Jiri’s Notepad

This book review is a part of the series on architects’ soft skills.

Let’s say, the way how you do things at the moment is not that great and you have this idea about how better it could be. Only if you did more business architecture/agile delivery/automated testing or other clever idea you have. You know your stuff and so your proposal is technically and operationally achievable and you have realistic estimates of time and cost. You muster all your influencing and persuasion skills to convince your boss about the idea and… nothing happens. Your man listens politely and then says that your proposal sounds good, but he has more pressing concerns.

Having failed to obtain ’senior management buy-in’ through your charms, does it mean you can forget any hope for change? It could be easy and comfortable and easy to give up and blame it on incompetent managers. Sadly, even if this strategy is played out quite often, it is unlikely to get you anywhere.

According to Barry Oshry, the author of Leading Systems, dynamics of this story and the response are something very natural. Oshry’s unique observation is that in addition to the individual behavioural patterns, we conform to - without us being neccessarily aware - to systemic behavioural patterns. He comments: “I noticed a peculiar paradox. Human systems - organizations, families, nations - in addition to their amazing accomplishments, persist in living out self-limiting and often destructive stories; but members within these systems do not experience themselves as living out any familiar story.” Leadership from within the system consists of recognising these patterns and changing them into a possibility of “…creating more satisfying and constructive stories for ourselves and our systems.”

The book is a breath taking read of stories and lessons from the Power Lab, the experimental programme that Oshry has been running for some thirty years. These entertaining, dramatic and moving stories give you insight into social system dynamics, its pitfalls, impact on organisational politics and people relationships. It also great lessons onto the nature of power and influence beyond their normal definition, freedom to act within the constrained organisational setup and the courage to act.

Architects are more often influencers rather than the sole decision makers and so what we do is often leading from within.  Considering Leading Systems gives you some great insights into this subject (not forgetting the entertainment)  that is normally not well explored in the literature, it is definitely worth the investment. Highly recommended.