The Camp and the Hierarchy
A concept for distinguishing formal management systems (hierarchy) from informal, deeper interactions (camp) that build trust and reveal underlying values, based on the work of Bruce Gibbs and used by Roger Saillant.
THE IDEA
THE CAMP AND THE HIERARCHY
Roger Saillant has used a strategy based on the work of organizational psychologist Bruce Gibbs: distinguishing “the camp” and “the hierarchy.” First, he wants to get people used to distinguishing the formal management system—what gets measured, formal roles and accountabilities, and agreed-upon goals—from “when we take time to really talk and get to know one another more deeply.” He came to the term “camp” because many people had experiences going to camps as children and he wanted to identify a place where people could “play and relax, but also deal with difficult issues and emotions.” Like Galloway, Saillant has found that introducing the camp idea can be tricky, because people are busy and taking time “away from work” can initially seem nonproductive. But, eventually, “camps become a part of how we manage, as people learn how invaluable they can be to see what is really going on.”
For example, Saillant had a plant in Northern Ireland that was deeply mired in the conflicts of the region. The plant manager was Catholic, but the majority of those in the work force were Protestant. “There were two guys who had not spoken for ten years because one of them once cut the other off coming out of the parking lot.” Gradually, the camp process in this setting became a way of exposing “the real truths about what people valued beyond maintaining the conflicts.” For many this turned out to be their children. “I discovered that they wanted a future for their children. I went back to my boss and told him that I was going to hire twenty-two sons and daughters of people in the plant and place them in apprenticeship programs, even though the plant hadn’t met its financial targets, and even though there was a head-count control in Ford at the time. The camp meetings convinced me that we needed to do this as an act of trust.” Eventually, the plant made a turnaround and became quite successful, “because we had gotten to what really mattered underneath all the bickering, and acted upon it.”
When to use it
Resolving deep-seated conflicts in diverse or polarized teams
Building trust and uncovering shared values in cross-functional or cross-cultural groups
Supplementing formal management processes with regular, informal dialogues that address emotions and deeper motivations
Improving employee morale and engagement by acting on insights gained from candid, off-the-record conversations
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Northern Ireland Plant Conflict
Saillant describes a plant in Northern Ireland where sectarian divisions and personal grievances strained working relationships. Two workers had not spoken for ten years after a parking lot incident. Camp meetings revealed a shared concern for their children’s futures. Saillant hired 22 employees’ children into apprenticeships as an act of trust, and he credits that decision and the conversations behind it with helping the plant recover.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
In your organization, where could you create a 'camp' environment to move beyond formal metrics and uncover what people truly value?
Think of a persistent conflict in your team. How might a camp-style conversation reveal shared underlying interests?
How can you balance the efficiency of hierarchy with the depth of camp interactions without making camp feel like unproductive time?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- The Fifth Discipline The Art Practice of the Learning Organization (Peter M. Senge)