In my humble career, I have experienced myself and other actors feeling compelled to say, “The last time I checked I was still the officer in charge of this function!” Usually, the sentiment presents when actors understand the actions of fellow actors as undermining their authority in the discharge of their functions.
It is a generally accepted practice that when the organisation is considering its establishment, structure, systems and processes, there will be a multi disciplinary review and collective decision by the relevant governance body. In this article I elect to use the example of the C-Suite (or executive management).
As a T-shaped professional, the vertical aspect of the “T” is your area of specialization and expertise and naturally, you would gravitate towards taking the lead in the input to Management relating to your function. In situations where decisions have to be taken to inform the bigger picture of the organizational operation, actors may feel as though colleagues are making what they would term “unfounded and uncorroborated statements” in the name of contributing to the discussion.
On the part of the commentators, some may be under genuine belief as to the accuracy of their contribution and others may be merely shooting in the dark with a view of being counted as having said something during the deliberations.
Whatever the case may be, as there would be various motivations, I offer the following tips to bear in mind as we work towards forging effective collaborations and maintaining intra organizational harmony;
1. Being aware that the organization is entitled to the benefit of the different opinions of its actors to arrive at the best solution for the organization.
2. Maintain mutual respect for all actors and exercise strategic restraint, particularly when you are clearly ignorant of the topic under discussion.
3. As a commentator, be more inquisitive than conclusive about matters that you are not adequately versed.
4. Acknowledge and respect the fact that there could be differences in principles, concepts and interpretation between professions.
5. Use a medium that communicates a mutual desire for different functions to integrate while preserving their professional practice, ethic and culture as you highlight areas of concern with the current state of affairs.
6. As the professional superintending a function through your expertise, be open minded and patient with colleagues as you respond to observations. Listen carefully and provide answers and explanations with simplicity and clarity, avoiding the use of jargon that is exclusive to practitioners in your field of practice and devoid of a layman’s interpretation. You may be viewed as using the same to “silence critics”!
Remember, an optimally functioning organization thrives on both individual and collective prowess!
#letsshare!
