Practice and research on working together
When work gets stuck, we find out why and what can change.
We study how people in different roles get things done together, and help when that stalls: when teams keep waiting for each other, agreements leave people unsure what they can rely on, or a programme keeps running into the same problems.
Does this sound familiar?
- A decision waits three weeks for the one meeting where everyone can attend.
- A document goes round for comments and comes back every round with new remarks and long discussions.
- Everyone agreed in the meeting, but afterwards there was no progress.
Good people, good plans, and still the work does not move. We examine how the way the work is set up, and the dependencies between people, enable or obstruct action.
What we do
We bring our experience in organisations together with research on coordination. We read the documents, trace the dependencies, and discuss with the people involved what is happening and what change is possible.
Start with what concerns you
What is going wrong, for whom is it a problem, and what should change? From that question we examine concrete situations. We read the relevant documents and discuss with those involved how the work runs, what has been agreed and where people get stuck.
Map the situation together
Who is involved and who bears the consequences? What does each person have to deliver in their role, and what do they need from others to do so? We make visible how expectations, agreements and dependencies hang together. Those involved can add to that picture and correct it.
Explore options and choose a next step
From that picture we explore which changes are possible and what they ask of the people involved. Together we decide which step is workable and how we will tell whether it helps. That way you can follow what changes and adjust in time.
Two ways to work with us
Coordination support for IT organisations
Through DoITogether, our practice for IT departments, municipalities and public sector organisations. We work with directors, IT managers and their teams on the meetings, reports and decisions that hold work up.
Research conversations
We develop coordination theory together with practitioners and researchers in cybernetics and systems thinking. If you work on the same questions, we would like to compare notes.