Dealing with impediments within an organization
Yesterday, I spoke briefly about the relationship between individuals and the teams to which they belong. I want to move on now to what to do when we are called to enter into a situation and how we go about building the individual & team relationship.
Robert Greenleaf asks us to consider what our attitude is towards impediments we will surely come across when we enter into these situations. Since he says it so well, I will simply quote from his essay titled 'Types of Leaders' in Seeker and Servant:
Therefore, if you enter an organization with the intent of helping the circular process between person and team so that each will build the other in a continuous, mutually reinforcing process; if you enter it with the hope that your intervention will help the relationship to better serve all concerned, then I urge that you consider what your attitude is toward the impediments you will surely find, because those impediments are found wherever there are people. Will you regard these impediments as error that you are called upon to change or correct, or will you regard them as illness in which your relationship is that of healing agent?
If you see the impediment as error that you are called upon to change or correct, then you risk being led to assume "I have it; I will give it to you," either overtly or covertly. If you see the impediment to group effectiveness as illness, you have a chance to enter the relationship as healer, as one who seeks to make whole - to make everybody whole, including yourself, the healer - so that all may see more clearly where they should go and how they should get there.
A Reflection: How do you see the impediments to group cohesiveness within your organization? Do you feel the need to correct the situation? Or do you see yourself as a healer - there to make everyone whole?
Robert Greenleaf asks us to consider what our attitude is towards impediments we will surely come across when we enter into these situations. Since he says it so well, I will simply quote from his essay titled 'Types of Leaders' in Seeker and Servant:
Therefore, if you enter an organization with the intent of helping the circular process between person and team so that each will build the other in a continuous, mutually reinforcing process; if you enter it with the hope that your intervention will help the relationship to better serve all concerned, then I urge that you consider what your attitude is toward the impediments you will surely find, because those impediments are found wherever there are people. Will you regard these impediments as error that you are called upon to change or correct, or will you regard them as illness in which your relationship is that of healing agent?
If you see the impediment as error that you are called upon to change or correct, then you risk being led to assume "I have it; I will give it to you," either overtly or covertly. If you see the impediment to group effectiveness as illness, you have a chance to enter the relationship as healer, as one who seeks to make whole - to make everybody whole, including yourself, the healer - so that all may see more clearly where they should go and how they should get there.
A Reflection: How do you see the impediments to group cohesiveness within your organization? Do you feel the need to correct the situation? Or do you see yourself as a healer - there to make everyone whole?
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