Personal and Organisational Dynamics

You will sense an 'us v them' theme at play here, which impacts on your identity as an individual and as the member of a group. This is complex because you can belong to a number of groups at the same time and the change may split your loyalties. Personal power too presents problems depending on whether you look inside or outside yourself to achieve change.

The patterns that emerge through the actions we take NOW to make the changes we desire happen, may be the result of an intention, but the process is unknowable because the interrelationships produce unprectable consequences and the change is only seen in snapshots in time, with its ultimate effects unknown..

The Vertical (Organisational) Dynamic
collectivism

WE do not live in isolation, WE need to collaborate with others to achieve what WE want as a community or team. WE have to appreciate and tap into the tension between our diverse needs and our common interests as a group (bottom-up forces).

This is in contrast to what our bosses want - the people who seek to direct our energy. THEY control our access to resources and expect our compliance to secure economies of scale and implement business plans. THEY represent a higher power to which we are expected to aspire (top-down forces).

"Individualism and collectivism must have equal power.... both
top-down and bottom-up strategies are necessary....the best
organisations learn externally as well as internally. Change is too
important to leave to experts, everybody must be coached
to achieve personal mastery."
Michael Fullen 'Change Forces' 2000

"We should concentrate on liberating leadership from the bottom-up. Change driven from the top-down limits innovation. Much of the wisdom in an organisation is held with those delivering frontline services. Hierarchies produce compliance, but leadership from the bottom, with encouragement from the top, will, I believe, deliver transformational change.
Andrew Foster - NHS - HR Director 2003

The Horizontal (Personal) Dynamic
individualism

When YOU think about it, most of the changes YOU make in life are to get where YOU want to go - what really matters to YOU and how YOU feel about the change. Your actions will inevitably support your intentions (inside-out forces).

In a highly connected world this will only be partially successful, simply because you must serve the interests of someone else in order to thrive. THEY want you to satisfy their needs in ways THEY find suits them best. THEY expect good service and for you to be selfless in your commitment to their interests (outside-in forces).

"Our performance is highly influenced by our self-awareness and our ability to understand our own behaviour and how it impacts on others. This offers us wider choices in the way we interact with and manage others performance. Research now shows that increasing the levels of emotional intelligence is a sound way to increase growth. it involves the ability to monitor ones own and others' feelings and emotions.
Salovey & Mayer 1990

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