[Ailist] Re: Applying leeches?

[Roger Davies]

Good conversation you two,

My experience is that the best kind of control is arrived at via open,
shared commitment. Required controls are developed and implemented by
agreement and non-required controls are rejected. It takes leadership more
than management to achieve this. People are empowered and they are guided by
a shared vision that aligns with business strategy. My personal starting
point is that every organization has something uniquely excellent that
should be preserved and built upon. Problems occur in larger organizations
where CEO's (often driven by very expensive ERP computer systems)crave
visibility and standardization. I have an ever growing list of initiatives
and buzz words that drive towards this type of over control. 

What we should really be aiming for I can best explain in customer relations
terms. This is an essentially human activity with a strong business purpose.
Rather than aiming for every customer receiving exactly the same, almost
automated response from their account representative we should be aiming
that they have a recognizable, corporate experience. Every account
representative should be able to do their job, their way but within each
should be a solid core of values and commitments that reflect the larger
organization.

Everyone pulling together for the benefit of the organization is not the
same as everyone doing the same thing. 

The leaders that resist the change to an Ai focus I firmly believe will
ultimately find their current measuring systems tell them they are failing.
The organizations that are able to be successful and give their members what
they want will attract the best people and thrive. Maybe it's better to let
those enlightened leaders who do not crave data and standardization take the
lead?

Roger

-----Original Message-----
From: ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu
[mailto:ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu] On Behalf Of Cheri Torres
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 9:46 PM
To: 'Nancy Stetson'
Cc: ailist at lists.business.utah.edu
Subject: RE: [Ailist] Re: Applying leeches?


Nancy,

This makes sense to me.  I think where some organizations falter is
leadership may think they want to empower and engage, but then discover they
are unwilling to let go of control or they want to empower and they have an
organization that is not ready to take on that responsibility yet.

Cheri

-----Original Message-----
From: Nancy Stetson [mailto:nancy at sonic.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 7:57 PM
To: Cheri Torres
Cc: ailist at lists.business.utah.edu
Subject: RE: [Ailist] Re: Applying leeches?

>Cheri,

I only meant the question to relate to whether or not an organization wanted
to adapt AI as a way of being and doing business.  In my opinion (and of
course I could be wrong :), AI will NOT work if leadership isn't willing to
empower its employees.  When AI unleashes all that positive energy for
change, if leadership says no to the Bold Ideas, etc., I think the
organization likely will be worse off than pre-AI!  I wasn't thinking about
other OD interventions, only AI.

Nancy

>Nancy,
>
>I wonder if it is that simple?  Are there organizational cultures that 
>are not ready to move to a more flat, empowered base, but nonetheless 
>are ready to change in other ways?  Asking leadership if they are ready 
>to empower everyone seems to begin with the assumption that that is 
>what is either
best
>for the organization, the next step in organizational evolution for 
>that particular organization, or that the leadership ought to be 
>letting go of the reigns. I wonder if that is true for all 
>organizations...
>
>I'm wondering about a set of questions that would actually help change 
>agents assess where an organization is in their "organizational
>development":  what are they doing (mission), who are the members and 
>what value systems and life conditions are they dealing with?  (Taken 
>from
spiral
>dynamics).  I'm thinking that the kinds of changes that could be 
>successful might well be governed by this--that wonderful change 
>processes fail when attempted in a culture that can't speak the 
>language (so to speak).
>
>Does this make any sense?
>
>Cheri
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Nancy Stetson [mailto:nancy at sonic.net]
>Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 1:21 PM
>To: Cheri Torres
>Cc: ailist at lists.business.utah.edu
>Subject: RE: [Ailist] Re: Applying leeches?
>
>>Cheri,
>
>I think the question to ask the leadership is, are you willing to 
>empower your employees? In other words, can you let go of the command 
>and control mindset of the bureaucracy in order to allow full employee 
>engagement?
>
>Nancy
>
>>Well said, Nancy.  And in which case, how would an organization assess 
>>its own culture to know whether it is a fit for AI?  What questions 
>>would they need to ask the leadership?
>>
>>It would be interesting to actually match organizational change 
>>processes
>to
>>organizational cultures.  Perhaps this is the level at which we would 
>>discover that anything can work and it depends upon the individual 
>>organization (as you suggest, Nancy).
>>
>>I believe that the Spiral Dynamics folks may have done this already.
Which
>>inspires me to ask--perhaps the better assessment mechanism is to do a 
>>cultural assessment and then pick the "change paradigm(s)" that 
>>correlate with one's culture.
>>
>>Has anyone been working in this way?
>>
>>Cheri
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Nancy Stetson [mailto:nancy at sonic.net]
>>Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 8:30 PM
>>To: Cheri Torres
>>Cc: ailist at lists.business.utah.edu
>>Subject: RE: [Ailist] Re: Applying leeches?
>>
>>>Cheri,
>>
>>I guess I would say that one would decide whether or not a process (or
>>paradigm) like AI "works", based on the desirability of the "outcomes" 
>>or "results" of working with the process or way of doing business.  I 
>>think change is situational and depends on all kinds of things, NONE 
>>of which likely could be replicated in a different situation.  That's 
>>what I mean
by
>>not cause and effect, or linear.  Human systems are like networks, 
>>webs; they branch out in MANY different directions, all at once, and 
>>perhaps
>never
>>the same way twice :)
>>
>>Nancy
>>
>
>--
>Nancy E. Stetson, Ed.D., Educational Advisor
>FINTELO - Finish the Distance: Online Management Software 
>www.fintelo.com - "You owe it to your students to see Fintelo in 
>action."
>
>Also, Consultant, Executive Coach and Faculty Mentor
>
>"The task of leadership is to create an alignment of strengths, making 
>our weaknesses irrelevant." Peter Drucker


-- 
Nancy E. Stetson, Ed.D., Educational Advisor
FINTELO - Finish the Distance: Online Management Software www.fintelo.com -
"You owe it to your students to see Fintelo in action."

Also, Consultant, Executive Coach and Faculty Mentor

"The task of leadership is to create an alignment of strengths, making our
weaknesses irrelevant." Peter Drucker
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