Participatory Leadership
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Great summary graphic contrasting traditional work styles with participatory leadership.
Via http://chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot/?p=2282
Traditional ways of working |
Participatory leadership complementing |
Individuals responsible for decisions | Using collective intelligence to inform decision-making |
No single person has the right answer but somebody has to decide | Together we can reach greater clarity - intelligence through diversity |
Hierarchical lines of management | Community of practice |
Wants to create a FAIL-SAFE environment | Creates a SAFE-FAIL environment that promotes learning |
Top-down agenda setting | Set agenda together |
I must speak to be noticed in meetings | Harvesting what matters, from all sources |
Communication in writing only | Asking questions |
Organisation chart determines work | Task forces/purpose-oriented work in projects |
People represent their services | People are invited as human beings, attracted by the quality of the invitation |
One-to-many information meetings | A participatory process can inform the information! |
Great for maintenance, implementation (doing what we know) | When innovation is needed – learning what we don’t know, to move on – engaging with constantly moving targets |
Information sharing | When engagement is needed from all, including those who usually don’t contribute much. |
Dealing with complaints by forwarding them to the hierarchy for action | Dealing with complaints directly, with hierarchy trusting that solution can come from the staff |
Consultation through surveys, questionnaires, etc. | Co-creating solutions together in real time, in presence of the whole system |
Top-down | Bottom-up |
Management by control | Management by trust |
Questionnaires (contribution wanted from DG X) | Engagement processes – collective inquiry with stakeholders |
Mechanistic | Organic – if you treat the system like a machine, it responds like a living system |
Top down orders – often without full information | Top-down orders informed by consultation |
Resistance to decisions from on high | Better acceptance of decisions because of involvement |
Silos/hierarchical structures | More networks |
Tasks dropped on people | Follow your passion |
Rigid organisation | Flexible self-organisation |
Policy design officer disconnected from stakeholders | Direct consultation instead of via lobby organisations |
People feel unheard/not listened to | People feel heard |
Working without a clear purpose and jumping to solutions | Collective clarity of purpose is the invisible leader |
Motivation via carrot & stick | Motivation through engagement and ownership |
Managing projects, not pre-jects | Better preparation – going through chaos, open mind, taking account of other ideas |
Focused on deliverables | Focused on purpose – the rest falls into place |
Result-oriented | Purpose-oriented |
Seeking answers | Seeking questions |
Pretending/acting | Showing up as who you are |
Broadcasting, boring, painful meetings | Meetings where every voice is heard, participants leave energised |
Chairing, reporting | Hosting, harvesting, follow-up |
Event & time-focused | Good timing, ongoing conversation & adjustment |