Reframing Organizations, 4th ed.

Chapter 2

Simple Ideas, Complex Organizations

Simple Ideas, Complex Organizations Common Fallacies in Organizational

Diagnosis Peculiarities of Organizations Organizational Learning Coping with Ambiguity and Complexity

Error in Organizations: The Tragedy of 9/11 System Failures Helped Terrorists Succeed

Mindset error: defense systems hadn’t planned for domestic air attack, even though the possibility had long been recognized (they didn’t anticipate a “black swan” because they’d only seen white ones)

Coordination error I: FBI/CIA (terrorists should have been on airport security watch lists)

Coordination error II: FAA/NORAD (weak lateral communication hindered the two agencies from working together during the emergency)

Error in Organizations: Helen Demarco Osborne announces revitalization plan Demarco and colleagues agree: it can’t work

but we can’t tell him “Study” to buy time and develop strategy Option B: low benefits at high costs Technical jargon as camouflage Demarco feels frustration, failure

Peculiarities of Organizations

Organizations are complex Organizations are surprising Organizations are deceptive Organizations are ambiguous

Sources of ambiguity

Not sure what the problem is Not sure what’s going on Not sure (or can’t agree) on what we want Don’t have the resources we need Not sure who’s supposed to do what Not sure how to get what we want Not sure how to know if we succeed or fail

Organizational Learning

Peter Senge We learn best from

experience, but often don’t know consequences of our actions

System maps Barry Oshry

Asymmetric relationships (top – middle – bottom – customer)

“Dance of blind reflex”

Systems model for vicious learning cycle

Short-term

Strategy

Short-term

gains

Delay

Long-term

costs

Organizational Learning (II)

Argyris and Schon Actions to promote

learning actually inhibit it

Defenses: avoid sensitive issues, tiptoe around taboos

Chris Argyris

Donald Schon

Coping with Ambiguity and Complexity: Friendly Fire in Iraq What you see what you

expect -- and what you want US fighter pilots

expected enemy helicopters

Aerial combat is fighter pilots’ holy grail

Pilots saw what they expected and what they wanted

Coping with ambiguity: conserve or change? Advantages of relying on existing frames and

routines Protect investment in learning them They make it easier to understand what’s

happening and what to do about it …but we may misread the situation, take the

wrong action, and fail to learn from our errors Change requires time and energy for learning

new approaches but is necessary to developing new skills and capacities

Common Fallacies in Organizational Diagnosis

Blame people Bad attitudes, abrasive personalities, neurotic

tendencies, stupidity or incompetence Blame the bureaucracy

Organization (a) stifled by rules and red tape, or (b) lack clear goals, procedures and job descriptions

Thirst for power Organizations are jungles filled with predators

and prey

Conclusion

Complexity, surprise, deception and ambiguity make organizations hard to understand and manage

Narrow frames become rigid fallacies, blocking learning and effectiveness

Better ideas and multiple perspectives enhance flexibility and effectiveness