As a matter of fact, the systems concept is always at work. When I spoke of a system
not functioning, it was with an eye to improvement of team concept. The system was still
functioning.... compensating for its individual components as systems do. Nothing every
"breaks", the system just yields a different result.
As several of you have noted, I was very angry about the situation. Since anger is a
response, let's look for a cause. In my case, perhaps more facts are in order.
Not that systems can ever be documented in "facts". Perhaps that is why I bristled so
much when Hal did not agree with my assessment of a system gone awry. Sales DO look
good. However, INHO, a planned growth of 50% does not sound reasonable when:
1. Turnover among line personnel is 30% annually.
2. All four strategic manager hired from outside in the past year have resigned except
one who is married to another strategic manager.
3. Entire work groups of 20-30 look for other positions at the same time.
4. Work groups, on more than one occasion, have gone without direct supervision for up
to 3 weeks.
5. You get the idea....
Obviously, this is a growing organization. One of the trainers has the simple motto on
his desk "Stuff happens, things change." My outlook is that I want to be part of the
solution where possible. My frustration came from unfulfilled expectations. When
leaders receive my offers to do management training, they said:
"Great, write out a formal proposal.." OR
"Just go for it..." OR
"I'll bring it up in the next executive staff meeting..."
When nothing more happened over a period of seven months, I simply didn't feel valued
as an employee much less a respected participant in the business process. That is when
my collar got a little tight. That is when I started to beleive that I am following a
different paradigm... I was on a different page in the playbook.
I read Victor Frankle's book Man's Search for Meaning this week. It is an observation
of his fellow prisoners at Auschwitz from a psycological perspective. His philosophy in
response to his situation is stated in part below. My initial thoughts reminded me of
poetic phrase "a time for sowing and a time for reaping".
Things get very difficult to manage in exponential growth situations. It seems that we
might all be better served by focusing on what to do with rapidly changing/ expanding
organizations. Thanks for the thought Ben.
Even as we let this subject of management responsibility/ leadership/ blame wither and
fade, it seems that perhaps this is a not a topic that lends itself to a discussion on
the net. It requires some basic common ground be established before a shared learning
experience is possible.
As a starter on the topic of rapid change, I think the that all the management
disciplines associated with project management come into play only more so. These
include setting priorites, utilizing a project planning tool (e. g. PERT chart or Gantt
chart), evaluating the skills and resources needed, and procuring those resources
(hiring, contracting and delegating). Most importantly, in between all of the doing,
there needs to be the prescence of mind to step back and evaluate at appropriate
intervals.
Stephen Weed
slweed@cyberhighway.net
Victor Frankle:
"Our answer must consist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right
conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answers to
its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual.
...Sometimes the situation in which a man finds himself may require him to shape his own
fate by action. At other times, it is more advantageous for him to make use of an
opportunity for contemplation..... to bear his cross."
Post Script 8/27 :
One of the things I find most interesting is that the level of dialogue increases when
someone gives an anecdote or a personal experience.... positive or negative. Such was
the case with my first post on this subject.
In all of my training, I stress usable comprehension. Rol has referenced some wise
thoughts in his post and I generally agree with the concept of everyone adding to
culture. I have yet to find anyone willing to address the issue of the leverage which
managerial types have by fiat. As Orwell would put it, "some pigs are more equal than
others."
Whoever can provide the world with some practical tools to change the type of
interaction I describe above will contribute greatly. The truth is for learning
organizations to flourish, all the strategic managers must value and advocate
participation. To borrow a phrase, they tend to be the security counsel for the
organization, complete with veto power. Learning organizations require a cultural
change in this respect.
--Stephen Weed <slweed@cyberhighway.net>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>