Relationship in organisations
Introduction
When the psychotherapeutic “Five relationship” model of Petruska Clarkson is translated into modern business language it will equip you with a better understanding of people, processes and decision-making for your organisations in today's increasingly changing and unstable business conditions
1. The Working alliance – relationship
The basic contract by which people agree to work together within an organisation.The definition of the task:
What, Where, Who…
The working alliance is the most important relationship because it is essential for survival. If there is clarity in definitions of the purpose and objectives in the working alliance, the other relationships can flourish. On the other hand, if the basic working alliance is not solid, everything else will be undermined and there will be no business or organisation to speak of.
Coming together - forming the working alliance
In order for anyone to operate effectively and efficiently, they need to be clear about who they are, what their role is and what they are doing.
2. The Anticipated/ the Unfinished/ the Transference - relationship
Known in some psychological disciplines as 'transference', in an organisational context it is best understood as the human relationship equivalent of ‘unfinished business'.
The interference with the task
Many unresolved past experiences which people take to psychoanalysis and therapy shouldn't be present at work. But they often are. These can become the 'grit in the oyster' which causes unproductive behaviour by interfering with the working alliance through positive or negative distortions based on unhelpful past experiences. The 'unfinished' dimension is sometimes referred to as the 'transferential' or 'projected' relationship because a person can transfer or project elements of their past relationships into current ones. For example, people can bring to their work environment their grieving for a previous job, or difficulties from their relationships at home.
Being aware of what is preventing and obstructing development and progress
We all might say that we want to work together, to build and develop who we are and what we are doing. We work hard, say that we all believe in what we are doing and how we are doing it and still somehow things do not work out as we might have hoped.
3. The Developmental/ the Reparative - relationship
This is where an organisation's human resources are built in an incremental, linear way using conventional training and developmental psychology approaches to learning.
The improvement for the task
In contrast to the unfinished relationship and its need to make up deficiencies in the past, the focus of the developmental relationship is on establishing the adult professional. The aim is to equip people to be empowered, more autonomous and better resourced for the future. This needs to be done while maintaining a sense of excitement by providing sufficient 'stretch' at work to avoid boredom but without leading to burn-out. This is done largely by providing the information, support and challenge which helps individuals to learn in an incremental, linear way through the conventional training and developmental psychology methods traditionally employed by organisations.
How to move forward in a manner that benefits all concerned
Transferences can be seen as factors that distort what is happening between people. It can be described at trying to look at someone through a window that has misted up. In order to see the other person clearly, the mist or transferences need to be cleared away.
4. The (real) personal - relationship
The person-to-person dimensions of human interaction, which are the glue of social interaction in the working community and within an organisation.
The pleasure in the task
This can be fostered in management by the getting together and bonding of people from work. The difference between the developmental and the real personal relationship is that the first is partly conditional, in that it is trying to build better people, better management etc.; the personal relationship is more unconditional. It is being around with other people that you like to listen to, socialise with, whether something comes out from it or not. People are seen asunique individuals in this kind of relationship and would even result in people doing things that they would not originally have wanted, to do, just for the sake of the relationship.
Identifying an ideal way of operating and being together
When the ‘transferences’ have been cleared away and the possibility of moving forward has been identified, it is said that two people have established the basis of a “Real Relationship”. Such a relationship can be seen between state leaders, or between team members in sports, where there is warmth, a sense of human ‘being-ness’. This relationship doesn’t have to be peaceful and loving all the time. There is a significance difference between being friends with somebody and having someone as work colleague. You can have friends as well as friendly colleagues. It is a kind of oil that makes the relationships run more smoothly.
5. The transpersonal relationship
When considering the organisation's wider mission and purpose, unlearning is particularly important because relationships are likely to involve unpredictable 'step changes', rather than a gradual incremental evolution.
The meaning of the task
Human relationships that extend beyond the people that any one individual knows to encompass the organisation as a whole are what I classify as 'transpersonal'. The most tangible form in which this has become acceptable in organisations is the growing preoccupation with organisation cultures, mission statements and corporate visions and values. These are all ways in which connections between people create something more than the sum of their individual selves.
