogressandreviewfurtheropportunitiesforcollaboration;andjointlyreviewingthefeerate,ratherthanbargainingitdownaslowaspossible.Remember,theexternalconsultant's'huge'feeshavetocoverpension,vacations,sickpay,frequentunpaidwork,officeservicesandacarallusuallycoveredbyyourpackage.Apartnershipthatfeelsexploitativeorinstrumentalisacontradictioninterms.Youneedwin-winrelationshipswithsuppliersasexcellentcompanieshavediscovered.

Ihavetriedtodescribeafruitfulpartnershipbetweenaninternalandexternalconsultantfromboththeirperspectives.Awarenessalwaysseemstohelpusmakesensiblechoices.Also,awarenessmayhelptwopartnersdevelopavisionofhowtheywanttheirrelationshiptobeand,ifdifficultiesarise,explorethemfranklyandopenly,without

blame.Thatwillrequirebeingreallyhonestfirstwithourselvesandthenwitheachother.


Bellman,G.(1992)GettingThingsDoneWhenYouAreNotinCharge,Berrett-Koehler,SanFrancisco,USA.

14HowtoAvoidAvoiding'Whywouldyouexpectthattobeasmoothandpredictableprocess?Youhavecreatedflux,instability.Inthatinstabilitylieshopethehopeofcreatingnewpatternsthatwillbemoresatisfactoryforall.Don'trunawayfromflux.Workwithit.Itisthesoundoftheolddanceshaking.'BarryOshry.

'Youcan'tcreatelightwithoutcastingashadow.'Anon.

'Destructiveforceswillprevailunlessyoubringthemintothelight.'Anon.

Resistanceispartofbeinghuman

WhenIstartedoutasaconsultant,oneofmyfriendstoldme:

'Theonethingyoucanbesureofisthattherewillberesistance.It'sjustaquestionofwhatformitwilltakeandwhenitwillhappen.'

SometimesIthink,ifitwerenotforresistance,ourworkasleadersorfacilitatorsofchangewouldbeajoy.Thereisnothinglikeaclientwhoknowshowtouseyouwellandgetsonwithwhateverneedstobedoneorateamwhoenjoyandrespondtogoodleadership.Andyetifitwerelikethisallthetime,howboringandunrealitwouldbe.AlsoitmightbedangerousifpeopledidnotresistIamthinkingofEuropeinthe1930sand1940s.

'Forthetriumphofevil,itisonlynecessarythatgoodmendonothing.'EdmundBurke.

Resistanceisinevitableandprobablyessential.Itservesafunction.Withoutitpeopleandorganizationswouldlackstability.Theywouldrushfirstinonedirectionandtheninanother,chasingonefadorfashionandthenanotherpreciselywhatsomepeopleandorganizationsdo!Habits(whichareacomponentofresistancebecausechanginginvolvesdevelopingnewhabits)serveapurposeaslongastheycontinuetobeappropriateandfunctional.Theyhelpembedchanges.Becausewedon'thavetothinkaboutwhatishabitual,itgivesusspacetothinkaboutthoseotherthingsthatdorequireourattention.Itiswhentheyceasetobefunctionalandblockdesirableoressentialchangesthathabitsbecomeaproblem.Perhapswhenwetalkabout'resistance'whatwereallymeanis'avoidance'orthewayinwhichwe'block'ourselves,getinourownway.

Noneofusisimmunetoresistanceinthesenseofavoidance.Wecanperhapsmoreeasilyspotresistancethatisblockingotherpeopleratherthanourown.YetIknowIamresistantinmanyways.SometimesthishassavedmefromdoingthingsIdidnotwanttodo,thatwerenotinmybestinterest,but,equallyIfindithardtogiveupmyvariousaddictions(suchasfartoomanycappuccinosandcroissants)althoughIknowitwouldbegoodformetodoso.AndIstillhavenotmadethatappointmentforafitnessassessmentatmylocalsportscenter.Iknowitwouldbegoodforme.

Healthyanddysfunctionalresistance

Ontheonehandthereishealthy,functionalresistanceandontheotherresistancethatisdysfunctional.Forexampleitishealthywhenpeoplewanttocriticallyassesswhetheraproposedchangewillactuallyleadtoimprovement;exploretheconsequencesforthem;andlookatotheroptions.Itishealthynottowanttobecontrolledormadetodosomething.Itisnaturaltobeunenthusiasticaboutchangewhichmayadverselyaffectyouordecisionsinwhichyouhaveplayedno

part.Itisentirelyhumanandnaturaltoneedtodealwithfeelingsofregret,anxietyorfear.Suspicionanddistrustarenaturaliftherehasbeenahistoryofnotdisclosingalltheinformationorprobableconsequences.

Resistanceisusuallydysfunctionalwhenpeople:avoiddealingwithissuesthatconfrontthem(unlesstheydonotfeelsafe

enoughtodoso);declinetoworkoninevitablechanges;engageinsabotagewhenofferedopportunitiestobeinvolvedindecidingwhatshouldbedone;declinetoworkcollaborativelywithotherstofindwaysforward;andblameandcriticizeothersbutdeclinetomakealternativeproposalsthemselvesortakeinitiatives.Theremaybeahistorywhichreadilyexplainswhytheyaredoingthis.Whenpeopleresistintheseways,theroleoftheleaderorfacilitatorisnotaneasyone.Resistanceofthiskindwhichcanbeextremelyfrustratingandsometimesunpleasanttodealwithbecauseitcaninvolveattackingtheleaderorconsultantisoftenunintentional.Peoplearenotalwaysfullyawareofwhattheyaredoingorthattheirbehaviorresultsfromsomethinggoingonatadeeperlevel.Oftentheunderlyingcausesarefear,panic,distrust,hopelessnessorfeelingsofpowerlessness.Theyaredoingwhattheyaredoingbecausetheywouldprefertoavoidfacingthesepainfulfeelings.Yetavoidanceisultimatelymorepainfulbecauseitprolongsthepain.Avoidanceisnotusuallyahealthystrategyforcopingwithchange,butitcanbeawisedecisionifthepersonisnotyetreadytoworkontheissue.Thechoicemustalwaysbewiththeclient.Itisnothelpfultopressuretheclientanditwillnotwork.Itmayhelp,though,topointoutthechoice.

Planninganddesigningtoworkwithresistance

Inearlyheadedthissection'Avoidingresistance,'thenIthoughtagain.Thatwouldnotbeahealthystance.Somuchofthisbookhasbeenaboutplanningchangeanddesigningourworkinwaysthattakeaccountofresistanceandavoidcreatingitunnecessarily.Itrytodesignunnecessaryresistanceoutofthesystem,notcreateit.Buttheprincipleofunpredictabilitywillensureyouneversucceedcompletely!ItisstillworthattemptingandFigure14.1givessomewaysofdoingso.

Toelaboratethefirsttwopoints:Ibelievethatasinternalorexternal

consultantsitdoesnotmakesensetoexpendourenergieswithpeoplewhodonotuseourskillstoadvantage.Itisexhaustingandunproductive.Therearealwaysotherswhowilluseuswell.Similarly,aleaderneedsawellchosenteam.Itisnogoodbattlingonwithpeoplewhoaredestructive.Idonotmeanavoidinghealthydifferenceandconflict.

Ifyouareaconsultant,choosingclientswhoarenotchronicallyresistanttochange.

Ifyouarealeader,choosingteammembersmostofwhomarenotresistanttochange(perhapsyouneedsome).

