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Reprinted
with permission.
Mitstifer, D. I. (1995, October). Empowerment. Kappa Omicron
Nu Dialogue, 5 (4), 1-2.
Helgesen,
in her study of successful women (1990), discovered that the
workplaces they led tended to be "webs of inclusion."
She explained that their communities were modeled more like
a web than a hierarchy and that sharing information was key
to their effectiveness. Tom Peters, a popular author in the
business realm, predicted that men who wished to stay employed
needed to take heed. Indeed, her ideas were ground-breaking
in nature. So her next book, The Web of Inclusion (1995),
was eagerly awaited.
Helgesen,
in this second book set out to demystify the concept of the
web of inclusion and give examples so that leaders
could understand the purpose, the architecture, and the process.
Purpose
The
web of inclusion is a "model for helping us redesign
the institutions that frame our lives" (Helgesen, 1995,
p. 16). It is based upon the notion of dynamic connectedness.
The web of inclusion, supported by the new science
(Wheatley, 1994), demonstrates the "universe in operation:
not as a precisely calibrated great machine in which each
constituent part is locked into its own immutable slot, but
rather as pulses of energy that continually evolve and assume
shifting shapes as the various elements interact, and in which
identity is inseparable from relationship" (Helgesen,
1995, p. 16).
The
web of inclusion, because it is organic in nature,
will configure differently with each cast of characters or
new set of ideas and objectives. An important characteristic
of webs is that they are in a continual state of adaptation.
"Web-like organizations are especially apt to be driven
by clearly articulated values, since a tight focus on mission
is the glue that holds their flowing structures together"
(p. 286).
From
the perspective of reflective human action, the principles--accept
chaos, share information, develop relationships, and embrace
vision--are the substance of the web model. The core features--authenticity,
ethical sensibility, spirituality, and domains of action--guide
the process of meaning-making.
Architecture
Helgesen
(1995) describes the web of inclusion as a new source
of order described by Wheatley in her much quoted book, Leadership
and the New Science (1994). In other words, the web provides
a way of relating individual parts to a greater whole. Because
a web is built from the center out, the development is a never-ending
process. "The architect of the web works as the spider
does, by ceaselessly spinning new tendrils of connection,
while also continually strengthening those that already exist.
The architect's tools are not force, not the ability to issue
commands, but rather providing access and engaging in constant
dialogue" (Helgesen, 1995, p. 13).
Because
all parts of the fabric of the web matter, all participants
share directly in the responsibilities and rewards. This kind
of architecture is an integrated network, similar to the technology
of our day. Although technology threatened a dehumanized future,
the concept of the web of inclusion has the potential,
instead, to make a more humanized workplace with the help
of technology.
Process
Webs
of inclusion are defined as much by process as by the
purpose and architecture. The means to achieve their ends
distinguish them from other organizational models.
Open
communication--Freely flowing information is an essential
component of webs. Information without regard for position
and "right to know" adds a sense of security and
destroys uncertainty, thereby building morale.
Blurred
distinction between conception and execution--Thinking
and doing are inextricably linked in order to use feedback
to modify the very nature of the task as it goes along.
Lasting
networks that redistribute power--Unlike traditional organizational
models, webs are not disbanded at the end of each task. By
maintaining the connections across levels, the teams are able
to keep and expand those linkages to the benefit of the organization.
Constant
reorganization--New ways of connecting people are needed
in order for organizations to be adaptable to every-changing
situations and to redefine the nature of its business. Continual
reorganization is facilitated because webs are so permeable.
Expansion
to the world outside--The web, by its very nature, can
expand to include collaborative efforts with other individuals
and groups to expand its reach and scope.
Acceptance
of trial and error--The ability to try one approach and
then another to discover what works and what doesn't provides
an effective strategy for operating in a crisis when there
is little time to prepare detailed plans.
The
web process is more than a team approach; although a web of
inclusion often has a specific mission, it is not disbanded
or reabsorbed upon achievement of the goals. Instead, it plays
a more lasting role because it emphasizes process as well
as structure, establishes "new ways of approaching problems,
of thinking, of connecting people, of giving them information
and motivating them" (Helgesen, 1995, p. 33). In this
way, transformation of the organization is achieved.
The
Technology of Participation
As a
way of summary, Helgesen (1995) compares the web of inclusion
to the web in cyberspace and concludes that "participation"
is the technology expressed by the web of inclusion. Both
are grass-roots structures and, as such, give power rather
than vesting it in positional leaders--thus decentralizing
power. Both diffuse power through networks. Both offer fulfillment
of the individual. Both encourage the hands-on imperative--whatever
you imagine, you must try to produce. The principles of the
computer hacker ethic "echo the values and principles
that define the web of inclusion, in which information flows
freely across levels, teams make their own decisions, work
on specific projects evolves in response to needs as they
arise, and task is more important than position" (p.
280).
References:
Andrews,
F.E., Mitstifer, D.I., Rehm, M., Vaughn, G.G. (1995) Leadership:
Reflective Human
 Action.
East Lansing, MI: Kappa Omicron Nu.
Helgesen, S. (1990). The female advantage: Women's ways
of leadership. New York:
Currency/Doubleday.
Helgesen, S. (1995). The web of inclusion. New York:
Currency/Doubleday.
Wheatley, M. J. (1994). Leadership and the new science.
San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
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