talking about ...

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By Chris Chittenden

The traditional view of organisations is as systems and processes that produce the outcomes that the organisation desires. This has been the standard view of organisations for much of the 20th century. However, the rate of change which organisations must deal with to remain relevant is rapidly increasing. To survive and flourish, organisations must alter their processes and systems to adapt or fail.

This situation has led a number of theorists to move away from the traditional view of an organisation and seek to define organisations in much more fluid and adaptable terms.

We invite you to look at your organisation differently. Consider it as a network of relationships that are built upon how we observe and the conversations that we have. Through these relationships and conversations, people develop the processes and systems that make the organisation effective. Therefore the effectiveness of the relationships and conversations that take place within an organisation, have a direct impact on how good its processes and systems are, and therefore how successful it is.

Consider what you do everyday in the work place. Your initial response might be that you are a manager, a doctor, or maybe an engineer. However, drill a bit further down and, ultimately, you will conclude that what you do all day is you converse with other people. That conversation might be in the form of a report, an e-mail, a letter or just plain talking. However, in order to create and coordinate with others you must converse with them. If you examine your organisation, we are sure that you will find that this applies to everyone.

Therefore, how well the people within your organisation talk with others and, how well they observe the conversations of others, has a clear impact on their performance. It also provides a springboard to deal with rapid change.

In many organisations, the most common conversations are those that involve describing and assessing what is. These conversations are necessary to develop in the organisation a shared background of obviousness, but live in the present and the past.

Change is all about the future. Therefore to deal with change, the conversations in the organisation must be those that will create a future.

Speculative conversations must abound to expand what is possible. Through those conversations, people can begin to see what might be and also begin to take a stake in establishing the future.

Declarations create clarity and direction about the future. When effectively made, they provide organisations with goals that are accepted by those within the organisation.

Finally, conversations that effectively coordinate action between people allow the organisation to function well. The impact of poorly made requests and offers, or poorly managed promises, have a disastrous impact on trust within an organisation.

Consider your organisation. Does it provide for effective speculation so that people can explore the new challenges and new ways of doing things? Does it have a clear direction and focus? Do people know what they and the organisation are trying to create? When people make requests do they get what they want, when they want it? Do people trust each other?

If you answer "no" to any of these questions, then you might consider looking for the answers in the conversations people have. What are these conversations saying and doing? What is their impact on people?

Copyright © 1997 Chris Chittenden