Resolving Board and Committee Resolving Board and Committee Conflict: Conflict:

An Organisational Role Analysis An Organisational Role Analysis ApproachApproach

Presented by Brigid NossalPresented by Brigid Nossal

Working AgreementsWorking Agreements PUNCTUALITYPUNCTUALITY Workshop will begin and end on Workshop will begin and end on

timetime

PARTICIPATIONPARTICIPATION Take an active part in workshopTake an active part in workshop

EXPERIMENTATIONEXPERIMENTATION Willing to try new things and Willing to try new things and explore different ways of explore different ways of thinking about the workthinking about the work

OPENNESSOPENNESS Willing to share what is in mind and Willing to share what is in mind and be open to what be open to what others have to sayothers have to say

TOLERANCETOLERANCE Respect for differencesRespect for differences

ACTIVE LISTENINGACTIVE LISTENING Willing to engage with what others Willing to engage with what others have to say, by have to say, by active listeningactive listening

TASKTASK Work on the agreed task and keep the task Work on the agreed task and keep the task in mindin mind

ROLESROLES Keep work role in mindKeep work role in mind

Organisational Role Analysis*Organisational Role Analysis*

Role Role is the link between the is the link between the individual individual and the and the organisationorganisation

Role

organisation individual

*These notes are taken from Newton, J., Long, S., Sievers, B. (Eds) Coaching in Depth: The Organisational Role Analysis Approach, Karnac Books, London, 2006.

A clear distinction can be made between A clear distinction can be made between rolerole and and personality. personality.

When people are in conflict, often it is When people are in conflict, often it is because these two things are being because these two things are being confusedconfused..

The The rolerole we are in will determine the we are in will determine the way we way we behave.behave.

We change our We change our behaviourbehaviour depending depending upon the upon the rolerole we are in and how we we are in and how we understand our roles.understand our roles.

Sometimes we become stuck in our Sometimes we become stuck in our definition of our roles.definition of our roles.

ORA: An Approach to Dealing with ORA: An Approach to Dealing with Conflict and Problem SolvingConflict and Problem Solving

Systems Thinking: Systems Thinking: a a system is a set of relations system is a set of relations that over time has that over time has developed developed rulesrules. What . What connects parts of the connects parts of the system is system is roles.roles.

Whereas Psychology Whereas Psychology examines examines behaviourbehaviour, , systems thinking examines systems thinking examines the containing frame and the containing frame and how the container how the container influences what is influences what is contained. In organisations, contained. In organisations, the role is the frame or the role is the frame or container and the behaviour container and the behaviour is what is contained.is what is contained.

CEO

Exec. HR Exec. finance Exec. operations

To Place the role under scrutiny, is To Place the role under scrutiny, is to place the system that contains it to place the system that contains it under the same scrutiny.under the same scrutiny.

Role

organisation individual

Pirandello Effect - Pirandello Effect - five levels of meaning:five levels of meaning:1.1. The observable The observable symptomsymptom or presenting problem. or presenting problem.2.2. The The rootroot meaning or system which is meaning or system which is

underground and not readily apparent. When underground and not readily apparent. When uncovered it makes apparent the connections uncovered it makes apparent the connections between parts of the system.between parts of the system.

3.3. The The area area meaning connects root systems – it can meaning connects root systems – it can offer alternative explanations for surface offer alternative explanations for surface behaviours.behaviours.

4.4. The The macro-systemmacro-system connects a number of area connects a number of area systems.systems.

5.5. All the area systems combine to make up the All the area systems combine to make up the unisystemunisystem which connects all macro-systems which connects all macro-systems and looks at the entire universe in its largest and looks at the entire universe in its largest perspective.perspective.

Systems ThinkingSystems Thinking

Systems Thinking - Systems Thinking - hypotheseshypotheses

Hypotheses are guesses, hunches – they are Hypotheses are guesses, hunches – they are not facts.not facts.

Hypotheses need to be constantly up-dated – Hypotheses need to be constantly up-dated – they are temporary not permanent.they are temporary not permanent.

In problem solving and conflict resolution, In problem solving and conflict resolution, what is called for is the development of what is called for is the development of hypotheseshypotheses – not opinions and not theories. – not opinions and not theories.

Every hypothesis should be tested, challenged Every hypothesis should be tested, challenged and examined in the search for new and better and examined in the search for new and better hypotheses. We can only ever guess at the hypotheses. We can only ever guess at the truth and get closer to it – we can never know truth and get closer to it – we can never know it.it.

Our aim is to discover the underlying nature of Our aim is to discover the underlying nature of the the systemsystem that is informing what is going on. that is informing what is going on.

Organisational Role AnalysisOrganisational Role Analysis

Organisational Role Analysis is a Organisational Role Analysis is a voluntary process and the voluntary process and the responsibility for learning rests with responsibility for learning rests with the volunteers.the volunteers.

It is not an exercise in role-play but It is not an exercise in role-play but seeks to work with a current issue of seeks to work with a current issue of importance to the presenterimportance to the presenter

Work in small groups of fourWork in small groups of four We work from the assumption that We work from the assumption that

the presenting problem is a symptom the presenting problem is a symptom of some underlying systemic issue of some underlying systemic issue

ORA Four Step ProcessORA Four Step Process

Step 1. Problem presentationStep 1. Problem presentation

Step 2. Systemic Analysis Step 2. Systemic Analysis

Step 3. Systemic ReflectionStep 3. Systemic Reflection

Step 4. Individual ReflectionStep 4. Individual Reflection