Abstract
2004, Professor Ron Westrum published his influential paper on how organizations process information. In that paper, Prof. Westrum described three archetypes of organizations, along with characteristics of how they process information. They are pathological, bureaucratic, and generative.
Generative organizations have the most excellent resiliency to adapt to changing environments. In this talk, we will explore the characteristics that define each type of organization, how to recognize where your organization currently stands, and the steps leaders can take to transition their organizations from pathological or bureaucratic to generative. Some of the topics that we will explore are:
How leaders can cultivate drive by giving their teams a sense of purpose
How can leaders give their teams problems to solve rather than solutions to implement
How leaders can encourage learning in short bursts and increase a culture of learning from mistakes Example of one team that went through this transition by connecting with their values
We will also explore small changes in behavior leaders can make to start fostering the beginnings of a generative culture.
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Building digital futures. Together.
QCon San Francisco 2023 is a three day conference for senior software engineers, architects and team leads. An international program committee of working engineers selects every session. Patterns and practices, not products and pitches.
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