Involvingpeoplefullyateverystageofplanningandimplementingchangeandgainingtheirwillingcommitment.

Enablingpeopletoexpresstheirdiverseviewsandfindcommonground.

Usingprocessesthatempowerpeople,givethemchoiceanddonotbringout'dependency'or'counter-dependency.'

Transferringownershiptoyourclientsorworkforce.

Buildinginopportunitiesforpeopletoexpresstheirfeelings,eg,anger,fear,anxiety,distrust,griefandpowerlessness.

Buildingtrustandcreatingsafetyforpeopletoexpresstheirthoughtsandfeelingswithimpunity.

Buildingawarenessabouthowhumanbeingstypicallyreacttochange.

Providingopportunitiesforpeopleundergoingchangetogiveeachothersupport.

Beingcompletelyhonestandtrustworthy.

Beingfirmaboutvision,values,purposeanddirectionbutflexibleandcreativeaboutstrategyandactions.

Modelinganattitudeofwelcomingchangeandupheaval!

Figure14.1Designingresistanceoutofthesystem

Handlingresistancewhenithappens

'Withawarenesscomeschoice.'BarryOshry.

Sowhatcanyoudowhenresistanceoccurs?Typicalformsofresistancearewherepeopleare:

Decliningtodotheworkthatneedstobedone.

Expressingcomplacency.

Colludingwitheachotherinavoidingthings.

Rejectingconstructiveleadershipthatisoffered.

Blaming,criticizingorattackingtheleaderorfacilitator.

Fightingorcompetingwitheachotherratherthanagreeingonawayforward.

Theseareallwaysofavoidingthings.Bion'sclassicwritingsabouthisexperiencesingroupsinthe1940sand1950smakefascinatingifsomewhatdifficultreading(Bion,1992).Hetalksof'fight'or'flight'astwobasicwaysofavoidingresponsibilityorlearning.Ifounditreassuringtoreadabouthowdifficulthefoundthisverysamesituation.ThereareanumberofpossiblewaysoffacilitatingthesituationconstructivelyseeFigure14.2.

RussVinceandLindaMartinofferanilluminatingmodel(Vince,andMartin,1993)whichIhaveslightlymodifiedinFigure14.3.Thismodeldemonstratestheemotional,asopposedtorational,aspectsoftransformingorlearning.Underlyingresistanceisouranxietyourclients'andourown.

Notinterveningjustconfidentlystayingwiththemwhiletheyexpressoractouttheirresistanceandmovethroughit.

Statingwhatyouobservewithoutjudgmentorcriticism.

Offeringaninterpretationwithoutjudgmentorcriticism.

Sayingwhatyouthinkisthechoicefacingthegroup.

Makingaproposal,acceptingthatwhilepeoplemayinitiallyresistit,theymayacceptitintime.

Notgivingpeoplecausetofeelyouaretryingtomakethemdoanything.

Beinghumorous,relaxedandconfidentintheultimatewisdomofyourclients.

Notgettingangry,takingitpersonally,becomingvictim,persecutororrescuer.

Proposingabreak.

Giveyourselfagoodlisteningto.

Inabreakworkonthesituationwithyourco-facilitatororcallatrustedfriend.

Figure14.2Constructivewaysoffacilitatingresistance

Figure14.3Thechoicewehave

Itshowsthechoiceparticipantswillalmostcertainlyfacemorethanonceinaneventorprocessoftransformation.Thereislikelytobea'strategicmoment'whenourclientscanchoosebetweengoingwithuncertainty,risk,struggleandultimatelylearningorchangingandfightorflight,denialoravoidance,defensivenessorresistanceandnotlearningorchanging.Ourjobistointerveneinthebestwaywecanatthatstrategicmomentwhenthischoicepresentsitselfand,toquoteRuss,'holdthemonthatground.'Itmayhelpif,atacoolermoment,youhavepreparedthemforthissituation.Youcanusethemodeltobuildgreaterawarenessofwhatislikelytohappen.Themodelwillalsoinformyouaboutwhatishappeningatanemotionallevelatthatcrucialmomentwhenresistanceisthebigissueintheroom.Russcommentsthatheisnotsurethatwillingignoranceisalwaysan'unhealthy'choice.Sometimesignoranceisblissinorganizations(andlife).Iwonderwhetherthisistrueinthecaseoforganizations.YetnomatterwhatyouorIthink,thechoicewillalwaysbetheclient's.Itisourjobtodrawtheirattentiontothatchoicenomore.

Ithinkyouhavetobepreparedforanyobservation,interpretationorproposalyoumaketoberesistedatleastinitially.(Muchwilldependonhowmuchtrusttheyhaveinyouandtheymaybetestingyou.)Ifso,perhapsyoujusthavetostaywiththesituation,confidentandrelaxed(despitehowyoufeelinside!)andwaitforwisdomtoprevail,perhapsintheformofconstructiveinterventionsfromafewparticipants.Butmaybethatwillnothappenandthegroupwilljustgetintoaverymessysituationwhichtheymayormaynotcomeoutof.Ithastobetheirchoice.'Youwinsomeandyoulosesome'astheysay.AfterwhatIthoughtatthetimewasa'disaster,'Ihavehadpeoplecomeupandsayhowmuchtheylearned.Sometimesbenignandconstructiveforcesarenotthemostvociferous!

Beingauthenticisrecommended,yetsoiscontainingfeelings.Afinejudgmentneedstobemadeaboutwhentoexpressordescribeyourfeelings(withoutblamingorjudging)andwhenthiswillbeconstructiveandwhenitwillnot.Ifyoudoit,youneedtobeextremelyhonestandlookbeneaththeangerwhichalmostcertainlycoversfear,anxietyorsomeotheremotion.Ihaveoftenseenparticipantstransformasituationforthebetterbysayinghowtheyfeelparticularlywhentheydosowithauthenticityandwithoutblamingtheotherperson.Whenthefacilitatordoesso,itismorelikelytobeinterpretedasblamingorjudging,morelikelytocreateasituationthatunderminessafetyandtrust.Itisoftenconstructivewhenthefacilitatoraccuratelypicksupandexpressesfeelingsthatareintheroomfeltbutnotyetorallyexpressedbyothers.Ithashelpedothersbemoreawareofandexpresshowtheyfeel.Itisnotconstructivewhenithasbeenessentiallyanangryoutburstfromthefacilitator.Thenyouloseyourabilitybothtobepresentandyetstandoutsidethesituation.Youarenolongerworkingfromapositionofcompassion.Youloseyourcredibilityorauthorityasafacilitatoryouhave'blownit'astheysay.

Sometimestherearepeoplewhoarebentonbeingdestructive.Hopefullyotherswilldealwiththem,butmaybenot.Inthateventfirmactionisneeded.Iamremindedoftheskillsagoodteacherexercisesinaclassroom.However,itisnotthesameasdealingwithdisruptivepupilswhencompanypoliticsand'face'areinvolved.Thereisnosimpleanswer.Onefallsbackonone'sinnerstrengthandauthority.

Theinnerworkweneedtodo

OneofthegreatbenefitsofresistantclientsisthattheyconfrontyouwiththeworkyouhavetodoonyourselfbetterthanalmostanythingelseIcanthinkof!Formethismeanslearningtobefullyempatheticwithmyclients,particularlyinwhatseemstobethemostdifficult(ie,interesting)situation,perhapswhenIamtiredtoo,andnotfallingintothetrapofputtingmyattentiononmyownfeelingsofanxietyorinadequacy.Toavoidthis,Iparticularlyneedmyhumor.'Well,herewehaveaninterestingsituation,'Isaytomyselforoutloud.Atthatmoment,Imostneedtolovemyselfinordertolovemyclients.

