Foci of Dialogue

Authority & Influence

The Dyads ensure choices attend to the broader longer-term value-driven scene while dealing effectively with presenting specifics. Within an organization, those at the higher level require legitimate authority to enforce their views. It is now evident that carrying such authority should be based (among other things) on a personal capability to perceive/construct a more complex reality. That enables effective influence. (If capability is lacking, there is avoidance of discussion, crude imposition or power manipulations: key features of the «bad boss».)

The internal structure of the dyadic dialogue reveals:

  • g2: a higher orienting Level authorized to handle the more abstract and general issues in relation to any choice within the focus. Here we find clarification of reasons, definition of boundaries, reaffirmation of values and needs, and the brute assertion of policies and priorities: the over-riding requirement is that the judgement must be appropriate.
  • g1: a lower implementing Level authorized to handle the fine matching of specifiable action to current realities of the relevant situation. These include pressing demands, obstacles and unavoidable constraints. Practicalities shape possible options, strategies and tactics in relation to g2, whose output is taken as prescriptive.

Note that while cooperation-based dialogue is the essential integrating link applicable throughout this hierarchy, full line-management authority is not applicable above WL5.
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Managers may spend much time focused on subordinates working at one level lower (i.e. more concrete/specific) than their own. However, they should not themselves do that work but assist via general rulings, guidance, upward reporting &c.

Staff-officers are generally more oriented to the work-output at a level higher (more abstract/general) than their own. They cannot do that work, but they can assist it via suggesting, informing, analysing, elaborating, documenting, protesting &c.

Authority within organizations is a large topic, examined primarily in the Decision & Achievement Satellite. See expectations of employment, especially the nature of line and staff authority.

Zones of Communication

Even the best-formulated policies and rules never exactly suit all instances, and implementation invariably throws up policy issues that require definitive handling. So managers at adjacent levels must discuss in a cooperative spirit to settle the broader objectives and appreciate the finer practicalities.

Lower level staff must be empowered to check, suggest and protest decisions handed down to them. Line-managers must therefore (in general) handle subordinates by:

  • valuing consulting and one-to-one dialogue,
  • using management team meetings to listen and explore, as well as to brief,
  • being prepared to zoom down into lower levels to see for themselves,
  • employing staff officers to stay in touch as well as to monitor and coordinate,
  • consulting with managers in different but related areas of the organization.

Virtual dialogue:  Most decisions are made without face-to-face meetings because most dialogue in practice is implicit or virtual. Before and while proceeding, the staff-member mentally considers the views and needs of their line-manager.

Oversight falls into three distinct zones, named: Political, Managerial and Front-line. ClosedClick to see.

Political Zone

The upper two oversight arrangements require discussions on how to think about work and duties in any and every fundamental respect. Because thinking about values is not controllable, discussion is collegial and line-management does not apply.

Workable Conceptions: G26

Organizations cannot simply assimilate general ideas from anywhere. It is never clear what they mean, how they apply or what adaptations are needed locally. By general ideas, I refer to notions like: safety, quality (e.g. TQM), efficiency (e.g. just-in-time), corporate citizenship. Even «needs» and «services» start as ideas requiring clarification.

Note: Disciplines are different:Closed they evolve ideas and theories via research and a trans-organizational consensus. So employed professionals value continuing learning and may automatically incorporate new ideas in their work. That creates a pressure that has to be handled at the appropriate level.

ClosedStructure

g2: The leader at WL7 is responsible for the vision and mission. New ideas are values-PH6L6 and need to be selected and incorporated at this highest level as appropriate for the organization's identity.

g1: Those at WL6 take these ideas as prescribed, and determine how they may be effectively institutionalised and implemented within the operations (or subsidiaries).

Operational Frameworks: G25

Operations must function within policy frameworks: this may refer to rules, to strategies, or to major initiatives intrinsic to the organizational identity (as typically expressed via new workable conceptions-G26).

