Ever feel frustrated, constricted, or powerless to do the right thing?
This is what happens in your typical bureaucracy. A “bureaucracy” is supposed to be the most efficient and rational way to organize work, but the word rightly brings out thoughts of red tape and obstacles to navigate. These thoughts come as a result of experiences we’ve all had with what researcher Paul S. Adler calls coercive bureaucracies, which use rules, procedures, and structure to control people to ensure that the right things are done. On the flip side, an enabling bureaucracy uses rules, procedures, and structure to support people to get the right things done. Read more about the two different kinds of bureaucracies here.
It’s interesting stuff. And I’ve been thinking about how, as leaders, our mindset affects the bureaucracies we lead.
This is what happens in your typical bureaucracy. A “bureaucracy” is supposed to be the most efficient and rational way to organize work, but the word rightly brings out thoughts of red tape and obstacles to navigate. These thoughts come as a result of experiences we’ve all had with what researcher Paul S. Adler calls coercive bureaucracies, which use rules, procedures, and structure to control people to ensure that the right things are done. On the flip side, an enabling bureaucracy uses rules, procedures, and structure to support people to get the right things done. Read more about the two different kinds of bureaucracies here.
It’s interesting stuff. And I’ve been thinking about how, as leaders, our mindset affects the bureaucracies we lead.
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