In November of 2018, we began a process of exploring and reworking the staffing structure at Dechen Chöling. This restructuring process has taken some time and has been a complex process but we are now well on our way to working within an entirely new organisational structure and developing the ways we work within that structure as individuals and as a community.
The process involved letting go of the old (somewhat vertical) organisational structure and dissolving the traditional management team in order to create an organisation as flat as possible. Within that horizontal structure, we acknowledged the need for accountability and responsibility for all our staff.
The new structure is comprised of five teams: white, red, yellow, blue and green – based on the five buddha families with two leadership roles – Director and Team Chairs. Each team is comprised of different departments that work together.
The aim is that the Team Chairs are supportive, caring and connected to their team. Their role is to set clear goals and vision for their team and to allow freedom and provide quality feedback becoming a real reference point for staff in their team.
Back in November, we appointed a co-ordination team of three staff members to facilitate the restructuring process which involved many gatherings of teams and the whole staff to discuss and create the new team structure and to consider the roles within the teams. Each team elected a Chair and we have now begun the journey of working together in teams and meeting regularly to plan, share work and support each other. The Chairs and Director meet weekly as the White Team and work together to support the work of Dechen Chöling as a whole and to support and lead the teams.
We are just beginning this exciting journey and learning much along the way about how we can better function as an effective, strategic organisation – distributing leadership and supporting one another.