Howtoapplyparticipatoryleadership intheorganisation? 5casestudies

JanHeinNielsen,april2016

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Howtoapplyparticipatoryleadershipintheorganization?Theabovequestionisaquestionoftenaskedinmyworkasanorganizationalconsultant.Oftenthequestionisthesecondofwhichthefirst is:doesparticipatory leadershiphaveapositive impact in the organization? - orsimply…doesitwork?To the latter questions the answer is easy:Yes,participatory leadershipdoesworkandithasapositiveimpactintheorganization!When trusting the answer to their firstquestion clients becomes really curious ofhow to use participatory leadership tofacilitate the change and development theirorganization is facing. But before answeringthatquestion,ormoreexact–togiveaclearanswertothisquestion itwillbewisetoaskthe question: Why is there a need forparticipatoryleadershipintheorganization?The reason for asking “why”, is that is leadsustounderstandtheneedbehindthe“how”andtoclarifythepurposeof implementationand intervention of participatory leadership.In other words, the need and the purposebecometheleadingstarandguideofhowtoapply participatory leadership in theorganization.So let us be aware what participatoryleadership is and why it is needed in manyorganizationsnow.Participatoryleadershipisanapproachtoleadershipthatscalesupfromthe personal to the systemic using personalpractice, dialogue, facilitation and the co-creation of innovation to address complexchallengesthatwefaceintheworldtoday.Itisastructuredsetofpracticesforfacilitatinggroupconversationsofallsizes,supportedbyprinciples that: maximize collectiveintelligence; welcome and listen to diverse

viewpoints; maximize participation andengagement; and transform conflict intocreativecooperation.How participatory leadership can be appliedbecomes a response to what is needed inthe organization and what is thechallengesandopportunitiesitisfacing.In general, there are threedifferentways toapplyparticipatoryleadership:• To support the organizational change

and development by engaging andempowering the collective knowledgeandinnovativecapacityinallstaff.

• To develop knowledge and solutionswithin business and services bystrengthening relations and co-creatingwithexternalstakeholders.

• Tobuildadvancedleadershipcapacityinthe organization by training andnurturing personal leadership, collectivelearningandself-organizationforstafftostepinandtakechargeofthechallengesfacingthem.

And most of all, an integration of moreparticipatory approaches will change theconversations in the organization intoconversationsthatmatters,andtherebygivea positive impact on the organizationalculture.Thefollowingcasesgiveasetofexamplesofhow participatory leadership have beenappliedindifferentorganizationalcontexts.

participatoryleadershipisavehiclefororganizationalchangewithahumanface…

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CASE1: Corporateinternationalbank

Contextofproject

Thebank isoneofthemarket leaders inDenmark,anddifferfromthecompetitors inhavingastrongsenseofidentityasbeingclosetocustomersandbeingnewthinkersinhowtheydelivertheirservices.

The bank knows their business, are having satisfied customers, and are good atmaking a profit. Thechallengetheywerefacingweretheemployees,bywhomlackofengagementandtakingresponsibilitywereproblemsmanagementneededtofaceinordertocontinuethehighperformance.

Purposeofproject

• Toshiftthementalparadigminleadershipandmanagementfromprescriptivestrategythinkingintoemergentstrategythinking.

• To implement new ways of leadership and training methods based on participatorymethodologies and a systemic approach. A special attention was drawn to Open SpaceTechnology.

• Toincreaseemployees,worksatisfactionandtherebytheirworkqualityandinnovativeculture.

Activitiesinproject

• InternalseminarsinvariousdepartmentsintheorganizationwithfocusonWorkSatisfaction.• Whole-scalechangeprocessinamajorfinancialbranchwiththescopeofcomingupwithnew

innovativesolutionstoimproveworksatisfactionandworkquality.• Trainingprogramforinternalconsultantswiththepurposeofimplementnewtrainingmethods

basedonparticipatorymethodologies.• Leadershiptrainingprogramsformiddlemanagementwithfocusonimplementingnewwaysof

leadershipandmanagementbasedonparticipatoryleadership.

Outcomeofproject

The project has highly supported their leadership paradigm of value based leadership and the large-scalechangeprogramtheorganizationhavegonethrough.Todaythebankisoneofthemostinnovativecorporate companies remaining one of the leaders in their field of business.Theirmottois:“Tomakeadifference”.

