Hierarchies, decision making and a real-life example

[Ashley Cooper]

chris,

i find myself also thinking about boundaries in similar ways that you
reference hierarchies. (i'm going to twist some of corrigan's words around
the word boundary).

I am noticing a tension between rigid and fluid.

boundaries are especially effective if they are always invited to dissolve
when they have outlived their usefulness.

This is kind of a natural accountability, the
> accountability of consent.  Very powerful stuff.  I think we see it
> happen in Open Space a lot, at least I do.

do you see the same thing happen with boundaries in Open Space? it seems
like there is some accountability to permeability. one must consent to
having their boundaries redefined. my limited experience in open space
seems to point to boundaries being redefined.

when boundaries atrophy and harden within an individual and/or organization
I think they stop being useful (or fun)

but I think it also creates the conditions
> for the kinds of social networking "hacks" that people invent to
> actually get work done in spite of the rigid structure.

> Whatcha think?

ashley


> [Original Message]
> From: Chris Corrigan <chris at CHRISCORRIGAN.COM>
> To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
> Date: 4/3/2004 3:08:39 AM
> Subject: Re: Hierarchies, decision making and a real-life example
>
> chris macrae wrote:
>
> > I have decided I want to survey when is top-down organisational
> > hierarchy useful (and not useful) as
> >
> > well as how can  hierarchy interact with useful and not useful impacts
> > on self-organisation, co-organisation, inter-organisation (as where 2 or
> > more organsiations truly partner each other)
>
> <snip>
>
> >
> >
> > 1 Hierarchy has good impacts on human relationship systems when
> >
> > -All know who & how biggest decisions are made
> >
> > -Authority has respect for expert-decision status but doesn’t cause
> > person bossing nor block bad/change news flowing up
> >
> > -Top people care deeply about goodwill=how deeply caring organisation is
> > around its greatest human context. This identity proacts around core;
> > top people should cultivate a further out sense of vision & use that to
> > give people as much time as possible to prepare for relevant change
> > (competitive/environmental)
> >
>
> Chris, it occurs to me that rather than seeing a dichotomy between
> hierarchies and teams, I am noticing a tension between rigid and fluid.
>
> In a fluid organization, hierarchy can evolve along the conditions you
> outline above, and as long as everyone is on board with these
> principles, the hierarchy will be effective.  It will be especially
> effective if it is always invited to dissolve when it has outlived its
> usefulness.  This is kind of a natural accountability, the
> accountability of consent.  Very powerful stuff.  I think we see it
> happen in Open Space a lot, at least I do.
>
> When hierarchy atrophies and hardens within an organization I think it
> stops being useful (or fun) but I think it also creates the conditions
> for the kinds of social networking "hacks" that people invent to
> actually get work done in spite of the rigid structure.  I'm sure there
> must be studies of the work done by enterprising individuals in armies
> who got around the strict command and control procedures to get things
> done.  I think of their patron saint as the character "Radar" (replaced
> by "Kilnger" in the same role) from the TV series M*A*S*H who was always
> finding ways to work around the army structure to get medicines or leave
> passes for the folks he worked with.
>
> Whatcha think?
>
> Chris
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> CHRIS CORRIGAN
> Bowen Island, BC, Canada
> (604) 947-9236
>
> Consultation - Facilitation
> Open Space Technology
>
> Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot
> Homepage: http://www.chriscorrigan.com
> chris at chriscorrigan.com
>
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