By Dave Bushy, PCC
Human organizations are complex systems. And most tend to have some type of bureaucracy.
Some people use the word bureaucracy in a negative light –sometimes with humor, but seldom with positivity. Often the term is pointed at just governmental agencies, when in actuality any large human system requires processes and teams that facilitate smooth functioning.
I for one think there is a place for bureaucratic support systems in any organization. Call it what you will, the people who provide resources and guidance to front-line employees are critical for the success of any group of human beings working towards a concerted goal.
There are those who see bureaucracy as something pernicious, confusing what should be well-intended support with a means of taking charge. Jerry Pournelle coined the term “Iron Law of Bureaucracy.”* His view: “First, there will be those who are devoted to the goals of the organization…Secondly, there will be those dedicated to the organization itself. The Iron Law states that in every case the second group will gain and keep control of the organization. It will write the rules, and control promotions within the organization.”
But how can a support organization “gain and keep control”? The answer is likely: because leaders let it happen.
I tend to disagree with Puornelle’s conclusion. In my decades of experience in management and more than 12 years as an executive coach, I have come to the conclusion that bureaucracies seldom seek to dominate the larger organization. At least not by design or with malevolent intentions. Rather, it quite often happens organically or, I’ll use the word, “incrementally.” My experience in governmental and corporate organizations has taught me that the growth of processes and people occur in such a way that sometimes we wake up to realize that the amassing of red tape has just happened over time.
I believe that it is our own behaviors which often inadvertently facilitate the growth and reach of a bureaucracy. Our actions and habit patterns can have us unduly lean on support systems in ways for which they were not designed, resulting in our own facilitation of the growth of the very bureaucracies about which we decry.
For example, over the years I’ve seen Human Resource Departments work diligently to teach basic leadership techniques, including counselling others and providing feedback on performance. Courses are built, instruction is given, tests are administered and leaders are given certificates signifying their understanding of the tools to work with others. Leaders are then left to administer the core leadership techniques of coaching, mentoring and, when necessary, performance improvement plans and even dismissal.
But many leaders, even with their training, when confronted with their first challenging conversation, call up the HR department and ask for someone to administer the counselling, or to at least sit in with them. As a result, HR departments often feel compelled to add a management role to coordinate such actions, only adding headcount and complexity! Without planning to do so, HR “wakes up one day” owning the entirety of the process…because the managers within the larger organization cede the function to the supporting bureaucracy.
So, to with rules and processes. Policy and Procedure manuals in any organization become catch-alls. When something goes astray or someone makes a mistake, a boss might say, “Why didn’t we have a rule about this?” The department handling policy documents dutifully adds pages to a manual. While many additions might have merit, too often the policies and procedures are created to cover one-off situations, add unnecessary length to manuals and deny common sense application by the leaders.
No wonder bureaucracy is seen in a negative light! Instead of looking to their own expertise and experience, leaders get caught up in urgency and quick-fix solutions. As a result, bureaucracies grow when they might not be necessary. But unlike Pournelle’s supposition that leaders intentionally manipulate systems making bureaucracy “bad,” it is so very often those selfsame leaders inadvertently facilitating the reach of bureaucracies by ceding control over their own responsibilities.
My work with coaching clients is to support them to own their expertise and be willing to lead with it. Building their awareness of the alternative slide into a bureaucratic alternative makes this even more possible.
Dave Bushy of Boston Executive Coaches – bostonexecutivecoaches.com – is a an ICF-certified coach who was trained at the Gestalt International Study Center (GISC). Dave is a former U.S. Army officer and senior airline executive who works with leaders throughout the world.
Image by marioosh from Pixabay * by Harsha | Feb 27, 2021 | Career Development