Summary
The author asserts that the underlying structure of an organization will determine its success or failure. Energy follows the path of least resistance, which is determined by the organizational structure.
Structures determine how people will act. Changing structure will change employee behavior.
Implementing organizational change without structural change leads to temporary change or oscillation whereby after initial advancement, people return to their original behaviors. The leader is responsible to view the long-term performance of the organization and monitor structure.
Structural tension begins by comparing the desired state to current reality. The difference, or structural tension, is a powerful force to moving the organization toward its goals. Establishing goals is a prerequisite to creating structural tension.
Structural tension charting is a technique where by each goal is compared to reality. Then, an action plan is developed to move the organization toward each goal. Knowing where we are in relationship to our goals is the most powerful force an organization can have.
Telescoping adds further detail to the structural tension chart by treating each step in the action plan as a goal with its own corollary action plan.
Organizations change because of structural conflicts. Senior leaders must establish a hierarchy of competing goals. For example if change is the primary goal, discontinuity will ensue and one of the action steps should be to manage continuity.
The structural tension process also applies to the purpose or vision of the organization. The difference between desired and current action creates the tension necessary to achieve the stated purpose.
Leaders are responsible for ensuring an organizational vision. A shared structural conflict relative to that vision in synch with senior executives is the most powerful means to creating and sustaining a great organization.
Structural dynamics and systems thinking both promote holistic vs fragmented thinking. Tension resolution is associated with structural dynamics and is best suited for management design and implementation. Feedback loops are associated with systems thinking and better at understanding complexity through causal loop mapping.
The text includes checklists to assist in developing goals, current reality, and action plans. Laws of organizational structure and chapter summaries are included to review major points.
Analysis
Margaret Wheatly, Finding Our Way
- Organizations are living systems and have the capacity to self-organize.
- Self-organizing systems have the capacity to create for themselves the aspects of organization we thought leaders had to provide.
- Life reacts to any process that inhibits its freedom to create itself.
- Life has two forces.
- The desire to create something original (creativity)
- The need to link with other life
This contrasts with Fritz’s view that self-organizing systems seek stability.
Evaluate
Pros
Easy to understand, examples, book summaries. Brings it al together: Senge, Sergiovanni, Collins
Easy to apply
Cons
Broad, could have been two books: one about structural conflict and one about senior leadership implementing purpose.
Overwhelming at times. Could thwart autonomy