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CASE2: InternationalUniversityCollege

Contextofproject

TheuniversitycollegeisoneofthelargesteducationalinstitutionsinDenmarkwithinhighereducationandoffersabroadrangeofeducationalprograms.

Inordertodifferentiatethe institutionfromitscompetitorsandtomeettheneedsof itsendusers inprivate andpublic sector, the institutionwanted to become an innovative culturewhere the studentwas taught innovative skills and competences in order to be able to offer this as an add on to theircurriculum.

Inshortthechallengewas,thatthe institutionwasnot innovativeatall.Neither inmanagementor ineducationalcompetences.Theculturecouldmorebedescribedasadministrativeandcontrolling.

Purposeofproject

• To shift the mental paradigm in leadership and management from administrative andcontrollingtowardsinnovativeandemergent.

• Tobuildinnovativecompetencesintheeducationalstaff,inorderforthemtoeducatestudentsinnovatively,usingparticipatorymethodologies.

• Toshiftthecultureonalllevelsfromtopmanagementtostudents.

Activitiesinproject

• Leadershiptrainingprogramsformiddlemanagementwithfocusonimplementingnewwaysofmanagementbasedonparticipatoryleadershipofaninnovativeorganization.

• Trainingprogramforeducatorsandinternalconsultants ininnovativetoolsandskills.Basedinparticipatorymethodologies.

• YearlyInnovationCampswith250students,30educators.Involvingbusinessideasfromprivateandpublicsector.

• Internalseminarfortopmanagementinorderforthemtoperceiveinnovationasaframeworkfortheircurrentandfuturestrategicwork.

Outcomeofproject

TodaytheUniversityCollegedefinesthemselvesasainnovativeinstitutionwherestudentsareeducatedininnovativeskillsandcompetences.Andtheculturalstorytellingamongstaffwithintheorganizationsupports that they are innovative and proud of it! They have developed a learning center forinnovation,thatkeepsthelearningedgealive,internallyandexternally.

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CASE3: LargeMunicipality–DirectorateofPublicService&Culture.ContextofprojectThe directorate had developed a new staff policy four years prior to this project, but werefacingdifficultieswiththeongoingpracticeofthepolicyleadingtodissatisfactionamongststaffandmanagers,andtheorganizationwas furthermoregoingthroughchange inwhichrolesofstaffandmanagementneededtoberevised.Soinshortthedirectorateneededtorenewitsstaffpolicywithspecificfocusonnewstaffandmanagementrolesalignedwiththeircorebusinessandtheirfuturestrategy.Purposeofproject

• Torevise the formerstaffpolicyandsurface ideasand internalprojectsofpracticeofthethestaffpolicy.

• Toexplorerenewedrolesofstaffandmanagement.• Toalignstaffpolicyandnewroleswithcorebusinessandfuturestrategy.

Activitiesinproject

• Theprocess includedbroadengagementofallmanagementandrepresentativesofallstaffintheorganization.Thewereorganizedinrepresentativegroupsofbothstaffandmanagersthroughouttheproject.

• Inthefirst“DialogueDayI”thestaffpolicyandnewroleswereexploredandoutlinedfortherepresentinggroupstointegrateintotheirworkbefore“DialogueDayII”

• Allrepresentativegroupswereworkingonthenewstaffpolicyandnewrolesrevisingthefinalresultforasharedstaffpolicyandclarityofroles.

• In the second “DialogueDay II” staff policy and roleswere agreed upon, and furtherpracticesandstepswereplannedreadyforimplementationfrommarch2016.

OutcomeofprojectThedirectoratenowhaveastaffpolicyincludingdefinitionofnewrolesofstaffandmanagersthatisbeingimplementedwithawidescopeofownershipfromallemployeesintheorganization.

