Change: why leaders must relinquish control

Posted on March 13, 2017 by keithelford

In a recent blog I argued that one of the reasons people in organisations find change difficult to cope with is the loss of control usually involved. Change in organisations is frequently done to people. In order to minimise resistance to change it is vital to leave as much control as possible in the hands of those affected by it. But, as a friend pointed out to me, that means those in leadership relinquishing their control. And that, for a variety of reasons, is usually unwelcome. But if the change you make is to be effective, it’s necessary and here’s why.

Models of organisation

Posted on September 23, 2015 by keithelford

How do the assumptions we make limit or help us?

Organisations differ in many ways, but most organisations, in most sectors, have similar problems. Some common examples follow:

Managers spend a large amount of time doing work that those who report to them should be doing – and no-one has any time to think and plan

Parts of the organisation operate in ‘silos’ and act in a way that actively creates problems for, even sabotages, other parts of the organisation

Despite a lot of effort, team-building sessions and perfectly amicable relationships senior teams find it extremely difficult to work constructively and productively together

Each of these problems could be addressed by taking particular actions to fix them. But they may also raise a more fundamental question, that of how we think about the organisation. Continue reading →

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