Termine

Ein Tag mit dem schweizer Managementtrainer Peter König über die Rolle der Quelle in Projekten und Unternehmen. Sie werden Projektmanagement und Führung interher mit ganz neuen Augen sehen.

Einen Seminarbericht finden Sie hier.

Das Seminar findet in Deutscher Sprache statt, im Folgenden finden Sie einen englischen Text von Peter König zum Thema:

The Role of „Source“

(Drafted 2001, printed 2009)


Purpose of this Paper

-    To identify a role not hitherto distinguished in management literature, the „Source“.
-    To describe the functions of the role as it plays out in projects and enterprises.  Easily recogniseable by most people – an AHA effect often generated on its communication.
-    To demonstrate some of the effects of not naming the role and/or not naming the person with the role.  The effects in terms of organisational and team behaviours, in businesses and family enterprises but also in other organisations and projects.

This is a first article, intended to introduce the subject, stimulate further research, debate and refinement of the topic.  Through this:

-    To make project work and organisational relationships more effective;  through understanding how the role plays its part in the dynamics of every organisation, whether identified and recognised or not.

The Source

Who is the source?
Usually he or she is the founder, project initiator, person to whom the originating idea comes.  A single person.

What does the source do?  What role does he or she play?
-    Receives the idea/vision,  the essence
-    Passes information on, passes the essence on
-    Knows next steps – beyond reason
-    „Gushes“ without (clear) goal as pure creation of something new.  (The „geyser“/creation/information).

Limitation:
The source cannot at the same time as sourcing, create channels for the creation; or at least is not good at this. So needs a „fountain“ and channel builders (helpers).


The Role of the Helpers

-    To collect/gather and form the creation, build channels for its useful dissemination
-    To support the source in the source’s role, being in service to the source’s inspiration

Note:  Two or more sources may work together in collaboration within a single project (which has an overlighting source) and play as Helpers for each other.


Leadership with recognition of the source
and Teamwork

-    Acceptance of the roles above leads to recognition of the source as having the final truth, beyond (differences of) reasoned opinion.  This can be felt and comes about whether source is acknowledged or not.  But with recognition the processes are easier.
-    This happens however without an insistence that differences should be done away with.  Indeed differences may be important in order for the truth/best to come true in the final say.
-    Ultimate power, authority and responsibility however always rests with the source. Acceptance of this creates harmony.


Leadership without recognition of source

-    Results in either a tendency towards authoritarian „dictatorship“ or to thwarted attempts at egalitarianism (delusory attempts to pretend „we are all equal“/“we all have equal say“).
-    This is mistakenly based on the perception of personal power/authority  rather than on the authority of the source.
-    This leads to potential power struggles; inevitably won by the source but with heavy costs.

(When the source goes/is toppled it is the end of the regime/enterprise/project unless the role is handed over completely to a successor in a process of „initiation“).


Conclusion

The above is just a starting thesis, a suggestion, a framework from observation and for further observation.

Comprehending it leads to potential consequences in managing:
Large Companies
Small Companies
Family Enterprises
Non-Profit and Non-Governmental Organisations
Projects within the above

This Paper invites feedback/resonance/further development – sharing of experience and reflections as empirical research.


Joint source? – Joint ventures

We have suggested that the source appears to be invested in a single person.  This begs the following questions though:

- Can there be a joint source?
- How do two sources work together? – to produce a common work
- Can the same idea come simultaneously to more than one person? Morphogenetic fields.
- Can there be a „Common Vision“.  What is this, if it is so-called and alignment is found?


Further Questions

The question of succession.  How to transmit the role?

What is the nature of the process by which creative ideas are received?  Where do they come from?