Ben,
You wrote, "A book I found to be particularly helpful in solving this problem is
'Seeing Systems, Unlocking the Mysteries of Organizational Life,' by Barry
Oshry."
I agree. This is a wonderful book. Oshry describes three kinds of
relationships that go awry in organizations. In each kind of relationship, part
of what makes things go awry is when the responsibility shifts from one side of
the relationship to the other. Take the Top/Bottom relationship, for example.
Tops pull responsibility upward to themselves. Bottoms push responsibility
toward Tops. And, as Oshry says, "The dance is on!"
Dale
--Dale H. Emery | 27 Tall Pine Road Consultant | Berwick, ME 03901 Relationship and Communication | (207) 698-1650 For Successful Organizations | 72704.1550@compuserve.com
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>