Avoidingourownavoiding

Ifwearegoingtohelpourclientstothefullestextent,weneedtoavoidourownavoiding.WhenIthinkaboutmyownavoiding,thereseemtobeperhapsfourorfivethingsIcando.InFigure14.4JuliaCameron(1995)hasmanymorewisethingstosayonthissubject.ForexampleIamawarethatIoftengointo

BecomeawareofhowIavoid.Meansbeingveryhonest.

Makeadecisionchoose.

ThrowmyselfintothesituationIfinddifficultagainandagainuntilImasterit.

Begentlewithmyself.

Getsupportfroma'believing'friend.

Figure14.4

thegardentoavoidthe'discomfort'ofsittingatmydeskandwriting.SometimesIgothereforinspiration.Thatisfine.ButIalsogotheretoavoid.Iknowthedifference.AllIhavetodoischoose.Thisisrelativelyeasyforme.IammindedofoneofJuliaCameron's'rulesoftheroad':'Rememberthatitisfarharderandmorepainfultobea

blockedartistthantodothework.'Thesameistrueabouttheblockedconsultant.Ifinditusefultoaskmyself'Whatisyourinvestmentinbeingblocked?'or'Whatis

thepay-offinstayingblocked?'WhenIanswerthesequestions,Ilaughbecausetheanswersusuallydon'tmakeanysense.ButIstillhavetomakethedecision.

ThentherearethosesituationsIfinddifficultlikedealingwellwithresistantclients(orpeopleIthinkaredrivingirresponsibly).SometimesIgetangryespeciallywhenIamtired.Iamawareofthis.Iunderstandwhatisunderneathmyanger(fearthattheywillnotovercometheirresistance).Butitfeelsverydifficulttodecide,orexercisethechoice.IknowIhavethechoice.Icanchoosetoberelaxedandconfident.Icanalsochoosetoseethesituationwithcompassionandempathyinsteadofanger.ButsomehowthesituationkeepscatchingmeoutthewayIphrasethatrevealshowIdon'ttakeresponsibilityanddenymychoice.MyconclusionisthatIneedtokeepthrowingmyselfintothatsituationuntilImasterit.InoticetheUniversehasawayofthrowingmeintoallthesituationsIneedtoworkonagainandagain.LuckilyIhavesomefriendswhobelieveinmeandtheymakesureIamgentlewithmyselfanddonotstrugglewiththesesituationsbutworkwiththemwithhumorandlightness.

Iamgoingtotalkabitmoreaboutourownavoidinginthenextchaptertoo.InparticularIwanttodrawattentiontohowweavoidthechallengeofdoingtheworkintheworldandwithourclientsthatwillmakethebiggestdifferenceandchooseblander,saferthingsinstead.


Bion,W.R.(1992)ExperiencesinGroups,Routledge,LondonandNewYork.


Oshry,B.(1995)SeeingSystemsUnlockingtheMysteriesof

OrganizationalLife,Berrett-Koehler,SanFrancisco,USA.

Vince,R.andMartin,L.(1993)'InsideActionLearning:AnExplorationofthePsychologyandPoliticsoftheActionLearningModel,'ManagementEducationandDevelopment,Vol.24,Part3,1993,pp.205-15.

15EndingIncludinghowourowndevelopmentisthekeytoitall'Wecannotwaitforgreatvisionsfromgreatpeople,fortheyareinshortsupplyattheendofhistory.Itisuptoustolightourownsmallfiresinthedarkness.'CharlesHandy.

'Westernmanhasonefootinthepast,onefootinthefutureandpissesonthepresent.'MahatmaGhandi.

ForsometimenowIhavebeenthinkingaboutwhattoincludeinthisfinalchapter.Whatdoesoneputinafinalchapter?Howdoesoneendabook?Ihavehadquitealongrelationshipwithyou,thereader,andanevenlongeronewiththebook.(Whenthewritingisdonewillitleaveanother'fertilevoid'?)PerhapsthischapterisbestseenasanopportunitytodrawthreadstogetherandmylastchanceinthisbooktosharewithyouthingsIhavenotyetshared.

Themesrevisited

Ibeganthebookbyoutliningseveralthemes.Amongstthesewastheideathatweareperhapsmovingtowardsaworldinwhichwearemoreawareofhowinterconnectedeveryoneandeverythingis.Perhapsthisisleadingustowardsagreaterrespectforeachotherandvaluingthewaysinwhichwearedifferent.Perhapsourprospering(notjustinamaterialsensebutemotion-

allyandspiritually,too)andevenoursurvivaldependsonfindingmoreinclusiveandrespectfulwaysofworkingtogether,reachingdecisionsandachievingcommongoals.Isenseamoveawayfromtheold,adversarialandcompetitivewaysinwhichsomeorafewimposetheirwillonothersbecausetheyhavethepowertodosowhetherthisisinourcompanies,ourcommunities,inlocalornationalpolitics,intheglobalmarketorininternationalrelations.Isenseamoodinwhichmanypeoplearetiredofthe'I'mrightandyouarewrong'or'Wearesuperiorandyouareinferior'culture.IhopemyjudgmentisnotcloudedbytheaftermathofaGeneralElectionasaresultofwhichwemay,intheUK,beonthethresholdofconstitutionalreform;wehavethefirstMuslimMP;awomanMPinawheelchair;over100womenmembersofParliament;anopenlygayCabinetMinisterandanotherwhoisblind.

Ihavealsoarguedthatwhatwedoinorganizationsmattersgreatly.Thisiswherewecanshapewhatitistobesuccessfulandfullyhumanatthesametime.

Anotherthemehasbeenthatwecanallmakeadifference.Itreallydoesnotmatterhowbigorhowsmallourcontributionappearstobe;itisimportant,nonetheless.Thisispartlybecausetheessenceoftheworldisthatitisahugecreativeintelligence.Weareallinvolvedinthisextraordinarycreativeevolution.Evenanactofcourtesyontheroadcanhavemultiplebeneficialeffectsorrepercussionsthatwecannotpossiblyknowabout.Everythingwedomattersifweseeourselvesinaworldthatisimmenselycreativeandinterconnected.Thelittlethingswedowiththepeoplearoundusperhapshavemoreeffectthangrandgestures.Thisparticularlyappliestohowwearewithourchildren.

Wealsohavemuchmorepowerthanwethinkwehave(andmuchlessifwehaveegotisticalillusionsaboutformalpower).Forexample

ourpurchasingchoiceshavetremendouspowertoinfluencewhathappensintheThirdWorld,howourfoodisproducedandthehealthoftheenvironment.Similarlythelobbyingwedo,theNGOsorcharitieswesupportcanhaveprofoundeffects.Bigshiftsaremadeupofmillionsofsmallactions.

Anotherthemehasbeenthepresencewebringtowhatwedo.Thiscanmakeallthedifference,too.Wearemorelikelytohaveabeneficialinfluencewhenwebringhumor,relaxedconfidenceandhighexpectations.Inmanysituations,simplyhowwearemattersfarmorethanwhatwedoorsay.Sometimes,if

wehavethatqualityinourpresence,wemayneedtosayordomuchless.Presenceisaboutbeingfullypresent,neitherinthefuturenorinthepast.Agoodwaytolearnaboutthisistomeditate(seeAmaravati,SelfRealizationorMandalaonpages257-8).

