Overcoming Office Politics with Appreciative Inquiry

Client Organization

A large, suburban organization just completed the construction of a new facility and was experiencing political maneuvering to establish control over the ongoing program. This was causing communication breakdowns and hurting morale in the organization.

Client Objective

The objective was to find a way to stop the infighting and establish standard operating procedures that would reduce or eliminate the opportunity for the politicking to flourish.

• Define the scope of the activities that will take place at the new facility.
• Determine responsibility for the each activity.
• Define and Document the Processes and Positions responsible for the activities.

What was done?

Stakeholders from all affected areas were invited to a morning long session where Appreciative Inquiry was employed to define what would be required to make the facility and the activities at the facility truly outstanding for the users.

Outcomes

As a result of the half day session, stakeholders recognized what needed to be done and groups formed on their own to take responsibility for each activity and to define and document the process. Once that process was completed, the vacuum was filled and the political infighting no longer served any purpose.

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