Organization Power!

The power in an organization is generated by the relationships in an organization.  Organization, flow charts, job descriptions are secondary to presence of strong relations that exist in your company.  The energy that exists in the organization, positive or negative, is the nature of relationships.  The energy that exists in your company is can be assessed with key questions*:

• Do people know how to listen and speak to each other?
• Do the individuals in the organization work well with diverse members?
• Do people have free access to one another throughout the organization?
• Are they trusted with open information?
• Do organization values bring them together or keep them apart?
• Is collaboration truly honored?
• Can people speak truthfully to one another?

In some workplaces a leader may attempt to create results through coercion and competition, but inadvertently create negative energy.  The creative resource of the workers often is invested in working against the leader, or at the least choosing not to contribute positively to the organization.  

The challenge for leaders is to recognize that the capacity of an organization is reflected in the relationships of its members.  Paying attention to and promoting the quality of relationships within the organization becomes an essential role of leadership!

Russ Hardesty

*Leadership and the New Science, Wheatly