Thisbringsmebacktoanotherthemeourowndevelopmentisthekey(stage5oftheEmpowermentModelwillinvariablytakeustothatpointifweallowit.Sowillstage7oftheInternalConsultant'sModel).Thathascertainlybeenmyexperience.ThedifficultiesIhavewithclients(orcolleagues),Imeaninfacilitatingthem,areessentiallymydifficulties.Iamconstantlybroughtbacktothisrealization.SinceIstartedworkingformyself,thatrealizationhasbeenbroughtintoevensharperfocus.Ifyouworkforyourself,youhaveabsolutelynooneyoucanholdresponsiblebutyourself.Thisisdramaticallygoodforyourdevelopment.Yousucceedorfailthroughyourownefforts.Youareforcedtolearnifyouwishtosurviveandprosper.Itseemsthatitisnotmyexperience,notmyknowledgeorskillsbutthequalityofmypresenceinalmosteverysituationIaminthatmattersmost.Thisrealizationconfrontsuswithsomeofthemostdifficultthingswehavetolearn.

Ifindmyfamilyisoneofthebestlaboratoriesinwhichtolearnthesethings.Itisaplacewhereaten-year-oldhasasmuchasanyonetoteachasixty-year-oldandwillsayitwithunerringaccuracyandsimplicity.Itisaplacewhereemotionsoftenrunhigh,yourshellisbrokenandyouarestrippedofanypretensions.Almostallyoulearnherecanbeappliedintheworkplace.Youarethesamepersoninbotharenasbutperhapsinthefamilyyouareexposedinallyournakedness.AsIhavesaidearlier,sometimesleaders'actout'intheirorganizationsthe'pathology'theyacquiredinchildhoodandhavenotyetlearnedtoleavebehind.

Ihavealsoarguedthecasefordispensingwithdidacticorcontrived

learningoratleastusingitmuchless.Ihavetriedtomakeastrongcasefortherichnessandpotentialoflearningfromtherealopportunitiesandissuesweareconfrontedwith;learningfromdoingratherthanseparatingthetwo.IhavecalledthisRealTimeDevelopment.IhopeIhavenotbeendogmaticordoctrinaireaboutthis.Thetruthiscomplicated,manysidedandtherearealwaysinterestingexceptions.

ThisbringsmetotwothingsIwishtosharewithyouthatIhavesofarleftout.

Creativityanduncertainty

Beingself-employedconfrontsonewiththeissueofuncertaintybetterthananythingelseIknow.Employmentcreatesanillusionofsecurity,atleastuntilitisshattered.Self-employmentcreatesnosuchillusion.Ithasthereforehelpedmeempathizewithmyclientswhofaceuncertaintyandunpredictabilityinabundance.Ithashelpedmetowardsamorespiritualperspectiveandsomeprinciplesthatseemessentialtosucceeding(seeFigure15.1).JuliaCameronsays:'Ourcreativedreamsandyearningscomefromadivinesource'and'Asweopenourcreativechanneltothecreator,manygentlebutpowerfulchangesaretobeexpected.'

Theuniversewillsupportusinfulfillingourvision.

Thepeopleandcircumstancesweneedwillcomeintoourlives.

Haveintentions,essencesratherthanspecificform.

Whateverwefocuson,wecreatemoreof.

Fearandanxietyarethegreatestdampenersofvisionfulfillment.

Gratitudeforourblessingsisthekeytounlockingabundance.

WhateverhappensisjustexactlywhatIneedformydevelopment.

Letgooftheoldtomakeroomforthenew.

Liveinthepresentforwecandonothingaboutthepastandcannotcontrolthefuture.

Figure15.1Usefulprinciples

IwasremindedofmanyoftheseprincipleswhenIwenttoaweekendworkshopledbyNickWilliamsofAlternatives,basedatStJames'sChurch,Piccadilly,London.Ialsolearnedasimplethree-stageprocess:

Visualize-visionandintention.

Energizeaction.

Detachbeavailableandwillingtoreceive.

Mylifeinorganizationshadtaughtmetovisualize,createavisionandtoenergizeandtakeaction.Ithadalsotaughtmeto

persist,sometimesappropriatelyandsometimesnot.WhatithadnottaughtmewastodetachandbewillingtoreceivewhatImostdesire,notnecessarilyintheforminwhichIenvisagedit.Thatisformeamostvaluablepieceoflearning.WhenIreflect,almosteverythingIdesirehascomeintomylife,butmostoftennotintheformorthemannerIexpected.AndmyinabilitytodetachexhaustedmeandprobablydelayedwhatIdesiredcomingintomylife.Iwasusedtostruggling.Thatseemstometobeamostempoweringlessonforallleaders,especiallythoseofthemoretraditional,controllingkind!Detachinggivesotherpeoplemorefreedomtocontributecreativelyandwillinglytoaleader'svision.IamalsolearningthatifImeditatefor20minuteseverydayIshallenhancemychancesofsucceedingineverythingIdesire,enhancemyabilitytoofferabenign'presence'inthosecriticalsituationsIfinddifficultandgivemyimmuneandhealingsystemsabetterchanceofworking.

Resolvingconflictwithoutviolence

Muchofthisbookhasbeenaboutfindingwaysofworkingtogethermoreconstructively,butIhaverealizedthatitofferslittleabouthowtoresolveconflictconstructivelywhenithappensasitmostcertainlywill.ItdawnedonmethatIwassomewhatill-equippedwhenaclientrecentlyaskedmeifIwouldhelpwithtwokeymembersofhisteamwhooftengotintosevereconflictwithoneanother.Hewantedthemtolearntosortthingsoutforthemselves,ratherthancometohim.AboutthattimeIgotthechancetoattendaone-dayworkshopcalledNon-ViolentCommunicationledbyDr.MarshallRosenberg.IcannotdojusticetotherichnessofhismodelhereoreventhebasicelementsofhisthinkingbutIhopethatmybriefsummarymayinterestyou.Detailsofwhereyoucanfindoutmorearegivenattheendofthischapter.

MarshallRosenbergarguesthatweeachhaveenormouspowerto

makelifemorewonderfulforotherpeople.Itisnaturalforustowanttogive.Wedelightinmeetingtheneedsofothersifwecandosowillingly.Weresistbeingcontrolledormadetodothingshowever.

'Nevergiveunlessyougivefromtheheart.'

PartoftheproblemisthatwehavelearnedwhatMarshallcalls'JackalLanguage':

'I'mright;youarewrong.'

'Thereissomethingwrongwithyouifyoudon'tagreewithme.'

Itisthelanguageofattack,blame,criticism,tryingtomakepeopledothingsbecausetheywouldotherwisefeelguilty.Itisthelanguageofoughtandshould,ofmanipulationandpunishment.Thisisthelanguageofpoweroverpeopleandwecanmakepeopledothingsbecausewecanhurtthemiftheydon't.Itistheenemyofcompassionandoflearning.(ItisalsothelanguageoftheBritishHouseofCommons.)

