This morning, gentle reader, we will continue with ‘Organizational Questions to Consider’ – I refer you to Parts I & II for the context of our topic.
QUESTIONS:
• What are the gaps between what you espouse and what you enact? The Organization might be well-served if each individual, each relationship and each organized group of three or more folks were to reflect upon and respond to this question. We (individuals, relationships and organized groups of three or more) are imperfect and consequently gaps will exist. Identifying them and discerning how large the gaps are is crucial. There will not be a consensus and there might not be agreement as to what these gaps are and as to how great the gaps are. So another question emerges: ‘Who determines the gaps and who determines how large a gap is?’ There are gaps that are easy to define and the width-depth of the gaps is relatively easy to identify. There are gaps that are more challenging to define and it is then more challenging to identify the width-depth of these gaps. Then there are the gaps that require an ‘outsider’s’ help in order to be defined (denial is a powerful ‘tool’ in organizations). Finally, there are gaps that are undiscussable and these are often rooted deep in the organization’s culture and are also the most impactful (over time) and hence are the ones that place the organization in harm’s way. There are Purpose, Vision, Mission, Goal and Task gaps. There are also ‘value’ and ‘need’ gaps.
• What are the primary metaphors that we have integrated? In other postings I have noted that in our Culture (that is, in the United States) we have integrated powerful metaphors and organizations of all types and sizes have also embraced and integrated these. The first, and at one time the most powerful and influential, is the ‘Mechanical Metaphor.’ The organization is a great machine and folks are the cogs, springs, nuts and bolts that keep the machine running. Organizations have also integrated our Cultural metaphors of ‘War & Sports.’ We have melded these together into a seamless whole. We interchange the language of each and yet we all seem to know what one is referring to. More recently – the past 30-40 years – we have integrated into our Culture a ‘Banking Metaphor’ and this metaphor has also been embraced by and integrated into many organizations. People are commodities, assets and resources. Consider: The metaphors we use, plus the words we infuse, plus the questions we muse, define the path(s) we choose. We act as if these metaphors are ‘reality’ and are a ‘given.’ There is a counter-metaphor available to organizations and that is an ‘Organic Metaphor.’ In this metaphor (often framed as a ‘community’ or a ‘family’) all are fully human. The individual is fully human, the relationships are fully human and the organization itself is fully human. Humans grow (become healthier, for example) and they develop (they become wiser for example). Organic metaphors also emerge ‘Developmental Plans’ as contrasted with ‘Strategic Plans’ (which support the War metaphor).
To loop us back to the first question this morning, organizations often espouse a human metaphor yet live out a mechanical, sports/war or banking metaphor (one of these is primary). The gaps between the espoused and the lived metaphor is often quite broad and deep. Why? A primary reason is that each individual has developed his/her own primary life-metaphor and this metaphor might not be in alignment with the primary Organizational Metaphor – it might be in direct conflict with it. Furthermore, each relationship and each organized group of three or more folks who have enough time together will develop a primary metaphor and this metaphor might not be in alignment with the primary Organizational Metaphor – or it might be in direct conflict with it. Metaphors matter – Really!