The source of bureaucracy is too often misinterpreted and misunderstood. Bureaucracy's source is not 'control', bureaucracy's source stems from a want to 'protect and make safe'.
When speaking to managers who are perceived as controlling, the predominant topic is that of protection and risk prevention to restore safety, stability and consistency. This actually shows a lack of understanding about the purpose of risk in our daily lives. Taking risks helps us all grow to maturity as it comes with powerful life lessons. It also helps each of us explore and identify our own unique strengths.
In overregulated, bureaucratic organisations and institutions, we deprive people from achieving their fullest potential. We paralyse people into 'learned dependency' and institutionalisation where thinking and decision-making only happens at the top of the organisation, and any change then demands the 'carrot and stick' approach which has little or no affect on the paralysed staff who feel undervalued and have disengaged from proceedings all together.
In order to create a positive shift in culture, it is significantly important to recognise that managers do not set out to control, but that the original positive intention is to 'protect' though in the process some managers actually overstep the line and become a 'overprotective, heroic rescuer', contributing to a 'carrot and stick' culture, overregulation and a disengaged workforce.
Next steps to transforming the culture, governance and engagement of the workforce is a three-pronged attack. This includes:
1. a Systems Thinking leadership programme with elements of human psychology and 1-2-1 leadership coaching which helps to identify and challenge the well-intended though paralysing behaviours of leaders across the organisation, and ensure any newly recruited leaders have the right attitude and aptitude which supports the right organisational culture. This may come with some tougher organisational decisions as not everyone - even with support and coaching - is ready to lead in this way
2. simplify and leanify your organisational practices, policies, procedures and processes, and identify and solve any regulatory tensions. Also get 'central support services' such as Communication, IT and HR involved in service delivery, not creating paralysing bureaucratic practices in the background
3. stop protecting staff from the truth and engage your whole workforce by sharing with them the organisational bigger picture - the good, the bad and the ugly! Share the responsibility and accountability with all managers and staff as this is the only way to build a healthier, innovative and more resilient organisation together
This three-pronged attack, but particularly the latter commitment to transparency - will help your organisation self-organise itself (breaking organisational silos). Some managers and staff will be highly motivated by the truth and roll their sleeves up, while others will want to seek out a role more suited to their strengths outside of the organisation, all supported by leaders who are no longer 'overly protective' but who support career development (whether internal or external) and personal accountability in the workforce, as well as being happy to free the organisation from bureaucracy and overregulation.
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