Whatheadvocatesinsteadis'GiraffeLanguage'(giraffesarethemammalswiththebiggesthearts).Thisisthelanguageofcompassion.Itconnectsusatheartlevelandenablesustoseethehumanintheotherperson,to'seetheirbeauty.'Communicatingatthatlevelenablesustodiscoverotherpeople'sneedsandforcesustobecreativeinfindingwaysofmeetingeveryone'sneeds.Itkeepsourattentiononhumanneedsandgivesuspowerwithpeople.GiraffeLanguageenablesustoacknowledgethatourfeelingsarenevercausedbywhatotherpeopledo.Theirbehaviorisneverthecauseofourfeelings;onlythestimulus.Ourfeelingsarecausedbyhowwechoosetohearwhattheysay.Wecanchoosetofeelbad,guilty,thatthereissomethingwrongwithus,orwecanchoosetoseeinsteadthehurtoftheotherperson,theirbeauty,thedisappointedvisionarybeneaththeiranger.Angertellsusthatwearedisconnectedfromourneeds.Usuallybelowangerthereisfearorpowerlessness.'Wheneverthereisangerinyourheartthere'sashouldinyourhead.''Thinkingwrongnesscreatesanger[yourown].'JackalLanguagegreatlyreducesourchancesofgettingourneedsmet.

AttheheartofMarshall'steachingisasimplemodel(seeFigure15.2)whichoffersawayofresolvingconflictwithoutviolenceverbalorotherwise.Itisamodelwhichcanbeusedbytwopeopleinturnorsimplybyonepersontoinvitearesponsetomeettheirneeds.Itcanallbesaidconciselyinabout40words,forexample:'WhenIsee(hear)you..................Ifeel....................becauseIamneeding....................andIwouldlikeyouto.....................'

1.Observation

Anaccurate,factualstatementofwhatIseeorhear.Nointerpretation,evaluationordiagnosis.Separateobservationfromevaluation.

2.Feeling ThisishowIfeelwhenthishappens.Noblame,judgmentorattempttoimplythefeelingiscausedbytheother.Donotconfusefeelingandthinkingorinterpretation.Takeresponsibilityforyourfeelings.

3.Need Theneed,notthestimulus.ThisistheneedIhavewhichisnotbeingmet.

4.Request ThisiswhatIrequestyoudonotrefrainfromdoing.Positive,notnegative.Aspecificrequestthatwillmeettheneed.Andnoimpliedthreatifyouchoosenot.Notademand.

Figure15.2Four-stagemodelfornon-violentcommunication

Itisimportantthattherearenowordsthatcriticize,judge,diagnose,interpretorinsult.Thisleavestheotherpersonfreetorespondpositivelytoyourrequestorcreativelyfindanevenbetterwaytomeetyourneedthewin-winsolution.

Again,howwechoosetohearwhattheotherpersonsaysdependsonwhatearswearewearing.Whetherwehearblame,ourowninadequacyorsimplytheneedsofanotherhumanbeing.Itisourchoicewhetherwedecidetofeelgoodorbadaboutourselveswhenotherpeoplearebeingauthentic.

Ihavebeenintroducingthismodeltomyfamilyandpracticingit,partlytogetreadytohelpmyclientpartlybecauseitissocentraltogoodfamilyrelationships.Theseareorganizationalrelationshipsinmicrocosm.Itissimplebutnoteasy!Ihavefounditaveryrigorousdiscipline.

Iwantedtoincludeitbecausethemodelandthethinkingbehinditaresocentraltothethemesinthisbook:movingfromadversarialtocollaborativerelationships;fromcoerciontowillingpartnership;fromverbalviolencetorespect;humilityinsteadofarrogance;taking

responsibilityforourbehaviorandourfeelings;doingthingsfromtheheartandheadratherthanonlyfrom

thehead.Italsogivesthefacilitatorvaluableinsightsincludinghowtobe'present'ratherthantojudge.

Stayingintherealworld

Inoureffortstodevelopourselvesanddothebestpossibleworkforourclients,wecandetachourselvesfromtherealworldofordinaryworkingandliving.Thisistheworldoftheoverwhelmingmajorityofhumanbeingsontheplanet.Weruntheriskofdoingthiswhenwe:focusonprofessionalismandhigherqualificationsasiftheywerewhatmostmattered;prideourselvesinbeingattheleadingedgeandinformedofallthelatestdevelopments;becomecaptivatedbymethodologiesmeansratherthanends;areseducedbytheprestigious,cleverandingenious;developapassionforonemethodologywhichwebegintobelieveistheanswertoeverything(Icallthis'worshippingataltars,'andthatcaneasilyleadtoorganizationsthattakeonthecharacteristicsofsectsorcults);starttalkingalanguagethatotherscannotunderstand;sitatthefeetoforbecomedevoteesof'gurus';focusourattentionontopmanagersratherthanthewholeworkforceandneversetfootinafactoryortalktoworkingpeople.Andwhendidyoulastlistentoorlearnfromsomeoneofadifferentrace,cultureorcolor?Canyouexplainwhatyoudoto'ordinary'people?

Perhapsattherootofthesewaysoflimitingourselvesisthedesireforcertaintyorsecurityinabewilderingworld.Also,inGreatBritain,theymayreflectthelingeringclasssystem,élitismandintellectualsnobbery.IthinkImaysaythesethingsbecauseIhavebeenguiltyoffallingintoallthesetraps.Thereisaparadoxhere.Notalloftheseactivitiesareharmfulinthemselves.Itisonlywhenwegetthemoutofbalance,forgetwhatourpurposeis,whatweareheretodo,whatmattersmostandgetoutoftouchwiththemajorityofotherhumanbeingsthatthereisaproblem.Thenwelimitourpotentialtomakea

differenceinourworkplaceandinthewideworld.

Whetherwearefullyawareofitornot,weareallpartofalongmarchtowardsamoreequitableandrespectfulglobalsocietyinwhichitispossibleforeveryonetobemoretrulyhuman.Andwhatwedoinourorganizationsisanimportantpartofthis.Seeninthislight,ourworkandlearningtogetherbecomepartofsomethingveryinspiringandexciting.

SomethingthatHarrisonOwen(seeChapter8andreadhisbooksandarticles)wrotetomerecentlyseemsveryapthere:

'SomehowIthinkwearejustworkingtoohard.Soforme,transformationishappening,itisnotsomethingyoudo.Certainlywehavetofigureoutappropriateresponses,butmylearningrecentlyisthatthetotalorganismoftheHomosapiensinitsseveralparts(countries,companies,whathaveyou)seemstobeengagedinanevolutionaryprocesswhichisenablingustocopewiththeemergingreality.Allofthisisoccurring(Ithink)notbecausewehavefiguredthingsout,butinspiteofthefactwehaven't.Wedohaveachoice,butitisrathermoreaboutacceptingtheemergingorganizational(life)formornot,andifnot,we,likethedinosaurs,willsimplydisappear.

Iamnotthesorttothrowmyhandsintheairindefeat,butneitherdoIfeelthenecessitytoworkoverlyhardatsomethingwhichseemstobedoingprettywellbyitself.Noguaranteesofcourse,butIthinkwearegoingtomakeit.Ifthereisakeyitisallaboutself-organizingsystems.Ithinkthatiswhatweareessentially.Wejustliketopretendwehavedoneallthisgoodwork.Couldbe.'

PerhapsIshouldhavecalledthisbookToolsforMuddlingThroughbutwouldanyonehaveboughtit?

Iwanttoendwithtwopoems;thefirstbyBenjaminZephaniah(Zephaniah,1996)andthesecondbyAdisa.

GOODHOPE

IbelieveThereisenoughfoodOnthisplanetForeveryone.

IbelieveThatitispossibleForallpeople

Toliveinpeace.

IbelieveWecanliveWithoutguns,IbelieveeveryoneIsimportant.

IbelievetherearegoodChristiansandgoodMuslims,GoodJewsAndgoodnotsures,IbelieveThereisgoodineveryoneIbelieveinpeople.

IfIdidnotbelieveIwouldstopwriting.

