Stage-3: Resolving Conflicting Perspectives

● Production, marketing and R&D divisions will always have very different views on a particular new product or service. These must be reconciled to maximize the chances of success for any innovation.

● Both line-managers and personnel specialists have responsibility for staffing matters. So a workable division of effort must be found if there is not going to be omission or duplication of work with dissension and bad feelings.

● Achievement is necessarily weakened by a dysfunctional culture. If legitimate and predictable differences of view are ignored by senior managers, then progress slows or divergent courses of action emerge causing aggravation and inefficiency.

● Note that the focus here is on culture rather than achievement. Power-based clashes over pay, benefits or unfairness must be handled effectively to achieve—irrespective of the cultural stage or state. Read more.

● The needed strong dialectical culture must not be confused with the wishy-washy and self-serving dialectical ways of deciding that dominate stagnant or chaotic public sector bureaucracies.

The perspective here for explaining is: organizations first and the politics within them second.

To explore politics in organizations more deeply, you can approach it from a perspective that puts politics first. This perspective emerges from a different part of THEE that explores Ethical Choice rather than Decision. Two relevant sections are posted: one deals with effects of politics on choices in organizations ]; and the other identifies political activities within organizations.

● Grip divisive issues sooner rather than later.

● Be on the look out for areas of growing dissension and indicate a determination to resolve controversies positively.

● See in advance the good that will come out of airing group disagreements on major matters.

● Involve yourself, and all parties to the issue, and develop a basis for discussion.

● Recognize and reconcile the interests of all parties to any dispute at the outset and in the final outcome.

● Assign validity to divergent perspectives.

● Agree a consensus choice only if it is genuinely workable and aligned with existing accountabilities.

● Be prepared to conciliate or mediate when tensions run high.

● Resist the temptation to resolve disputes by pulling rank or clever manipulations.

● Avoid pandering to the powerful and neglecting the weak.

● View appeals to higher management for arbitration or decision as a last resort.

● Respect tribal loyalties and ideals, without submitting to them.

● Positively welcome varying perspectives even if they clash.

● Accept and tolerate the validity of differing values and judgements in various sections and disciplines.

● Work to sustain good relationships by involving all affected staff in key decisions.

● View any disconnection, isolation, blaming, alienation and denigration amongst disciplines as serious problems to be overcome.

● Never imagine you can eradicate tribalism or have perfect harmony.

● Take as a principle: when matters are genuinely uncertain, the best result comes from the strongest possible debate.

● Set up and organize these debates sensibly and carefully.

● Ensure attendance, effective representation and high quality presentations.

● Agree the issue(s) to be tackled, and give all parties access to the relevant facts.

● Keep the needs of the organization in mind, allow the various parties to present their case, to bargain, to make bids and to offer counter-proposals.

● Maintain decorum at all times, and keep discussion friendly.

● Realize that the same data can support directly opposite views in poorly understood situations.

● If emotions are running high, use a neutral coordinator or external facilitator to handle the meeting fairly.

● Don't personalize irritations.

● Take agreed conclusions seriously, document agreement and instigate action.

● Satisfy both organizationally-created divisions and disciplinary groups.

● Treat genuine claims as valid, however divergent from organizational requirements.

● Take soundings, link with representatives and opinion-formers and consult widely.

● Don't confuse representative and executive arrangements.

● Ensure that people see their deeply held views being well-articulated and presented in the correct forums.

● Orchestrate communications to and from groups, taking particular care when writing or speaking about contentious or controversial matters.

● Realize that your own achievement does not depend just on your personal qualities (pragmatic) and position-cum-expertise (structuralist).

● You are also dependent on the support you get from your group and on its status and influence within the organization.

● Whether you like it or not, you are tribal at core. If you do not seem to be tribal, ask yourself where your tribalism lies so you can take it seriously.

● This means that you must recognize and affirm your loyalty, use your group representative when appropriate, maintain group solidarity, close ranks behind unfairly treated colleagues, and be prepared to compromise your personal aspirations (to a degree) to support your group.

● Strive to put your tribalism in the service of the organization.

◆ Are you a Tribal Fundamentalist?

If you are, then you should read about being cause-centred. [LINK IFB 2.c] In general, a fundamentalist might do better working for a tribe-oriented organization—either members' association or a specialist commercial firm.