Ensure Oversight: G2
Communicating for Performance
While an assigned may be personal and unique, all activity within an organization is social. Others are invariably affected and have a right of influence.
The assignment of enables autonomous control of work at any particular level. However, if the discharge of those is to be appropriate, it must mesh with work at the level above and properly shape work at the level below.
In order that lead to desired activity and nothing untoward occurs, there must be continuing inter-level (top-down). This managerial activity involves routine meetings and proper agendas as well as opportunities for one-to-one discussion and other regular checks. All methodical is, however, wholly dependent on feedback (i.e. bottom-up). So a spirit of mutual inter-dependence and cooperation is required. To , it must be organised to be appropriate to the work-situation and the individuals involved.
By joining adjacent Levels in pairs, all performance can be both:
- authoritatively reviewed and guided in terms of wider perspectives, &
- autonomously designed in terms of the actual situation.
This combination depends on effective communication about the wider issues: dialogues about what options are practical, and clarification of relevant policies, priorities &c. All involved must appreciate how the various factors should, might and do play out in the actual performance of duties.
The future is intrinsically uncertain, and it is impossible to appreciate all the ramifications of any particular choice in a given situation. However, it is possible to develop confidence that oversight is in place.
6 Foci of Dialogue
Proceeding on this basis produces 6 overlapping 2-Level hierarchical Groups (Dyads): as shown in the diagram. These should also be spheres of close cooperation within management teams. They are named from below upwards:
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[ referring to a workflow unit/case or issue] - [ referring to a workflow unit/case or issue]
Features
Function: The Dyads integrate the overall view and particular details in the making of choices.
Quality: The must be appropriate in the sense that neither situational factors nor management desires should dominate. Rather each must be so handled as to meet the challenge.
Integration within each Group: Genuine so that choices are developed through pressures for what is optimum/desirable from the higher Level and for what is practical/feasible from the lower Level.
Integration across all Groups: The system of Dyads covers the main foci for within the organization, ranging from the most general to the most specific.
Psychological Correlate: Switching between perceiving the context and perceiving the content in regard to any issue. Staff therefore switch focus amongst three Levels: from their own Level to the next higher Level (as subordinate), and to the immediately lower Level (as superior).
Personal Tension: The natural desire for an overview and a sense of the future ("seeing the bigger picture") and the wish to engage with reality as it presents itself to you ("keeping your feet on the ground"). Cf. Gestalt psychology
Social Correlate: The need for organizations to be their own mini-communities with legitimate authority and internal regulations, whose application is bolstered through cooperative dialogue rather than mindless imposition.
Organisational Tension: Discharging duties at any Level involves simultaneously respecting implementation responsibilities of those working at a higher Level, and policy responsibilities towards those working at a lower Level.
Practical Implications: Distinguishing line and staff work and preferences of individuals. Those who prefer getting into the specificity and detail of action and directly controlling others’ activities suit the line, while those who prefer to overview, enforce policies, and support/monitor action, suit staff roles. See more details of line and staff.
- See further explanation of these properties and details of each of the .
Originally posted: 19-Mar-2014