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CASE4: DirectorateGeneralinEuropeanCommissionContextofprojectTheDGneeded tochangeasanorganisation.Coming frombeinganorganisation supportingtheEUCommissiononITissues,theyneededtobecomeanITserviceofthefutureandwithavision to transform IT at the Commission. The organisation needed to change fromworkingmorere-activeintoworkingmorepro-active.Theoverallprojectwasinitiatedinordertobuildandsustainacultureofcollaborationandpartnershipinternallyandexternallythussupportingtheorganisationtobeworkingmoreflexiblyandwithagility,andtherebyelevatetheireffectivenessandmeettheneedtoinnovateinprovidingsolutionstoclients.The organisational project was initiated and supported directly by senior management andincludedinvolvementofstaffonalllevelsandallwastherebyengagedtofindcommonclarityondirectionsandco-createnewwaysofworkingsupportingthe“new”organisation.Purposeofproject

• SeetogethermoreclearlytheDGsfuturesharedcommonpurpose• Improvehowwecommunicatewitheachother(internally,externally)–actuallyspeaktoeach

otherinarealwayandseehowthiscanbeharnessedforabetterworkingenvironment• Gettoknow‘whoiswho’,‘whodoeswhat’,‘why’• Geteveryone'sinputonhowwecanworkbettertogether/nurtureourcapacitytoworkin

collaborativeway.• Togethercreateideasandprojectstoworkforourfuture

Activitiesinproject

• Opensessionsandbilateralconversations(withpermanentandexternalstaff)• resultsofthe‘perceptionscan’(400storiesfromcustomers)• Allstaffengagementprocessinaone-dayworkshop• Post-processmeetingsamongststaffandmanagementsupportoutcomeontheone-day

workshopOutcomeofprojectThedirectoutcomeoftheone-dayworkshopwas37projectsallnurturingtheDG’sneedforchangingtheorganisation,andfurthermoreleadtojointownershipofthesharedgoaloftransformingITattheEuropeanCommission.Inalltheoverallprojectdidleadtoamorecollaborativeandcommunicativecultureforainnovativeandworkenvironment.

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CASE5: InternationalSeafoodCompanyContextofprojectThecompanywerefacingongoingchallengesbetweentheboardofdirectorsanditsseniormanagement.Mostofthechallengeswereduetomicro-managementbyboardofdirectorsandlackofprofessionalcommunicationbetweenthetwogroups,thusleadingtoslowdecisionprocessesandlowworksatisfaction.Purposeofproject

• Toexploreandagreeonthesharedchallengestherewerefacing.• Tobuildcapacitywithinleadership,andrenewthemanagementmodelforthecompany

gainingmoreefficientleadership.• Todevelopandsustainaprofessionalmodalityofcommunicationintheorganisation.

Activitiesinproject

• Agroupcoachedmeetingtoidentifychallengesandtakeownershipoftheissuesleadingthechallenges.

• Capacitybuildingofdirectorsandmanagement.Forboardofdirectorstofindandintegrateaprofessionalmodelofgovernance,andforseniormanagementtofindandintegrateamodelofefficientmanagement.

• Aworkshopforboardofdirectorsandseniormanagementexploringandagreeingonasharedunderstandingofprofessionalcommunicationandfurthermoredevelopingasetofpracticesintegratingandsustainingcommunicationintheorganisation.

• Professionalcoachingonthefirstfivemeetingsbetweenboardofdirectorsandseniormanagementsupportingthenewmodelofgovernance/managementandtheagreedmodalityofcommunication.

OutcomeofprojectAmoreautonomousdirectors/managementgroupworkingmoreefficientlyleadingtoaincreasedpositiveworkenvironmentandhigherworksatisfaction.

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JanHeinNielsen

Jan Hein Nielsen has been working in the field of systemicorganizationalchangeanddevelopmentsince1995.He has especially worked with human resources and thecapacity to grow innovation and implement change inorganizations with an aligned strategy of natural andsustainablegrowth.Since the beginning Jan Hein Nielsen was inspired of thepotentialinleadershipengagingandempoweringresourcesinco-creatingcollaborativeand innovativesolutions,andhehasmade it a core competence to implement participatorygovernanceandleadershipinorganizationaldevelopmentandasacapacityforleaderstotrainandpractice.Jan Hein Nielsen founded his first consultancy company in1995andhaveasaconsultantsinceworkedforalargevarietyofinternationalclientsaroundtheworld.Furthermore, he has heldmanagement positions as Director,CEO,BoardmemberandChairman.JanHeinNielsenhasco-foundedTheArtofHosting(TheArtofParticipatoryLeadership)andTheFlowGame.Heistheauthoronthebook“IdeaDevelopment–fromheadtohands”andistheresourceofcocreaid.com