Chris Michel wrote:
>Some of the burning questions:
Why does cross-functional projects generate conflict in my
corporation?
How do organizational objectives, seemingly aligned at the Senior Management
level, become disjointed and conflicting objectives as they cascade to down
through the org?
How do other companies deal with these struggles; do other companies
experience the same of similar problems?
What can be done about this seemingly pervasive organizational
phenomena?
This dialog stimulated for me the following reflection questions: What if
the reason this has evolved a design problem? Or an incorrect interpretation
of a design?
MY HYPOTHESIS: THIS PHENOMENA AND ITS RESULTING CONFLICTS IS THE RESULT OF
THE MENTAL MODELS RESULTING FROM THE INTERPRETATION OF THE ONE DIMENSIONAL
MATRIX.
*** Host estimates that this is the end of the quote of Chris' msg ***
I look at those questions that came to Chris' mind and started answering
them about the organization I'm intimately familiar with. I'll take them
in a different order though.
Q1. How do organizational objectives, seemingly aligned at the Senior
Management level, become disjointed and conflicting objectives as they
cascade to down through the org?
I do not believe the organization is aligned. Mental Models may play a
part, but some (in the question's own words!!) are 'seemingly' aligned.
My assumptions are: a) the players with less power: b) who don't really
care, say yeas to either go along with the "real Power" in the room or say
yes when they really mean no. The alignment does not really ever
materialize. As the cascading starts, those not participating in the
alignment to any meaningful degree just do what they think is best without
any connection with what happened at the top.
Q2. Why does cross-functional projects generate conflict in my
corporation?
I'll try not to repeat the general writings about turf, etc and look more
at my experience. Teams come together and usually no one team member,
even the team-leader, really knows the task at hand. Why are we here?
That makes, figuring out who I am and who I am with these other folks
tremendously difficult. Yes Alice, if no one knows where you are headed
wherever you end up is ok.
Q3. How do other companies deal with these struggles; do other companies
experience the same of similar problems?
Make all of the inconsistencies undiscussable!!!! Avoid at all cost
meaningful dialogue that might bring inconsistencies and problems out in
the open inorder tobe dealt with. We are doing FINE (Fearful, Insecure,
Neurotic, Ever so fearful of being wrong) If we admit anything is wrong we
migh endager our jobs or reputation. So let us just let the organization
disintegrate.
Q4. What can be done about this seemingly pervasive organizational
phenomena?
Real Dialogue with all the Left Hand Column (Argyris) undiscussables right
out there on the table.
Thanks for the opportunity to rant on....
-- Joe DiVincenzo NEANY@AOL.com