June 17, 2009 by Alan Hirsch
Comments (6)
Having breathed new life into organizations, how do we sustain it? Paradoxically, the answer lies in ‘disciplines’. This is what I have called ‘practices’ in earlier posts. The disciplines help organizations sustain disequilibrium, thrive in near-chaos conditions, and foster self-organization. If taken to heart, they can also foster changes at the individual level. Indeed, they must be internalized if their far-reaching benefits are to be fully realized.
According to Pascale et.al., There are seven critical disciplines. These are:
1. Infuse an intricate understanding of what drives organizational success.
2. Insist on uncompromising straight talk.
3. Manage from the future.
4. Reward inventive accountability.
5. Harness adversity by learning from prior mistakes.
6. Foster relentless discomfort.
7. Cultivate reciprocity between the individual and the organization.
Each of the seven disciplines can stand alone, but enormous power exists in the relationship among them.
that is a damn good question ted.
Pam Hogeweide 236 days ago
Quite honestly Ted, I am not sure. Some, if not all, of these will be disciplines that are characteristic of any great orgaization. But given that I have not had direct organizational experience in those contexts, I had better not venture an opinion.
Alan Hirsch 236 days ago
2, 4, 5, 6, 7 appear to be relationally-focused disciplinesin terms of what occurs between the individuals, albeit feeding/filtering into more being a authentic, honest and realistic organisation collectively. People taking up responsibility for their relationships. 1, 3, 7 appear to be more directly about whole organisational ethos and vision-making disciplines. 1 and 5 are educative, with 5 also being `education on the job' ie. through the praxis of trial and error. 4, 6 about innovativeness and challenge of the existing status quo and preventiving relapse into organisational stasis, lack of momentum. 3 requires the discipline of being prepared to think is visionary terms beyond the `box' and is to me implicative of encouraging creativity with 4, harnessing that innovativeness into accountability within the communitas of organic community. I think the above disciplines are culture-creative.
Anyway, I've given my shot at interpreting the above from Pascale.
Andrew Park 235 days ago
Just thinking there is an element of the provocative in 6. If not done compassionately and wihout the other disciples it could be quite oppressive or repressive of creativity and innovation.
To manage from the future one must also honestly and wisely face the realities of the present and how they might affect and influence the unfold of that which is to come.
Andrew Park 235 days ago
I appreciate Andrew's insightful responses to the list of the 7 death-defying un-sins! However, from my perspective as perpetual teacher-learner, I see all 7 as educative, not just 1 and 5.
Perhaps Shapeviners are familiar with some books by Dallas Willard which mentions disciplines as practices that help us to achieve that which we cannot achieve without them (my clumsy paraphrase). In The Spirit of the Disciplines and The Great Omission, he writes about the concepts of Abstinence and Engagement in the sense that some disciplines involve avoidance of that which is destructive but in order to entertain good spiritual health we must also be intentional about disciplines of a constructive nature.
Andrew and I recently facilitated a cyberforum for the ICDF Network for Creative Arts and Social Concern which we jointly coordinate. The subject of disciplines came up and we were able to deal with the negative perceptions of the word "discipline" in terms of encouraging creative engagement with Social Concern/Justice issues.
To me, Pascale's et al list of critical disciplines seems to fit into the Engagement category, which is often a better way to explain such things... an active voice, rather than a passive or negative mode of expression.
Lucy J 231 days ago
Ted Vaughn
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Great stuff, Al. I'm curious if you believe these "disciplines" transcend culture - or are uniquely western in application and success. I find lots of wisdom here - stuff that resonates with everyone from Jack Welch to Hauerwass....but I'm not sure if they are applicable in cultures like Korea or Africa. Thoughts?
Ted Vaughn 236 days ago