This concern with wholeness makes transpersonal relationships the place where the ideas from the new sciences are most likely to be fruitful. Until recently, dominant theories of organisation and management have concentrated on separation and the subsequent linking of roles, tasks and responsibilities. Our traditional science, philosophy and psychology have emphasised separation. The new sciences are more relevant to key characteristics of transpersonal relationships, such as their focus on holistic approaches, the psychology of meaning, higher connections, unpredicted step changes, complex systems, quantum effects, archetypes, non-local interactions, paradox, and the coexistence of opposites.
Achieving and maintaining an “optimum” state
Once this process is fully understood, it becomes possible to create an “Optimum State” (A state where things are as close to an ideal as you could imagine or wish for) anywhere, anytime, with anyone.
How to move forward in a manner that benefits all concerned
Transferences can be seen as factors that distort what is happening between people. It can be described at trying to look at someone through a window that has misted up. In order to see the other person clearly, the mist or transferences need to be cleared away.
4. The (real) personal - relationship
The person-to-person dimensions of human interaction, which are the glue of social interaction in the working community and within an organisation.
The pleasure in the task
This can be fostered in management by the getting together and bonding of people from work. The difference between the developmental and the real personal relationship is that the first is partly conditional, in that it is trying to build better people, better management etc.; the personal relationship is more unconditional. It is being around with other people that you like to listen to, socialise with, whether something comes out from it or not. People are seen asunique individuals in this kind of relationship and would even result in people doing things that they would not originally have wanted, to do, just for the sake of the relationship.
Identifying an ideal way of operating and being together
When the ‘transferences’ have been cleared away and the possibility of moving forward has been identified, it is said that two people have established the basis of a “Real Relationship”. Such a relationship can be seen between state leaders, or between team members in sports, where there is warmth, a sense of human ‘being-ness’. This relationship doesn’t have to be peaceful and loving all the time. There is a significance difference between being friends with somebody and having someone as work colleague. You can have friends as well as friendly colleagues. It is a kind of oil that makes the relationships run more smoothly.
5. The transpersonal relationship
When considering the organisation's wider mission and purpose, unlearning is particularly important because relationships are likely to involve unpredictable 'step changes', rather than a gradual incremental evolution.
The meaning of the task
Human relationships that extend beyond the people that any one individual knows to encompass the organisation as a whole are what I classify as 'transpersonal'. The most tangible form in which this has become acceptable in organisations is the growing preoccupation with organisation cultures, mission statements and corporate visions and values. These are all ways in which connections between people create something more than the sum of their individual selves.
This concern with wholeness makes transpersonal relationships the place where the ideas from the new sciences are most likely to be fruitful. Until recently, dominant theories of organisation and management have concentrated on separation and the subsequent linking of roles, tasks and responsibilities. Our traditional science, philosophy and psychology have emphasised separation. The new sciences are more relevant to key characteristics of transpersonal relationships, such as their focus on holistic approaches, the psychology of meaning, higher connections, unpredicted step changes, complex systems, quantum effects, archetypes, non-local interactions, paradox, and the coexistence of opposites.
Achieving and maintaining an “optimum” state
Once this process is fully understood, it becomes possible to create an “Optimum State” (A state where things are as close to an ideal as you could imagine or wish for) anywhere, anytime, with anyone.
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Mind Gliding actively teaches Prof. Petruska Clarkson’s ‘5 element Relationship’ model to people in organisations.
Centred on developing personal and collective awareness The ‘5 element Relationship’ model increases personal and collective response/ability. This approach has successfully created enhanced and sustainable organisational performance.
Being tailor-made and directed towards personal development within the managerial role, Mind Gliding Programmes provide the opportunity for development and growth beyond traditional management development training and learning.
Centred on developing personal and collective awareness The ‘5 element Relationship’ model increases personal and collective response/ability. This approach has successfully created enhanced and sustainable organisational performance.
Being tailor-made and directed towards personal development within the managerial role, Mind Gliding Programmes provide the opportunity for development and growth beyond traditional management development training and learning.
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