IknowEverydayChildrencryforwater,AndeverydayRacistsattack,StilleverydayChildrenplayWithnocareforcolour.SoIbelievethereishopeAndIhopeThattherearemanybelieversBelievingThereishope,ThatiswhatIhopeAndthisiswhatIbelieve,Ibelieveinyou,Believeme.

REALREVOLUTIONARIESMOVEINSILENCE

RealRevolutionariesmoveinsilence

RealRevolutionariesmoveinsilenceRealRevolutionariesmoveinsilence

Youcansaywhatyouwantbutitdon'tmeanathingIt'stheturningofthatthoughtintoactionthatcarriestheswingNobodyisscaredofabee'sbuzzbuttheyarescaredofabee'sstingIt'snotthebarkit'sthebiteIt'snotthetalkit'sthefight

IfyouspendallyourtimetalkingyouwillnevergetanythingdoneIt'slikeyou'reinthestartersblockwaitingforthestartersgunButifyouwereblind,deafanddumbYouwouldn'tknow,theracehadalreadybegunYouwouldn'tknowyou'readogunderatablebeingfedthemasterscrumbsYouwouldn'tknowthatyourpeoplewerehomelessandlivingintheslumsMaybewewouldknowifwestoppedjiggingaroundandshowingeachotherourgums

InthislineofworkthereisnopayYouwillhavetothinkforyourself24/7eachandeverydayYouwillhavetobecometheattackerandnolongerthepreyKnowledgeispowerandwillkeepignoranceatbayWeareallactorsonstagewhatpartdoyouplay?YoushouldbeonerunghigherontheladderthanyouwereyesterdayReadandlistentowhatourancestorshadtosayThiswillhelptowipetheplaquefromyourbrainandstopthedecayKeepapictureinyourmindofwhatitisyouhavetodoAndeachandeverydaymakesureit'sthatyoupursueUseyourmouthtospeak,yourearstohearandyoureyestoviewKnowthedifferencebetweenalieandwhatistrueKnowthedifferencebetweenwhoandwhathasbeenheresincetimeinmemorial

AndwhoandwhatisbrandspankingnewBecomeadetectivehunting,searchingforyournextvitalclueBut!!!stayalertandfreshlikethemorningdewOrthenextdeadrevolutionarycouldbeyou,oryouoryou!!!

RealRevolutionariesmoveinsilenceIfyouarestillconfusedastowhatthatstatementmeans

Iwillnowthrowalittlemorelightonthescene

ToberealmeanstoberealtoyourselfandrealtoyourpeopleYou'renotMalcolmXorHarrietTubmanbutyoucanbetheirequalRevolutionmeansthemovement,theturningofsomethingupsidedownRevolutionmeansgoingagainstthecrowdRevolutionarymeansbeingabletoperceive

Ifyoucan'tgothroughthewallgooveroraround

Silencewhenyou'reunderpressurewillkeepyoucalmSilencewhenthereisdangerallaroundwillkeepyoufromharmListentoyourinnervoiceletthatbeyouralarm

WhenyouthinkbeforeyoutalkyouareinsilenceWhenyoufightbeforeyouthinknowthat'smeaninglessviolenceIhopeinthispoemIhavebeenofsomeconstructiveguidanceAstowhyRealRevolutionariesMustalwaysmoveinSilence.

References,suggestedfurtherreadingandresources

Adisa,DaisProductions,ProvidingaPlatformfortheSpeakersofTomorrow,POBox12101,LondonN52RQ.(Tel:+44-(0)171-503-3889).

Alternatives,StJames'sChurch,Piccadilly,LondonW1V0CC(Tel:+44-(0)171-287-6711).

AmaravatiBuddhistMonastery,GreatGaddesden,HemelHempstead,HertfordshireHP13BZ,England(Tel:+44-(0)1442-842455).ThereareintroductoryclassesinmeditationonSaturdayafternoons.


CentreforCreationSpirituality,StJames'sChurch,Piccadilly,LondonW1V0CC.(Tel:+44-(0)171-287-2741).

TheFindhornFoundation,ThePark,ForresIU360TZ,Scotland.(Tel:+44-(0)1309-690311;Fax:+44-(0)1309-691301).TheFindhorn

Foundationoffersavarietyofworkshopsandprogrammesforpeopleinterestedintheirownspiritualandpersonaldevelopment.

Handy,C.(1994)TheEmptyRaincoatMakingSenseoftheFuture,Hutchinson,London,UK.

Handy,C.(1997)TheHungrySpiritBeyondCapitalism-AQuestforpurposeintheModernWorld,Hutchinson,London,UK.

MandalaYogaAshram,Pantypistyll,Llansadwrn,Llandeilo,DyfedSA198NR,Wales.(Tel/Fax:+44-(0)1558-685358).

Rosenberg,Dr.TheCentreforNon-violentCommunication,POBox2662,Sherman,TX75091,USA(Tel:001-903-893-3886)andWasserfallenhof,Postfach232,4418Reigoldswil,Switzerland(Tel:+41-61-941-2060).

Roth,G.(1995)MapstoEcstasy:TeachingsofanUrbanShaman,Thorsons,London,UK.

SelfRealizationMeditationHealingCentre,LaurelLane,QueenCamel,Yeovil,SomersetBA227NU,UK.(Tel:+44-(0)1935-850266,Fax:+44-(0)1935-850234).

Zephaniah,B.(1996)FunkyChickens,Viking,London,UK.

AppendicesToolsforTransformationAppendix1EmpowermentModel 262

Appendix2InternalConsultant'sModel 263

Appendix3UsefulQuestionsModel 264

Appendix4HelpingModel 265

Appendix5ConsultingModel 266

Appendix6SupportGroupAgenda 267

Appendix7TheSunflowerorSpider'sWeb 268

Appendix8DevelopingYourNetwork 270

Appendix1EmpowermentModel

ThisisthebasicmodelyoucanuseforRealTimeManagementDevelopment(Chapter6).GettingtheWholeSystemintotheRoom(Chapter8),WorkingwithIndividuals(Chapter9),orwithTeams(Chapter10),andinSupportGroups(Chapter11).

Appendix2InternalConsultant'sModel

Thisisamodelthatyoucanusetodevelopyourstrategyifyouareaninternalconsultant.BasedontheEmpowermentModel,itsuseisfullyexplainedinChapter5.

Appendix3UsefulQuestionsModel

Whatisgoingwell?

Whatisdifficult?

Whatisyourthinkingaboutthecurrentsituation?

Howdoyouwanttochangethings?Howwouldthingsbeifeverythingweregoingwell?


Whatwillyoudo?

HowcanIhelp?

ThisisanothervariantoftheEmpowermentModel.Youcanuseittogetoutintothebusinessanddevelopwidespreadfriendships,collectdataandbuildreadinessforchange(seeChapters5,6and10)orinnetworking(Chapter11).Theseareempoweringquestionsthathelppeopleclarifytheirthinking,buildavisionandplaneffectiveactiontochangethingsforthebetter.

Appendix4HelpingModelContracting

Agreeingonthegroundrules;initialdefinitionofpurposeordesiredoutcome.

Buildingarelationship

Gettingtoknowthepersonandbuildingtrust.

Exploringtheissue

Gettingtoknowtheproblemexploringthedataandthefeelingsandissuesunderlyingit.

Understandingtheproblemandsettinggoals

Identifyingunderlyingcauses;graspingthepattern;makingsenseofitall;settingchangegoals.

Planningandacting

Turningidentifiedneedforchangeintopracticalstrategiesforaction.Includingthesupportneededtosucceed.

