2. 9. Understanding and Renewing Complex Organizations

3. Groups and Organizations
Who?
Small-to-medium
(3+ participants)
Large (20+ participants)
What?
Collection of individuals
Collection of groups
When?
Continuous interactions
Where?
Close proximity
Proximity unimportant (ranges from close to far away)
How?
Simple structures
Complex structures
Why?
Purpose

4. The Traditional Organizational Structure
President
_______________
Officers/Committee Chairs
________________________
Participants/Members

5. Inverted Organizational Structure
Participants/Members
________________________
Officers/Committee Chairs
_________________
President

6. The Web Structure
The strands of the web distribute the power throughout the network, so those who come up with creative ideas feel they have both the responsibility and the authority to follow through on implementation.

7. Mission Statement Vision Core Values Why does this organization exist?
What is the ideal future for this organization?
How do we agree to treat ourselves and others as we pursue our mission and vision?
Offers a compelling reason for the organization’s existence.
Clear, concise language.
Challenges the leader and membership to do their very best to move toward the mission for which the organization exist.
Provide the core of the organization and a guide for the behaviors of the members.

8. Learning in Organizations
Learning organizations have the capacity to grow, change, and develop in order to adapt to the challenges of constantly changing environments.
Personal mastery: performing your responsibilities to the best of your ability
Mental models: assumptions that people make about various aspects of the world
Shared vision: the idea that the mission, vision, and purpose of an organization must be shared by all members
Team learning: learning at an organizational level

9. Organizational Renewal
One of the most critical, and often overlooked, responsibilities of leadership:
to identify, recruit, prepare, and mentor the future leaders of the organization
Generativity: sustaining the organization into the future
What do you do to tap into the talents and energy of the members of your groups, organizations, and communities?