Limitations and Potentials
Degeneration
A rationalist culture can degrade like any other, especially if the values of previous modes are weak and there are tough pragmatists in charge at the top.
Shared values degenerates into Thought control.
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Shared values can be developed in a bland mechanical way; or, if radical, degrade into political correctness and thought control. The end result is to produce grudging or spurious conformity and at best passive compliance.
Organizational outcomes degenerates into Unreality.
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Organizational outcomes are too often unreal, even arbitrary, goals. At the extreme, they are no more than numerical targets for cost-improvements or sales. There is no higher level thinking to guide work efforts or indicate what dangers must be avoided.
Cooperative innovation degenerates into Incoherence.
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Cooperative innovation in the hands of poorly directed intense individuals may lead to the formation of small groups that operate in an anarchic and incoherent way.
Full participation degenerates into Paralysis.
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The involvement of many people creates paralysis because of the numbers, or because of poor handling. There may be a denial that meetings must still address genuine structuralist, pragmatic or dialectic issues.
Genuine communication degenerates into Talk-shops.
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Meetings go on far too long. Talk fills the space and does not lead to understanding because people are not fully present. Staff go through the motions of compliantly 'signing up' to values without belief or intention to take notice.
Individual liberation degenerates into Anarchy.
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People start going their own way, pursuing their favorite projects and claiming organizational relevance without ensuring that is the case.
Self-discipline degenerates into Bulldozing arrogance.
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For those natural rationalists who can exert self-discipline, the danger is a bulldozing form of arrogance in which the inescapable logic of their views is forced on others, whose contribution is devalued.
Ignorance, Puzzles, Confusion
The Rationalist Mode is the heart of any developed management culture. This should not be surprising because organizations are brought into being for a purpose. Other desirable strengths include:
● everybody is involved and important
● clarity of purpose is the pre-requisite for major change of any sort
● values shape and soften more overt forms of activity control
However, the rationalist mode is not enough on its own for organizational success, and not nearly enough for middle, senior and top managers with fire in their bellies. Rationalist self-control may sound rather sophisticated, but it still lacks, or even actively excludes, essential intellectual and personal tools. You may value efficiency and effectiveness, and even set efficiency targets and clear goals, but: ►
In short: the organization may have self-control, but…
► its staff are not masters of situations
► its managers have not attained mastery of themselves
To put it brutally: ►
…no-one really knows what's going on, nor do they have the time, inclination or encouragement to find out. The management culture at this point is still largely one of habit, convention, and imitation. Successes are trumpeted and failures hidden. But failures can be highly productive if they lead to insight. Successes may be temporary and unproductive, even misleading. Success is so easily put down to cleverness or a great product, when the reality is that luck or market trends played the largest part.
So the organization must take a deep breath and make the big cultural leap to Cycle-2, whose Modes deal directly with effectiveness.
Originally posted: 17-Jun-2011