Organisation-in-the-mind (Visualizing Organisational Dynamics Series #3)

Why are individuals or teams sometimes unable to communicate effectively with each other and often seem to be pulling in opposite directions? It might be that they have a different organisation-in-the-mind.

The use of drawings to elicit the organisation-in-the-mind (OIM) of individuals and teams is one of my favourite consultancy techniques. I recommend it as an approach to manifesting what people think and feel about the institution they are part of. As with other visual methods, drawing is a way in which the hidden and ‘beneath the surface’ can be made visible and thought about. This is helpful in organisations that are struggling, but also in successful teams who need to innovate and adapt.

By making the OIM visible, it is possible to gain an understanding of the dilemmas, challenges and conflicts that can arise due to differences in the internal working model each person has of their organisation, team, service or company.    

What each person experiences as being the organisation is affected by their role and where they sit in the structure, and also what they bring to it from their past experiences of similar situations including previous jobs, school and family. A Ward Sister’s experience of a hospital will very likely be different from the Director of Finance’s because they do different jobs and are at different points in the hierarchy, but the people in those roles will also have their own motivations and emotional connections to the work. The next person in the same role may have a quite different picture of what kind of this hospital this is or should be. These external and internal realities interact dynamically to produce the organisation-in the-mind.

Team members may think, feel and behave differently to each other because each has a different OIM and so are essentially relating to different organisations.

The different OIMs of two people are represented in the following diagram in which person A thinks of the organisation in one way (a triangle) and person B as something different (a square). It is easy to see where disagreements and miscommunications might arise.

When they talk to each other about the organisation, or an aspect of it, or undertake a shared task in relation to it, they may find their views and actions to be incompatible because they are thinking and acting about something very different in their minds. In turn they may have differing views on the primary task of the service or business. Often, it is helpful just to recognise that this is happening as it can take away the feeling that ‘we are always talking at cross purposes’.  When I share this idea with clients there is a lot of recognition that this is happening in their team or organisation, and some relief to think about it in this way.

To take the discussion further I will undertake an exercise where each person draws their OIM and these are then shared for discussion. This is an opportunity to think about what it means for each person to have different ideas about, and unique experiences of, the organisation. In this way it can be possible for the source of differences to be recognised and to work towards a shared view. 

The OIM drawing exercise can also throw up some of the underlying reasons why people think about or experience the organization differently and so needs to be managed carefully by the group leader or consultant. Asking people to examine their taken-for-granted ways of working can generate anxiety, so I would want to make sure I have established trust and communication in the group so that the dialogue is productive rather than potentially re-inforcing splits and tensions. The use of drawings and other visual methods can provide a space in which some of the more difficult issues that exist in teams or organisations can be thought about and worked on within a collaborative frame. They are then in a better position to work together on shared challenges and goals.  

Suggested process for using OIM drawing in practice

1. Before undertaking this exercise it is important to established a dialogue and sufficient trust within the group.
2. Introduce the idea of OIM via the squares and circles picture and see if people connect with this.
3. Each person has a piece of flipchart paper and some pens. Tell them it is not a drawing contest because some people will think/say they can’t draw.
4. Encourage them to find a space where they can focus on the task and perhaps take a few minutes to think about it first. Some people will need more support to begin to put something down on paper.
5. Give them 10 to 15 mins (no longer) to draw what comes to mind when they think about the organisation (or part of it) that is the focus of the consultation. Say that we are not looking for structure diagrams (organograms) but more something that captures their experience of being in this organisation. 
6. Important: Ask them to place themselves within the picture.
7. Take each drawing in turn and stick it on the wall. The person whose drawing it is does not say anything at this point. The rest of the group say what they see in the picture, their associations to it, and what it stirs up for them. Ask how it makes them feel.  The person who drew it gets a few minutes to respond to what they have heard and say something about what they wanted to convey in the image.
8. Once all of the pictures have been considered in this way, move into a discussion about what it was like to do the exercise and what they have learned about the organisation and each other. 
9. If possible, reflect on the exercise further in the next meeting and perhaps repeat it at a later date.

Further Reading

Armstrong, D. (2005). Organization-in-the-mind: psychoanalysis, group relations and organizational consultancy, (French, R. ed.), London: Karnac Books Ltd.