Therefore, a participative process of structural change is essential. The design and implementation process must involve the people who will be affected by the change, to take advantage of their knowledge and build their understanding and commitment. Like a barn raising, the community works together to design and implement the kind of organization in which people want to work. Participative structural design can be a delicate process. People's careers and quality of work life are at stake.
Structural changes can be politically and emotionally difficult for all involved.
These agreements help participants communicate in unambiguous terms, and guide them to apply their in-depth knowledge of the workings of the organization in a rational manner rather than just lobby for personal gain. In this way, Structural Cybernetics provides a systematic basis for participative design, facilitating healthy contributions from everyone while avoiding political contests. In fact, it is just the opposite. It allows those who must live within the organization to design it, and in the process, understand it as a dynamic system. In a series of carefully orchestrated workshops, people not only create a new organization chart, but they also design a new culture and a new way of doing business.