At AVOP we like to share insights from our projects. Recently I noticed that social-sector organisations, housing corporations, schools, healthcare institutions, universities, often face comparable challenges.
The pattern
Limited financial resources, staff shortages and increasing work pressure put teams under strain. On top of that, polarisation regularly appears: black-and-white thinking between teams and management, or within teams themselves.
A striking factor? Family culture. It offers warmth and connection, but also brings challenges. Agreements aren't always kept, conflicts become personal, and subgroups can clash.
What helps?
The solution doesn't lie in resolving individual conflicts. The key is a shift of focus: away from the conflicts themselves, towards the broader organisational interests and the people who benefit from good service: the student, the patient, the tenant.
This calls for leadership that combines task-orientation with people-oriented collaboration. Not a choice between one or the other, but the skill to do both simultaneously.
From symptom to foundation
By investing in three pillars, culture, work processes and leadership: an organisation can break polarisation and build a healthy, stable workplace.
Growth doesn't only arise from solving problems. It arises from laying a solid foundation on which an organisation can build. That takes time and courage, but it produces an organisation that can withstand external pressure.