Leaders who believe that learning and a desire for quality occur naturally in people will have an easier time letting go of control. Block argues that the hierarchical, industrial models of the past no longer work for today's organizations. Effective organizations today, he says, are those that are self-organizing, and staff or members of those organizations see themselves as partners. Partnership, says Block, means letting go of certain forms of social control, such as performance appraisals and meetings structured around Robert's Rules of Order . There is codependency in organizations.
Leaders shore people up from taking responsibility.
He suggests that employee morale and attitude surveys be eliminated in organizations, unless the information obtained is fed back to employees and thus made their responsibility. Self-organizing teams in the workplace or in the church can help eliminate patriarchy and caretaking, according to Block. Peers are accountable to one another and make promises to one another, not to the boss. This article first appeared in the March 1996 issue of Discipleship Dateline . Wheatley and Block were participants in a January 1996 meeting sponsored by the General Board of Discipleship.