Reframing Organizations proposes that managers and leaders use four “frames” or points of reference when considering an issue. This allows for multiple perspectives. The four frames are:
Structural: this frame provides the structure of an organization so that people are able to do their best work. Considerations include the allocation of work, and the coordination of work.
Human Resources: this frame works from a number of assumptions including that organizations should serve humans; organizations and people need each other; and a good fit between an organization and a person benefits both.
Political: this frame recognizes that coalitions with an organization will have different values and compete for resources. Goals, structures and policies may emerge from these ongoing negotiations.
Symbolic: this frame recognizes that meaning is based in experience and culture, and that what something means is more important than what happened.
Bolman and Deal make a number of references to other writers on leadership, including an earlier work by last month’s authors, Boyatzis and McKee (“a little squishy,” although grounded in the human resources frame. Much of Bennis’ ideas on vision, voice, integrity and adaptive capacity, play across these frames, although Bolman and Deal make a point of discussion vision as a part of the symbolic frame.
About the Author: Lee G. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal are best-selling authors, business consultants, and members of academic communities. Bolman is the Marion Bloch Chair in Leadership at the Bloch School of Business, University of Missouri-Kansas City. Deal is the Irving R. Melbo Professor of Education at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School.
Questions:
Taking Jana’s suggestion, I came up with a couple of different library issues for us to talk about.
1. Pornography on the Internet. Let us say that our library is CIPA compliant: it has minimal filtering, and we make it easy for people to request that it be turned off. Recently, a number of people have asked to have it turned off, while sitting at computers in the most public areas. The library staff had recently reorganized the computer area so that they could better supervise the area after some computer vandalism. Now, several parents have complained, and the library director has just received a letter from on a city councilperson asking about the incidents. How do you balance CIPA, library staff concerns, and community concerns?
2. Reaching a New Generation. Recently, a staff member has proposed building a video and sound studio, where people can make their own videos for posting to YouTube or for other purposes. While some of the start up costs may be donated, there will be significant ongoing costs, and no new money in the library budget for those costs. In addition, the library needs to find space for the studio. While some staff members are very excited about the studio, others are concerned about what it may mean for their long-standing programs. How do you decide whether to make this a priority? At what cost?
3. Maybe you have an issue you’d like us to use the frames to talk through?
A Very Short Webography:
Book Reviews and Summaries
This is a summary, in outline format, of an earlier version. Written by Ted Nellen, probably as a part of his college work; it seems to summarize the ideas adequately. http://www.tnellen.com/ted/tc/bolman.html
Almisbar (United Arab Emirates University) Library Newsletter had this review of the 2003 edition: http://www.libs.uaeu.ac.ae/almisbar/2005fall/review.html
About the Authors
Lee G. Bolman has his own website (and even posts his photo) at: http://www.leebolman.com/
And so does Terrence E. Deal: https://www.cuesta.edu/commty/foundation/pages/DEAL%20Bio%20&%20Pic.pdf
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