ThisisasimpleversionoftheFacilitatingModelinChapter9.Itisabasicmodelforone-to-onehelpingandteachingone-to-onefacilitation.

Appendix5ConsultingModel

Gainingentry.

Developingaclearagreement.

Collectingdata.

Makingadiagnosis.

Planningchange.

Implementingchange.

Evaluating,monitoring,reviewing.

Withdrawing.

Note: Ownershipwillbestrongestwhenthekeystagesofbringingaboutchangearecarriedoutbytheclientwiththesupportoftheconsultant.

Thisisabasicmodelforplanningandimplementingtransformationinanorganizationwhetheritbemanagingachangeorapieceofconsultingwork.SeeChapter5.

Appendix6SupportGroupAgenda

OpeningCircle'togetpeoplehereandexpressdesiredoutcomes.

······Celebratesuccesses.

Talkaboutwhathasbeendifficultandyourfeelings.Whathaveyoulearnedfromthis?

Yourthinkingaboutthecurrentsituation.

Howyounowwanttochangethingsforthebetterandwhatyouwilldo.

Identifywhatwillgetinthewayandworkonit.

Makecommitments.

······'Closingcircle'toreviewwhathelped,whattododifferentlynexttimeandexpress

appreciation.

Thisisamodelyoucanuseasanagendaforasupportgroup,orafollow-upmeetingwithanindividual,grouporteamorforthesecondpartofaRealTimeManagementDevelopmentprogram.

Appendix7TheSunflowerorSpider'sWeb

Presentstaterigorousreview

Thedesiredstatemyvision

Howtousethesunflower

Youcanusethesunflowertohelppeoplereviewthecurrentsituationrigorouslyandthendecidehowtheywanttochangeit.Firsttheyplotinthecentercircletheirrole,theirjob,theirteam,theirdepartmentortheirbusiness.Inthenextcircletheyplotthekeyareas(domains)orrelationshipstheywanttolookat.Finallyintheoutercircle,theybrieflynotewhatisgoingwell(+)andwhattheyarenothappywithorthatneedstobechanged(-).

Thenextstageistoplottheirvisionorthedesiredstatetheywanttobringabout.Theycanusethesameareasordomainsorfocusonthosetheyregardasapriorityforchanging.

Eithertheycanpreparetheirownchartsandthensharethemwithcolleaguesortheycantalkthroughtheirthinkingandtheirvisionwhileafacilitatororcolleaguewritesitupontwoflipchartsforthem.

Ihavefoundmanypeoplereallylikethismethod.Itisausefulwayofworkingonstages2and3oftheEmpowermentModelinsmallgroupsinarealtimemanagementdevelopmentprogram.Itcanalsobeusedforaninitialsupportgroupmeetingorinfacilitatinganindividual.Itworkswellinasmall(orsupport)grouponarealtimemanagementdevelopmentprogrambecauseeachmembercangainagoodunderstandingofher/hiscolleagues'situationandcanofferfeedbackandsuggestions.Managersgenerallyhighlyvaluelearningfromeachother.

Thetechnicaltermforthistoolis'domainalanalysis.'

Appendix8DevelopingYourNetworkThisisanexercisewedevelopedatSunAllianceandlaterusedonouropenprogramandotherplacesinwhichweworkedasindependentconsultants.Bothmanagersandinternalconsultantsfounditextremelyuseful.IthinkwemayhaveborrowedthebasicideafromBritishAirways.

Networking:buildingyourcredibilityandinfluence

Thefirstandmostimportantstepinbringingaboutchangeisbuildingrelationshipsor,puttingitmoresimply,makingfriendshipswithpeopleintheorganization.Itisalsoakeywayofbringingaboutchange.

Byestablishingtrust,askingquestionsandlisteningyoucanbuildupanaccurateandcomprehensivepictureofthekeyissuesoftheorganization.Paradoxicallyaskingquestionsandlisteningarekeywaysofexercisingleadership.Peoplefinditrefreshingandempoweringtobelistenedto.Graduallyyouwillfindtherearealotofpeoplewithsimilarviewstoyourownandasimilarvisionofhowtheywantthingstobe.

Inmyexperience,usefulquestionstoaskare:

Whatisgoingwell?

Whatisdifficult?

Whatisyourthinkingaboutthesituation?

Howdoyouwanttochangethings?


HowcanIhelp?

Theseareempoweringquestions.Theygivepeoplethechancetothinkaboutwhattheywanttochange,formavisionofthefutureandmakedecisions.Byaskingthesequestionsyouareprovidingvaluablesupportandyoumaybeinvitedtohelpthemmoreactivelyifyoudothiswell.Astrustdevelops,itmaybecomeappropriatetoshareyourvisionwiththem.Graduallyinthiswayyouarebuildinganetworkofpeoplewhowanttochangethingsandyouarebuildingasupportnetworkforyourself.Somewillbeenthusiastic.Otherswillcomealongmoreslowly.Yetotherswillnotwishtobeinvolvedactively.Howeverbymakingcontactwiththemandshowingrespect,youwillminimizethechancesofoppositionandmaximizethechancesofconstructiverelationships.

Analyzingyournetwork

Thefollowingisausefulpracticalexerciseforanalyzingyournetworkanddecidingwhatactionyouwanttotaketodevelopit.Isuggestyoudotheworkonyourownfirstandthenshareitwithaclosecolleagueandgettheirfeedbackandsuggestions.

Kindsofcontacts

Therearethreekindsofcontacts:

Formal('F') Inaformalpositiontohelporweneedtoworkwiththembecauseoftheirpositionintheorganization.

Experts('E') Theyhaveinformationorexperienceweneed.

Carriers/Influencers('C')

Reallycarrythemessage,bringaboutchangeandinfluenceothers.

Action

1. Listyournetwork:above,aroundandbelowyou.Makealonglist.

2. Labelthem'F,''E'or'C'whatevertheyarepredominantly.

3. Whodoyoureallytrust?Whotrustsyou?Markthem'T.'

4. Makenotesontheactionyouwanttotakethosewhoareprioritiestobringintothe'trust'category;thosewithwhomitisimportantyoutakesomeaction.

5. Finally,itmaybehelpfultoplotpeopleinthreecirclesthekeypeopleyoutarget.

Innercircle

Thosewhoareorwillbeyourclosestallies,perhaps6-9;youwillregularlyspendtimewiththem.

Middlecircle

Thoseyouaimtomakealliesbutnotspendlargeamountsoftimewith.Notmajorsourcesofsupportoralliesbutperhapsimportantclients.

Outercircle

Thoseyouwillhavealong-termgoalofbringingincloseroryouneedtokeepintouchwithpossiblyinnontime-consumingways.

ThenetworkIhave

Names F,E,C T Actions

ThenetworkIwant

Withthehelpofnewtechnology,Inowhaveanenormousnetworkallovertheworld.IhavediscoveredthatishowImakeitpossiblefortheUniversetosupportmeinmyevolutionandinmakingmydifference.

