There is a really interesting book by Robert E. Quinn, Deep Change. Figure 14.1 on page 123 is very interesting. Read the book to see Quinn's insights on these three paradigms. It sure puts a lot of things into understandable context. The bold highlights are mine.

	Individual Contributor:	Manager:	Leader:
Three Paradigms of Organizational Life:	Technical paradigm	Transactional paradigm	Transformational paradigm
First objective	Personal survival	Personal survival	Vision realization
Nature of organization	Technical system	Political system	Moral system
Source of power	Technical competence	Effective transactions	Core values
Source of credibility	Technical standards	Organizational position	Behavioral integrity
Orientation to authority	Cynical	Responsive	Self-authorizing
Orientation to elite	Rational confrontation	Compromise	Complex confrontation
Orientation to planning	Rational-tactical	Rational-strategic	Action learning
Communication patterens	Factual	Conceptual	Symbolic
Strategic complexity	Simple	Complex	Highly complex
Behavior patterns	Conventional	Conventional	Unconventional
Ease of understanding	Comprehensible	Comprehensible	Nearly incomprehensible
Source of paradigm	Professional training	Administrative socialization	Personal rebirth

Please understand that transactional paradigm includes the technical paradigm and that the transformational paradigm includes both the technical and transactional. Developmentally the technical paradigm comes first and is not necessarily accompanied by the transactional or transformational wisdoms.

If deep or transformational change requires commitment to realizing a vision (that does not exist in reality yet), if it requires "action learning" (something poorly understood generally), if it requires highly complex strategy (when highly simplistic strategy is the best one commonly sees), and if it requires "personal rebirth" something usually left to religious and spiritual realms... well there is work to do.

3:56:14 PM     comment []   Google It!