Release the superpowers of your frontline workers.
In my previous posts, I look systemically at organisation effectiveness through the lens of Barry Oshry’s Human systems framework, in which I have summarised the unique contributions (Superpowers) that come from “Top” people (Shapers), “Middle people (Integrators) and customers (Validators). In this post, I focus on the unique system contribution that comes from “Bottom space” – the frontline workers.
The Systemic superpower of Frontline workers, their unique system contribution, is their capacity and expertise to produce and deliver products and services.
Frontline workers use their closeness to work and their familiarity with work processes and production to enhance the system’s capacity to cope.
There are predictable things that get in the way of Frontline workers being able to bring their full wisdom and unique power to play. Fundamentally what gets in the way is disempowerment in the face of inherent vulnerability.
Given that frontline workers exist in an environment that is more threatening than that of ‘Tops’ or ‘Middles’; more individually vulnerable, lowest in pay and benefits and often more expendable in hard times, it is predictable and understandable that they can fall into a state of “Bottomness”.
“Bottomness”: describing moments when:
we are dissatisfied with our experience and
we feel powerless, that others are doing to us and
we are convinced all would be OK if only others would sort it out
In these moments of “Bottomness”:
It seems clear that others are responsible, not us. We are unable to see that we might have a part to play in either creating our dissatisfactions or perpetuating them. It is after all about others doing to us.
We have given up our power, our sense of possibility and our sense of responsibility. Others hold all that.
We are unlikely to sustain creative and productive relationships.
We are unable to focus on finding alternative productive strategies.
We are hooked into holding others responsible, our moaning, and our blaming. This is where we become unproductive as we lose sight of what really needs to happen.
“Bottomness” is a predictable and common unconscious human reflex reaction to circumstances. We do not consciously set out to create it for ourselves, yet with regularity, many of us find ourselves in it.
How often do you hear yourselves or colleagues say things like “it shouldn’t be like this” and “if only they would sort it out”? When they is usually those people “up there” the bosses, people in Head Office, who are held to be responsible.
“Bottomness” holds us in unproductive and powerless patterns. It can be a distraction from what we are really trying to achieve. If we want a different more powerful experience then we have a choice to shift out of our bottomness, a shift from being victim and complainant, from blaming others and holding others responsible for our experiences, to creators and co-creators of positive alternatives.
Strategies to consider:
When you feel powerless and ‘done to’:
Smile! It’s OK. Accept “bottomness” as a predictable human reflex. It’s great that you have noticed (because more satisfactory possibilities lie ahead).
Make a choice to get more of the outcome you desire.
Create a clear vision and purpose for what you want more of.
Declare your positive intentions and wishes so others may get alongside you and help make it happen.
Engage others in co-creating ways ahead
“Bosses”: (Tops and Middles)
Consciously explore your role in creating and sustaining psychologically safe work environments so the best ideas of your frontline workers can be voiced.
Always Involve frontline workers in any process and service redesigns. Hand over to them the responsibility for creating new ways/solutions. Support, resource and enable them to take on this responsibility.
Examine and resist any temptation to assume you know better than them!
Coach your frontline workers to describe what they want to have happen and what part they might play in solutions.
Regularly ask yourselves and discuss: what am I/we doing that is increasing the likelihood that our frontline workers feel ‘done to’? How can I/we reduce the vulnerability of their experience?
In the coming months, I will be running System Intelligent Leadership Workshops (Wellington, New Zealand) where the system dynamics of Top, Middle, Bottom and Customer spaces can be explored first-hand. Click here: https://bit.ly/3kx2tS6 to be the first to hear about our upcoming System Intelligent Leadership events. Or contact me.