Index

A

action,visionvs.,58

ActionLearning,68,70

adversarialconflict,18-19

adversarialculture,26-27

Allen,Richard,165

appreciation,16-17

assumptions,aboutpeople,165,167-168

authority,201

B

Bach,Richard,37,96

BarfordConference,137

Barker,Joel,onvisionvs.action,58

beginningquestions,178

believingmirrors,167,197

Bellman,Geoffrey,230,233

Berger,Mel,200

Berne,Eric,227

bioenergetics,43

Black,Claudia,203

Boeing,137

both/and,68-69

'bottomup'approachtochange(casestudy),101-106

Bristol,ClaudeM.,163

Burke,Edmund,ontriumphofevil,239

C

Cameron,Julia,205,214

onbeingablockedartist,246

onbelievingmirrors,167-168

onchoosingcompanions,203

oncreativedreams,251

onuniverseashelper,46

CEO,seechiefexecutiveofficer

change,welcoming,20

chiefexecutiveofficer(CEO),77-78,104,129-131,135

childhood,168-169

Chopra,Deepak,214

Clarkson,Petrushka,227

closingcircles,199-200

cofacilitation,53

commoncause,unifyingpeoplein,18-19

conflict,18-19,252-254

congruence,37-38

consultations,individual,79-80

consulting/consultants

external,230-238

trainingvs.,60

seealsoInternalConsultant'sModel

ConsultingModel,265

continuouslearning,182-183

contracting,53-54

contradicting,180-181

corework,194

'cozyclub,'206-207

creativity,fostering,17

cross-culturalteambuilding,200-202

Cuba,6

culturalchange,encouraging,46-47,97-98

culturaldifferences,limiting,169-172

culture,26-29,31

D

Dannemiller,Kathie,146

DannemillerTysonAssociates,137

Davis,Miles,onmistakes,114

Degas,Edward,99

democraticdesignprinciple,151

detaching,251-252

developednations,7

diagnosis,54,192

diversity,valuing,18-19,63

down-sizing,6

E

EarthSummit,142

Egan,Gerard,177,178

Emery,Fred,137

Emery,Merrelyn,137

emotionalreactions,163-166

empowerment,16-18,32

andleadership,30-33

ofself,51,53

EmpowermentModel,132-133

andbeginningquestions,178

benefitsof,39

andcorework,194

definitionof,xxiii

stepsin,xxviii,74,261

using,inworkshop,85-87

enablingleadership,30-33

encouragingothers,38-39

excellence,20-21

expectations,realistic,99-101

externalconsultants,230-238

extremepositions,68

F

facilitatingrelationships,167

facilitation

ofchange,50

one-to-one,162-163,174-182

ofteams,61

facilitationskills,217-229

facilitators,78

feedback,giving,183-185,197

feelings,20-21,163-166

Fergusson,Harry,onprosperity,23-24

firstthought,principleofthe,212-214

'fizzingout,'165

flexibleprogram,88-89

FordMotorCompany,137

FutureSearch,138-142,157

G

Gandhi,Mahatma,ongreed,13

gapbetweenrichandpoor,6

Gawain,Shakti,163

GenghisKhanapproach,97

Gibran,Kahlil

onteachers,67

onwork,21

GiraffeLanguage,253

globalenvironment,85-86

globaltransformation,3-4

Godden,Rumer,37

GoldenCircle,214

Grenfell,Joyce,21

Gris,Juan,99

groupfacilitationskills,224-229

groupmethods,largeseelargegroupmethod(s)

H

Handy,Charles

onintelligence,167

ontakinginitiative,248

Harrison,Ken,159

Harrison,Roger,21

HelpingModel,264

Holt,John,onlearning,96

honesty,41

humanconsciousness,changesin,7-11

I

IMF,6

inclusiveness,42-43

individualconsultations,79-80

individualpotential,releasing,159-185

andassumptionsaboutpeople,165,167-168

andcontinuouslearning/improvement,182-183

andfeedback,183-185

andfeelings,163-166

bylistening,159-161,173-174

withone-to-onefacilitation,162-163,174-182

roadblocksto,168-172

innovation,fostering,17

intelligence,167

InternalConsultant'sModel,51-58,262

actionplansin,58

contractingin,53-54

definitionofpurposein,54-55

developmentofinfluencing/networkingstrategyin,56-57

developmentofvisionin,55-56

diagnosisphaseof,54

keyissuesin,57-58

stepsin,52

strategicinterventionsin,56

Iue,Satoshi,oninnovationofmind,26

J

Jacobs,Robert,146

Jung,C.G.,162

K

Karpman,S.B.,227

keyissues,identifying,57-58,86-88

King,MartinLuther,xxi

Krishnamurti,J.,onreallearning,186

L

largegroupmethod(s),132-158

benefitsof,136

comparisonof,154-155

futuresearchconferenceas,138-142

historicalbackgroundof,137

andlimitationoftransformation,135

openspacetechnologyas,142-146

othermethodsvs.,135-136

realtimestrategicchangeas,146-151

searchconferenceas,151-154

leadership

enabling,30-33

'old,'29-30

learning

continuous,182-183

bydoing,39

Leith,Martin,142,154

listening,17,159-161,173-174

long-termpartnerships,237-238

long-termperspective,44

long-termstewardship,22-24

love,21-22,236-237

self-,211-212

Lutz,Bob,on'soft'sideofbusinesses,xvii

M

managers

traditionalapproachtodeveloping,67-68

training,62

seealsoRealTimeManagementDevelopment(RTMD)

markets,globalizationof,4

MarriottHotels,137

Marshall,SirColin,186

Martin,Linda,243

Matsushita,Konosuke,onindustrialWest,132

Mead,Margaret,onchange,26

N

networking,57,62,214-215,269-272

Nin,Anais,163

norms,organization,172

O

one-to-onefacilitation,162-163,174-182

one-to-onehelpingskills,219-224

openness,201

OpenSpaceTechnology(OST),88,142-146,157-158

opensystemstheory,151

organizationculture,seeculture

organizations,xvii-xix,48-50

Oshry,Barry,186-187

onawareness,171,242

oninstability,239

onpower,186

onsystemdynamics,69-70

OST,seeOpenSpaceTechnology

Owen,Harrison,ontransformation,255-256

ownership,transferring,41

P

pairs,workingin,196-197

partnershipculture,27-29

partnership(s),40-41,63-64,78,99

creating,19

long-term,237-238

Pascale,Richard,onthinkingvs.acting,37

patriarchy,49,99

Peck,M.Scott

oncivility,17

oncommunitybuilding,228

ondiversity,186

onpseudocommunity,28

perspective,long-term,44

politics,avoiding,61

practicalbusinessfocus,40

principle(s)oftransformation,37-46

congruenceas,37-38

emergenceofstrategyas,41-42

encouragementas,38-39

focusonrealopportunities/issuesas,39-40

focusonwholepersonas,43-44

inclusivenessas,42-43

long-termperspectiveas,44

opennesstosynchronicityas,46

partnership/ownershipas,40-41

practicalbusinessfocusas,40

rigoras,38

simplicityas,38

trust/honestyas,41

pseudocommunity,28

purpose,definitionof,54-55

Q

questions

asking,17,60

beginning,178

R

realisticexpectations,99-101

realtimedevelopment,xxvi-xxvii,39

RealTimeManagementDevelopment(RTMD),70-131

andattitudinal/behavioralchange,91-92

benefitsof,93-95

'bottomup'casestudyof,101-106

keyfactorsinsuccessof,93,94

keyprinciplesof,72,98

overallstructureof,73-76

asradicalapproach,70,73

realisticexpectationsof,99-101

starting,76-83

'stuckatthetop'casestudyof,124-131

'topdown'casestudyof,114-124

'workingnearthetop'casestudyof,106-114

WorkshopIfor,83-90

WorkshopIIfor,90-91

RealTimeStrategicChange(RTSC),146-151,157

relationships

client/consultant,233-238

developing,56-57

facilitating,167

long-term,237-238

making a difference: strategies and tools for transforming your organization

Documents