Challenge Day #20

Productive Workplaces: Organizing and Managing for Dignity, Meaning and Community by Marvin Ross Weisbord

Productive Workplaces was recommended to me by a wonderful colleague Sandy Swearingen.  At the time our job, along with a dozen others, was to facilitate school improvement teams across the state of Minnesota. I spent many hours steeped in learning about change, organizational development, and effective classroom practices. I loved this job—it helped feed my curious nature. 

When Sandy recommended Productive Workplaces she said “You don’t really need to read the first part of the book, just start with the second section where he shares about how to help manage change.”  I took her advice.  It was very revealing and I still use the information today. It gave me a foundation for knowing when individuals and organizations are ready for change.

Weisbord writes about assessing which of the four apartments of change individuals reside in. The first contentment categorized by “Everything is fine.”  His advice leave people alone unless the building is on fire.  The second apartment is denial often spoken as “This too shall pass.” If folks live in this apartment ask questions, give support heighten awareness. DO NOT OFFER ADVICE! The third apartment is confusion, filled with questions about how to, what if’s and I don’t get this. To assist folks in confusion get people together, structure tasks, ask for and offer help, and keep the focus on the future.  The final apartment is renewal/growth where the new begins to appear – the trick is to assist with mutually agreed upon tasks and not to allow people to become complacent.

throughout an organization. 

Think of the apartments as a cycle beginning with contentment traveling to denial then confusion and finally renewal/growth. It is on the edge of confusion – when the majority of people are between denial and confusion that an organization is ripe for change. Today when I am working with an individual or a group of people I look for the signs of the shift between denial and confusion to know when the door to change has cracked open.

 

If you are wondering what was in the first part of the book – so was I. My curiosity got the best of me therefore I read it.  Marvin began his book with a description of the prevailing views of organizational theory.  What was most fascinating to me was that he began each theory with a brief history of the theorists.   He included the consulting engineer, Frederick W. Taylor, and four social scientists, Douglas McGregor, Kurt Lewin, Fred Emery, and Eric Trist. It was a powerful lesson for me – knowing their history brought a deeper understanding of their theories. From then on I have not only wanted to know someone’s theory I have wanted to better understand the person – their history.  Each time I have dug deeper into the person behind the idea I have gained a profound appreciation for the roots and growth of the theory. I make fewer assumption and know more. 

This is one reason I now pay attention when a speaker or author talks about themselves.  Who they are, what they have experienced in life colors how and what they think.  Just as is true for you and I.  Our past although it does not make us who we are is the soil from which our thinking has grown.