Stage-2: Accountability Structures

The STRUCTURALIST Mode brings essential and effective assumptions into play. Managers need to recognize that pragmatic action can and must be supported through expecting accountability by a proper design of structures and procedures.

Structuralist values often get a poor press.
ClosedWhy?

But that is because they are often poorly installed.

It is unrealistic to sketch out roles and responsibilities on the back of an envelope and imagine anything will change. Introducing new posts and levels of management on an expedient basis remains pragmatic. So the lines of accountability will continue to be muddled and ineffective, even worsened temporarily by the addition of bureaucratic red-tape.

Extreme anti-structuralists go so far as prohibiting job descriptions "to increase flexibility", denying people formal authority "to prevent control", and asserting that anyone should be able to do anything regardless of role if they think it necessary. These quasi-ideologists never explain how their ideas can stop buck-passing, hiding behind group decisions, omitting unpleasant or difficult duties and dumping work on others.

Not surprisingly, official audits and inquiries into collapses, frauds and disasters regularly trace their origins to "poorly defined roles and the absence of proper reporting relationships".

However, structuralist principles exist for good reasons:

► to permit greater flexibility—not rigidity; &
► to ensure that any issue can and will be handled promptly, properly and effectively—not bureaucratically.

If properly applied, structuralist values create a foundation of stability, competence and routine efficiency on which everything else can be solidly built.

Time Scale

Focus on a suitable structure should commence rapidly, certainly within a few months of the start of any re-vitalization process. In a moderately large, neglected organization, it might take as long as 18-36 months to:

● design a structure comprehensively;
● fill the posts with capable people;
● install a reasonably full range of essential procedures (e.g. for budgetary control, appointments, safety &c.); &
● get everyone to operate with structural principles.

See more on installation.

As with Stage-1 Pragmatic values, once Stage-2 Structuralist values are installed, they never cease to be important. The core principles are as follows.

Structuralist Values & Principles

In handling the situation:

● Insist on accountability for all situations.

● Define clear responsibilities and work boundaries for all posts, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the work to be done.

● Transfer, demote or remove non-performers.

● Abolish excessive, impossible or inappropriate mixes of duties.

● Fill posts with people who have the necessary expertise and capability to carry the required responsibility; and pay them the going rate.

● Hold post-holders to account for determining and fulfilling all needed tasks.

● Install arrangements for monitoring and appraising performance.

● Ensure everyone is clear about what is expected of them and of those with whom they deal.

● People must be controlled in an acceptable way by setting general rules and prescribing certain procedures.

● Put effort into installing and monitoring rules and procedures.

● Where performance is critical, control work activities by breaking down what has to be done into sub-tasks.

● Remove inefficiency with precise systems.

● Insist on proper coordination and steering of cross-organizational projects.

● Give post-holders the needed authority to discharge duties and get things done.

● Ensure all exercise of power within the organization is legitimate.

● Do not assign formal authority that is stronger than necessary.

● Create an organizational spine where the most powerful form of authority is line-management i.e. managers who are responsible for appraising subordinates for whose work they are accountable.

● Use coordinative or monitoring authority where that suffices.

In handling the group:

● Bring people together in a variety of management teams and meetings to sanction tasks, determine policies, agree procedures, explore obstacles to progress, pass information in an orderly way, coordinate activities, and monitor achievement.

● Use cross-functional teams to focus on specific products, services or issues.

● Ensure routine meetings are properly constituted and operate in a disciplined way with suitable agendas and leadership.

● Abolish and proscribe over-crowded meandering sessions with lengthy agendas.

● Review the effectiveness and membership of teams and meetings regularly.

● Break up dysfunctional cabals and cliques.

● All responsibility must be distinguished as to its kind and its level.

● Provide the right number of levels: neither too many (leading to rigidity, conflict and red tape), nor too few (which leads to work not being done).

● Decide the scope of the organization's output (or any subsidiary section), so as to determine the number of levels required.

Research and experience suggest that the maximum number of levels, even in multi-nationals, is 7; while the absolute maximum for business units or operational agencies is 5.  THEE analyses suggest thatClosed line-managerial relationships only work properly from one level to the next (i.e. not within levels or across 2 levels).

● Let the person responsible decide: it's what they are paid for.

● Respect expertise.

● Ensure line-managers have staff officers to aid cross-level dialogue and to help coordinate action and monitor progress.

● Encourage initiative and the use of personal capability within any role.

● View pre-defined responsibility as a minimum expectation.

● Reduce over-dependence on superiors, but foster followership and acceptance of higher level policies and priorities.

● Expect appropriate authoritative action and relevant contributions to policy from all, irrespective of level.

● Avoid intrusive pragmatic directives which centralize power and create uncertainty.

In handling yourself:

● Ensure the right fit between your role and you: avoid being over-promoted.

● Commit yourself to a particular career or type of work, and actively keep yourself up to date.

● Professionalism is important and must be added to the enthusiasm, determination, and common-sense already in operation.

● Either identify with a discipline and maintain its perspective, or develop a considerable degree of focused practical knowledge and skills.

● Be authoritative in contributing appropriately now.

● Use your expertise to guide and protect your career aspirations.

Originally posted: 17-Jun-2011