Organisational paradox and strange loops of belief
Organisations sometimes get stuck, that is, unable to go forward in their chosen direction, when there is paradox in their thinking or understanding.
A very strong example of this that I was involved with concerned a co-operative organisation that, due to the changing demands of the outside world, had decided that it must appoint a director, however, appointing a director was a threat to its core beliefs about itself as co-operative. The system of thinking within which the organisation was trapped appeared to be as follows:
In
other words they couldn’t square being themselves with having
a leader, yet having a leader appeared vital for survival. Essentially
this was a matter of organisational life or death that appeared irresolvable.
We started to examine some of the key statements in this belief pattern.
What did it mean to be a cooperative? What did it mean to have a leader?
However the key to unravelling this stuck and unhelpful belief system
seemed to be the examination of the belief about equality. Systemic questioning
revealed that members of the organisation already specialised their activities
and roles to some extent. In other words the story lived ( we work to
our strengths ) and the story told (we can all do, and do do, everything
equally well ) were both articulated. Thus the stories told, and beliefs
held, about equality and leadership roles could shift.
In the event they
appointed one of their own as director, he is still in the role six
years later and the organisation survives.
This article was first published in Cymbal, the Central London Branch
CIPD magazine. To contact CIPD click here