Modern Art and Modern Organizations
J. Allyn Bradford
Adjunct Instructor, Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Management
Alexander Calder's work transformed the are of sculpture from inert forms weighted
to the ground to dynamic forms which move through space with an airy grace. In Calder's
work, huge plates of steel are hinged together to form moving patterns, which are
ever shifting to make new configurations. The great mobile sculptures of Calder suggest
the shape and form of highly dynamic, contemporary organizations.
Many modern corporations function as dynamic structures in which the various part
are in constant motion, changing from one moment to the next in response to the demands
of the market, all of which is held together by vital lines of communication.
"Familiar lines and shapes in the traditional view are distorted and perspectives
fall into place in new ways."(1) This statement might be a description of modern
corporations. Actually it is a description of Modern Art.
New Systems
More specifically, today's dynamic corporations have replaced many bureaucratic procedures
in management by completely new systems and designs.
Modern Art is a precursor of what has created these new organizational formations.
Bosses do more than just tell others what to do. Instead they coach and act as a
useful resource to people who work for them(2). Important information is no longer
limited to the highest levels of the organization. It flows up, across and in all
directions throughout the organization. Self-organizing teams, to which management
has handed off control, become autonomous and set their own goals. Also, team members
trade off leadership and teach and train each other.
Art creates images, which can help us to see things differently and conceive of new
possibilities within old systems. Like the mighty mobiles of Calder, contemporary
organizational structures can learn to move through time and space with a constructive
and harmonious balance, responsive to the winds of change. In observing the Calder
mobiles, we can see how the center of power can shift around among many centers throughout
an organization. And, with a little imagination, we can then see how organizations
are being transformed far beyond anything we have seen before. Instead of being centered
in one mammoth building like the great skyscrapers, they network around the globe
through invisible lines of telecommunication.
The key to effectiveness in this new paradigm is the availability of high quality
information. Information is itself the authority needed to meet ever new demands
in creating new products and finding new ways to market them. Information is what
creates the form in these modern organizations, now power or traditional authority.
A highly successful CEO of a bio-tech corporation in Cambridge has told me that his
job is not to tell his managers what to do. It is simply to create an environment
in which they can do the kind of work which they know how to do extremely well.
The Information Age
The demands of the information age calls for workers with creative intelligence.
Workers who learned skills and developed attitudes in the old system, need to learn
how to see things differently. As W. Edwards Deming pointed out, pleasing the boss
is not enough anymore. Workers need to please the customer, with help from the boss(3).
Also, in a system which requires the careful interaction of many diverse contributors,
information cannot be held back. Boundaries which once defined tightly held territory
in the old bureaucratic systems need to give way to open sharing and mutual support.
Workers need to see that withholding information is ultimately self-defeating, but
when shared everybody can win(4).
When the old adversarial culture is replaced by a new cooperative one there is plenty
of give and take and barriers of distrust are broken down. These barriers become
replaced by bridges of communication, mutual trust, joint problem solving and group
synergy.
"Leadership is not domination, but the art of persuading people to work toward
a common goal," according to Daniel Goleman in his best-selling book, Emotional
Intelligence. Now, more than ever, leaders need to show others how to communicate
with intelligence and empathy and to solve problems through a joint process of creative
interaction. As an Irish Proverb puts it, "if you want to build a ship, don't
just get some lads together, divide the work and give orders, rather teach them to
yearn for the endless sea."
A Cooperative Culture
When a cooperative culture emerges in an organization, both autonomy and inter-dependence
are enhanced. Hiding problems out of fear or criticism from higher ups is transformed
into sharing and mutual support. In this new state of things it is all right to have
problems. Problems can then be seen as opportunities for developing new approaches
and as a means for developing relationships. Interpersonal communication is the fabric
which holds an organization together.
The way to cooperative action in contemporary organizations is not to be found in
the organization charts. Instead it comes a series of on-going conversations which
don't show up on any chart. These conversations consist of requests, promises and
commitments by action people which lead to successful achievements. Action people
may or may not be formally designated as leaders; but they are leaders all the same.
A climate of integrity can be created by leaders in which it is acceptable to have
problems and to expect get ideas and help from others in solving them.
The following are statements came from people who are learning how to create such
a climate:
"In setting objectives, instead of just announcing to the group what has to
be done, I met with each individual and asked him or her to express their opinions
and feelings in response to what I presented. I then factored their responses into
how we made our plans."
"We spoke to our manager and asked him to be more open with us about our problems
in meeting deadlines."
"I've learned that as a manager, on a daily basis, what I need to do most is
keep my mouth shut and listen."
To change a climate from adversarial to cooperative requires specific, clear statements
from credible leaders, reinforced by matching behaviors. In the above quotes this
combination of what is said and what is done is evident and convincing.
When candid, honest, positive words are matched consistently with similar behaviors
the effect is like a field of energy which can actually be felt by those involved.
This field of energy evoked makes it possible for risks to be safely taken and trust
to prevail(5).
Networking
In today's world, every person at work really needs to be primarily concerned with
generating a network of conversations for action ñ conversations in which
mutual commitments and joint experiments lead to successful innovative solutions.
When innovative things get done in an organization it is not by the bureaucratic
system of top-down management, but through an informal network of action people who
operate entrepreneurially within the organization and act as resources to each other.
Organizational Transformation
In a cooperative climate energy is not wasted in defensive maneuvers, turf battles
or personal vendettas. Rather the focus is on problems and issues. Conflict can then
be seen as a positive opportunity for learning through a healthy respect for differences.
When the atmosphere is cooperative rather than adversarial, things happen much more
quickly and efficiently because time is not wasted in unproductive behavior.
What can transform organizations from inert, monoliths to dynamic, soaring structures,
is the ability to open up new insights and to see how things can fit together in
new ways. To make this happen, people need to cultivate the habit of "seeing
things differently." like creative artists - and welcome how others may see
things differently, too. New visions can become real when people listen to ideas
with an open mind and respond with positive insights. When that starts to happen,
an organization can begin to move, like Calder's mobiles, with a harmonious grace
and balance through time and space.
1. Gerald Shertzer, Art teacher at Phillips Andover, unpublished article on Cubism.
2. Shoshanna Zuboff, Assoc. Professor at the Harvard Business School, In the Age
of the Smart Machine p. 250.
3. W. Edwards Deming: The Prophet of Quality, a PBS tape.
4. The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook, Peter Senge, Editor, p. 6.
5. Margaret Wheatley, Leadership and the New Science, pp. 50-53.
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