needing some advice

[Pankaj Bhargava]

Hi! Jon
  Quite an interesting situation. Have a couple of questions & thoughts around the same.
  a. You say that they share a common concern. Do they also share a common roadmap to address the common concern. If not then a good starting point may be an intervention (if they are geographically dispersed, on line open space may be a good route if they can be educated on it) to get them to evolve a comon road map to address the concern. That is likely to reduce the unwanted pressures.
   
  b. What are the underlying conerns that drive those who are recommending the way they are - what do they fear will not get done by the current structure. Understanding that & then addressing those (ideally with the entire group or at least leveraging those who are close by) may help reduce the concerns & the pressure on you.
   
  Would be glad to explain further what I mean or even have a dialogue on this if required. I am based in India & my no. is +91-9820056871
   
  Regards
   
  Pankaj
  

Jon Harvey <only.connect at virgin.net> wrote:
  Hi all

I have a new job - where my role is to coordinate the collaboration of a 
number of independent but connected agencies - they share a common 
concern but are geographically distinct. But they (and the public they 
serve) would greatly benefit from closer working between them - either 
by creating new joint functions or harmonising their existing 
operations. This can and will increase effectiveness and efficiency.

At the moment - I have no team as such beyond a very capable PA and a 
chap who has been allocated to me - on a temporary basis. I am three 
weeks into this new role. I see my role as helping to create the 
conditions into which these sovereign agencies (with some very forceful 
people at their helm) feel able and trustful enough so that they cede 
some of their autonomy and establish some new (arms length) business 
units. To date (before my arrival) - a number of business cases had been 
produced for taking this strategy forward.

My dilemma is this (and your perspectives would be helpful): I am 
getting pressure from one (and one other) of the more 'pushy' agencies 
to recruit and establish a programme management team that would (in 
effect) wrest control of these embryonic collaboration projects away 
from the agencies themselves and place it under the mantle of the 
regional programme team. The argument being that only with this level of 
'support' and 'drive' would the projects come to fruition. My OD bones 
are telling me otherwise - as I think I want to keep the space open - 
and have the ownership of the projects resting very firmly with the 
agencies themselves - in other words I think they have to own their own 
collaboration initiatives (not the central / regional team).

So am I wrong to sticking with my OD intuition?

If not - what should be my arguments for going for a more facilitative / 
hands off and slimmer team - that works in an open and OD way? (We have 
a critical meeting next week - and I fear there will be attempts to 
bounce me into the more directive programme team model - before I have 
had the chance to test the water some more - as the other agencies may 
also be thinking the same....)

It's is a bit complex I know - and I know I have also talked in some 
oblique code for the sake of confidentiality (I am afraid) - but your 
insights would be valuable. I can't think of a bunch of wiser kindred 
people than you lot on the OST listserv - who might be able to offer me 
some helpful / cogent / challenging advice...

In advance - thanks.

Jon

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