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g2:  Policy work at WL6 generates principles and guidelines judged to be appropriate for use by those in operations. In a large organization, that means subsidiaries; in government that refers to its agencies.

g1: The frameworks, once agreed, are prescriptive for those working at WL5. Work here is essential to appreciate what is involved in introducing the framework, and the implications once in operation.

Managerial Zone

The middle two oversight arrangements require dialogues on how to provide organizational services that ultimately deliver products &/or services for customers/clients.

Organised Services: G24

All operations consist of organised services of one sort or another. In a business, the principal departments typically include marketing, production, and R&D: each of which may have a range of services. However, there is also a range of support services covering facilities, personnel, finance &c.

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g2: WL5 work involves judging how a range of services, usually given by higher conceptions-G26 and frameworks-G25, can be appropriately resourced, organised and developed.

g1: WL4 work involves organising services as prescribed. Via a planning process using WL5 choices, general details of every service (e.g. numbers of staff or full-time equivalents rather than particular people) are specified, including how related services will interact with each other.

Service Standards: G23

Every service needs to operate to agreed standards and follow certain operational policies in relation to a range of measures relevant to both quantity and quality. While organizational values may guide the approach, each specific service is distinctive. That uniqueness is only properly appreciated and handled by those directly responsible for the professional and technical activities.

ClosedStructure

g2: WL4 work takes into account pressures in regard to given policies, resource availability, and agreed plans to set appropriate standards and policies for service performance.

g1: WL3 work involves taking operational policies, and quality and efficiency standards, as prescribed, designing them into the particular system or service, and using them in managing current staff and the workload.

Front-line Zone
(or Professional Zone)

The lowest two oversight arrangements require dialogue on how to deal with specific concrete situations and cases (units) in the workflow that present from moment to moment in a dynamic environment.

Usable Assessments: G22

Proven methods and operational policies needs to govern assessments. However, the appropriateness of an assessment when carried out within an organization is not solely a disciplinary or occupational matter (as it could be for a sole practitioner). Certain modes of assessing or assessment judgements might be prohibited due to resource limitations, higher level policies or current priorities.

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g2: WL3 work involves ensuring operations operate to certain quality and efficiency standards, and within actually available resources (i.e. the equipment in place, specific buildings, competences of current staff &c.) Methods, systems, policies and training are used to ensure that assessments made on the front-line are appropriate.

g1: WL2 work involves gathering information about a particular case or situation and then making an assessment in the manner and using criteria as prescribed. As a result, what is deemed appropriate handling may differ considerably from what might be optimal according to a text-book.

Adapted Outputs: G21

Every situation is different. So no policy or system can ever cover all possibilities and it is always necessary to adapt to the immediate reality and yet provide an acceptable output. Acceptability applies in two directions: towards the outside world and within the organization. Here existing arrangements need to be put into a perspective suiting every particular case and the output adjusted accordingly.

ClosedStructure

g2:  WL2 work involves assessing what particular sort of output is appropriate in the particular case that presents, and giving instructions accordingly. The ad hoc choice may diverge from what might be assumed at higher levels, especially in unexpected or socially-charged circumstances. Highly professionalized work may lead to surprising and beneficial front-line adaptations.

g1: WL1 work involves taking the instruction as given and delivering the output in an adapted form as prescribed. This output work may be performed by the WL2 staff-member or delegated.

Next Step

Ensuring oversight is not enough to ensure management cooperation when there is severe resistance or disputes. That can happen when uncertainty is high, something which is common in a changing environment. A dynamic approach to cut through opposition is then necessary.

Higher level frameworks and policies point to the future and foster such dynamism. However, improvements of any sort disrupt the status quo, and potentially put existing operations at risk. Specific arrangements are therefore required to avoid turmoil caused by forceful impulsiveness, while countering the natural tendency to weaken any drive for change.

Originally posted: 19-Mar-2014