Dear Editor,
One occasionally reflects on the acclaimed book authored by Frederic Laloux titled, ‘Reinventing Organisa-tions’, and would wonder who amongst the current leadership groups (public and private) in this economic community (however infrastructured) have read or heard of this most provocative approach to organisational management and development. Even though published since 2014, some of its perspectives outpace the human resources structures currently obtained in the Public Sector, as easily evidenced by such anachronisms ranging from Typist/Clerk to Personnel Officer – in our Ministries. But perhaps what is more troubling is the constipated organisational structures perpetuated by those whose communication styles are so individualistic, that they portray misleading examples to the likes of Permanent Secretaries, variations of Chief Executive Officers and related counterparts.
The following are excerpts from ‘Reinventing Organisations’ that may well be still relevant, ‘… many people feel that the current way we run organisations has been stretched to limits… For people who toil away at the bottom… work is more often than not dread and drudgery, not passion or purpose’, and, ‘The lines of powerful corporate leaders (read also political leaders) are often a poor cover-up for a deep inner sense of emptiness…… At both the top and bottom organisations are more often than not playfields for unfulfilling pursuits of egos – inhospitable to the deeper yearnings of our souls’.
Amongst some of the questions posed the following could be most relevant to our immediate circumstances – Can we create organisations free of the pathologies: of politics, bureaucracy; Stress and burnout; free of resignations (in our specific case, peremptory terminations) free of resentment and apathy…? And, Can we create soulful workplaces, schools, hospitals, businesses – where talents can blossom and our callings can be honoured? The Author colour codes the following types of organisations: Red – Where the leadership is predatory; AMBER – whose leadership style is described as paternalistic – authoritative? ORANGE – in which the leadership style is decisive, and is goal and task oriented, and, GREEN – Here the leadership style is seen as consensus oriented, participative. Finally, there is the rarest level to which organisations may evolve, under a style of Distributed Leadership – with inner rightness and purpose being the primary motivator and yardstick.
According to the author this developmental process inheres, amongst other things, the attention to practices that: ‘invite us to reclaim our inner wholeness and bring all of who we are to work, instead of with a narrow ‘professional?’ self.’ One recognizes the need to: abbreviate this submission. But it is difficult in these current circumstances of infrastructured sterility not to revert to the following selected aspirations as they relate to leadership and organisational development, moreso at this period in a country now begging for structured change in order to contend with the invasive foreign competitors.
While in this mood of contemplation – of how many and who amongst our leaders overtime have attempted to inform themselves to do better by reference to published relevant advice, opportunity is taken to invite attention to the following excerpts, however disconnected they may appear: TRUST – relate to one another with an assumption of positive intent. Responsibility and Accountability – We each have full responsibility for the organisation. It is not acceptable to limit our concern to the remit of our roles only. Equal Worth – Let all contribute in their distinctive ways, appreciating the differences in roles, education, backgrounds, skills, characters. The above is humbly forwarded with the presumption that some readers do not know better.
Sincerely,
E. B. John
