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Understanding Systems
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Projects, Programmes and Organisational Learning |
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Bath Consultancy Group has been developing a strand of work responding to the growing interest in how organisations create the conditions for success for complex projects and programmes.
Wembley Stadium, Airbus A380, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the Scottish parliament building, the NHS IT programme. The headlines are riddled with examples of major projects failing to deliver their benefits to the time, cost, or quality criteria laid out in the key success criteria used in the initiation of the project.
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Read more...
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Delivering Complex Programmes – a ‘Whole Systems’ approach |
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Sue Pritchard, Principal Consultant at Bath Consultancy Group, presented a paper on improving organisational capacity to deliver Complex Programmes.
Based on a conference platform at the College of Complex Programme Managers, Sue’s paper focuses on how organisations and partnerships can create the conditions for successful complex programme implementation and delivery.
Download: A Whole Systems Approach to Delivering Complex Programmes 82 Kb
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Understanding Systems - "We take things so personally" |
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My experience of working in organisations, large and small, is that,
as Barry Oshry repeatedly says, “Stuff happens!” The stuff that happens
often drives me to take it personally and to react by explaining things
with a story based upon my assumptions of why the person or team did
it. My reactivity though is predictable.
There are situational patterns of social interaction common to
family, community or business groupings. You can take one individual
out of the network, substitute with another, and the same patterns will
keep recurring. By understanding that a lot of what happens to us is
not personal, we can start to respond in a way that is best for the
situation and creates partnership with others, rather than fuelling the
flames of organisational politics.
For over 30 years, Barry Oshry has been on a single-minded quest to
unlock the mysteries of power and powerlessness in social systems. He
began his work in the 1960s when he began experimenting with
large-scale organisational simulations for business students. By 1970,
Barry had developed this thinking into The Power Lab. From his Power
Lab experience he developed the concepts of Top, Middle, Bottom and
Customer, which lie at the heart of the Organizational Workshop
simulation. These programmes have been providing ‘system sight’ to
thousands of participants throughout the world.
“Working in partnership” is a mantra intoned by many, whether
politicians, community leaders, business executives or social
activists. Our difficulties in achieving this type of relationship on a
consistent basis are in evidence all around us. We are constantly drawn
into reactivity (what Barry calls our Door ‘A’ response). These systems
concepts can help us to become more aware and choiceful (the Door ‘B’
response) and choose what is necessary, in order to make things work
rather than make us feel better.
The Organizational Workshop
is an experiential way of understanding these truths and, if acted
upon, could allow us to create more fruitful and productive ways of
working.
If readers are interested in finding out more about our work in this
area, the various Workshops that are available, or exploring Barry’s
ideas further, please see Understanding Systems on our website.
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| Description : | Living Leadership is a leadership consultancy that focuses on releasing untapped leadership potential within individuals, teams and organisations. We have deep expertise in assisting leaders to work with the wider system to transform organisational performance. |
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| URL : | http://www.nasrudin.org |
| Description : | Short spirtual stories for organisational and personal transformation, a book by Peter Hawkins. 84 amusing stories that will transform how you see your organisation and your own leadership. Nasrudin is the archetypal wise fool, who lived in the Middle East over 600 years ago, though his stories have travelled the world and been updated in every generation.
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| | URL : | http://www.nasrudin.org |
| Description : | Short spirtual stories for organisational and personal transformation, a book by Peter Hawkins. 84 amusing stories that will transform how you see your organisation and your own leadership. Nasrudin is the archetypal wise fool, who lived in the Middle East over 600 years ago, though his stories have travelled the world and been updated in every generation.
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