Demanding Performance or Inviting Contribution

What are we evoking from the people in our organizations?

Last week, as I waited for an appointment to discuss an Open Space proposal for organizational development, I found myself leafing curiously through the magazines on the reception table. Several phrases jumped out at me – the importance of a sense of belonging, of being valued, and of feeling more in control of one’s life.

The psychotherapist, Virginia Satir, in her ground-breaking work in family therapy, identified the importance of addressing the deep yearnings we all have, consciously or unconsciously, for these experiences and others like them. The social reformer, Paolo Friere, talked about ‘creating a world in which it is easier to love.’

Much of the time we don’t think of our businesses and organizations as being concerned with these ‘deeper’ issues of human existence. Yet I will never forget the tone of deep frustration in a colleague’s voice when he expressed the view, ‘They only want us to perform: they don’t want us to contribute’.

We can probably all remember from our own or others’ experience instances of children around the age of two and upwards. They are so eager to contribute. And they want to do it their way! My grandson wants to sweep the floor and stack the dishwasher. He knows this is his place where he belongs, that he is valued, and he sees it as his right to make his contribution to the family’s activities.

I couldn’t help reflecting that the Open Space meeting process works in part because it addresses these common human yearnings. The deliberate act of sitting in a circle where we are all ‘on the same level’ – no one sitting in authority at the top of the table – is highly symbolic. Everyone belongs and everyone’s contribution is invited and valued. Everyone is invited to contribute to the outcomes of conversations around an issue that all are concerned about and the resulting actions have a real measure of joint ownership.

But performance is deeply engrained in our psyche and the concept of performance management central in much of our thinking about people and organizations. I remember at the time experiencing mixed reactions to my colleague’s remark about performance and contribution. At a gut level, I responded strongly, feeling ‘Yes, exactly. That’s absolutely what it’s about.’ Yet my rational mind immediately retorted ‘Well, so what? Performance is what we’re paid for, isn’t it? So what’s the gripe?’

What do you think about this issue? I’d love to hear from you. How do we encourage optimum outcomes for our businesses and organizations? Is the emphasis on demanding performance, inviting contribution, or ... ?

And if you’ve experienced Open Space in your organization, what did it evoke from the participants?

Response to last issue on Mindfulness

After the last issue on Mindfulness one of our readers, Psychologist and Coach, Pamela Wade, wrote in with these comments that she has allowed me to publish.

“Enjoyed the ezine. It reminded me of when I used to work debriefing groups of people after there had been 'critical incidents' in the workplace (eg. Accidents, assaults, police raids etc). It is highly important to explore what happened and how might it be prevented, or dealt with differently.

However, dealing with people's emotional reactions to the events first was really important. In incidents where Managers and Supervisors tried to analyse incidents without dealing with the personal reactions, the outcomes were often hostile, perceived as blaming, rather than constructive, and in any number of instances escalated into Union action and increased staff discontent.

Often staff felt they were treated as commodities, that resources were valued more highly than them and this contributed to the perception of Management as being heartless and wanting to assign blame.

When people were allowed to express their individual and group responses to incidents or events, then the way was cleared for constructive discussions and strategies to be formed.

There is a difference between over dramatising events, and setting a scene where emotional impact can be acknowledged. Doing so allows space from which to move into constructive analysis and strategic action planning can occur.

Although formal debriefing is not necessary in every incident, in emergency service teams now have peer and group debriefing as part of their regular practices. This is not necessarily the culture that exists in less emergency responsive organisations.

All just food for thought ... “
Pamela may be contacted at .

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