Moving away from command and control

When working in collaboration, there is no command or control. The normal organisational structure is lacking. Each organisation and each individual is a sovereign body in their own right. Working on the basis of tools set up for a hierarchical context is to ignore the reality—and miss out on the power of collaborative structures.

Instead, methods and ways of working need to be used that are based on negotiation and common interest. And when talking about the types of long-term and complex issues that we generally are focused on in the public sector, the discovery of a shared agenda, in itself, takes time. Not only does there need to be time given to develop an understanding of potential actions and solutions, but an understanding of the nature of the challenge in the first place.

Too many times, assumptions are made about what the problem is or is not, and from that place, solutions are impossible to find. By removing (or being unable to have) a command and control structure, issues are better understood through conversation and solutions better held through co-design and negotiation. The structures that are used instead are participatory in their nature, allowing all voices to be heard.

At times, this feels slower, but generally, this slowdown is only experienced by those used to getting their own way. In the long run, the work speeds up as trust allows independent freedom.