Building the Organisation

There are similarities between constructing an organisation and a building. To be successful you need a good design, good materials, deep foundations, careful construction and diligent maintenance. And there are huge differences too.

On the whole buildings do not metamorphose into different buildings over time. A pile of materials will not unilaterally build themselves or join another building if not engaged in their current role. You do not need to persuade bricks and girders of the benefits of your building over another.

These differences make holding an organisation together a much more subtle exercise than maintaining a building - and one with far greater possibilities. And few organisations are more interesting to manage and lead than ones where the products are the skills of its people and its people are highly intelligent with strong individual motivations.

In our practice of individual and organisational development and change, we pay attention to the individual and to the whole. We also pay close attention to the relationships between individuals and between them and their organisation - for relationships are what hold people together - the mortar whose strength provides security and whose weakness undermines the whole.