Sylvia's Journal

I spent half an hour explaining to Axel the complexity of today’s events at work. There is the complexity of work in my own organization and the tenfold complexity of working with the ministry.

I visited a department that is in the process of being upgraded into something with more authority and power. The formal transition has not been made and may not be made for some time but informally the process for the change in status is, albeit somewhat hesitantly, underway.

I asked whether the transformation was generally seen as a good thing and if not, who were the nay-sayers. The first response was that everyone was in favor as there had been a formal meeting with one of the top leaders and no one spoke out against the decision for the upgrade, very much favored by the chair of the meeting. But the second response was that after the meeting, in the hall ways there had been much disagreement.

Just like any other organization, here too there are two sides of an organization: the formal one with its rules and regulations, its organogram, its pyramid of relationships and nested units. And then there is the other side that is made up of alliances and relationships, debts owned and accounts that need to be settled. Those links cut through the hierarchy like veins in blue cheese; they bypass the hierarchy and everyone knows it. That’s what the talk in the hallways is about.

Sometimes I wonder how things can ever become more straightforward and transparent and whether I can contribute at all, especially in this culture where family networks trump everything. Abolishing the shadow and opaque side of an organization (whether public or private) is ultimately what leadership and good governance assistance is supposed to accomplish. It is a tall order and rather elusive, remaining a distant vision for most people I have worked with.

Today I accepted that simply asking questions that make people think about what they are trying to accomplish may be the best I can do at this time.