THINKING CAPACITY

Why is this so difficult?

This article looks at why it is so hard for an organisation/agency either to maintain or to develop person-centred ways of working. Understanding the nature of the problem can lead to more effective strategies.

It is worth pointing out that one particular mistake is made repeatedly; the introduction of a person-centred approach is taken to be a 'technical' problem. The result is an unsuccessful attempt to implement change through simple training programmes, changes in policy, and alterations in procedures.

Of course, training can be a very powerful tool, good policies can have a real influence, and technical issues can certainly be worth solving. But why is it that an extensive training programme on its own seems to have such a limited effect? Why do changes in policy or structure seem not to make much real difference? And why is it that when one technical problem is solved another replaces it?

To properly understand this problem it can be helpful to start with the following statement:

Society thinks of many of the people we support as in some way:

• deficient,
• less valuable,
• fundamentally different from 'us', and
• like others who share the same label.

This is a set of assumptions that is very deeply rooted - so much so that our organisations or services cannot escape their influence (irrespective of the values of individual staff and managers, and however carefully policies are written). Indeed, when we look carefully we find that these assumptions are often more than just an influence – they may be the foundations on which our organisations and services are built (even when those working in them don't think this way).

The powerful and all pervasive nature of this set of assumptions has a profound effect, which is that the way we want to work is at odds with the culture of our organisations and society. Working in a person-centred way isn't what is expected. We are stepping out of line. We will be doing things in a way that isn't 'the way things are done around here'. We won't be fitting in, but standing out.

To behave in a way that isn't 'the way things are done around here' is difficult. Most of us prefer to fit in with friends and colleagues, not to stand out. This is a powerful factor working against the development of person-centred approaches.

Behaving in a way that isn't 'the way things are done around here' also generates opposition. The new way might lead to some people losing out, or it might be taken as a criticism of people using the old way. Working in a new way may well lead to us being disliked or criticised. This is a second powerful factor working against the development of person-centred approaches.

Of course these factors also work just as much at an organisational level as an individual one. Organisations working differently will stand out, and will be subject to opposition. And the pressure to go back to 'traditional' ways of working will be powerful.

The study of human systems provides us with an even deeper insight. We find that when we are working on certain types of change (such as is required here) opposition can be surprisingly subtle and effective because it is a behaviour of the system as a whole, not just the individuals within it.

Unfortunately further traps await the unwary. The first arises because we know that we should expect opposition to the changes we seek. It is easy to forget that the presence of opposition doesn't mean we are being successful. Irrelevant or unhelpful changes can be just as hard to implement.

On the other hand, an absence of opposition does probably indicate a problem. There are two main possibilities. Either our efforts are ineffective and therefore not worth opposing, or we just aren't wise enough to notice the danger. The most dangerous time can be when things seem to be going really well.