MIDDLE MANAGEMENT 18 / Canadian Government Executive // Summer 2023 erarchies, whether silos, functional levels, or parts rarely involved in change, help people generate ideas grounded in data. Networks sustain relationships that enable managers to better cope with the speed and complexity of change. Collaborating in networks and communities Public sector projects touch diverse stakeholders across multi-level jurisdictions. Local action is difficult to mobilize from a centralized command structure. Decentralized problem solving and decision making empower community-based leadership of change. Projects achieve scale and impact quickly when hierarchical control is combined with networked information sharing. Globalization, demographics, and technologies require networked government to be full-on collaborative. The future of public BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AS COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE BY JOHN WILKINS COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE ARE GROUPS OF PEOPLE WHO SHARE A CONCERN OR A PASSION FOR SOMETHING THEY DO AND LEARN HOW TO DO IT BETTER AS THEY INTERACT REGULARLY. — ETIENNE WENGER Standing in line took on new meaning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Time passes slowly waiting in line alone, distanced from strangers to minimize health risks. It seems anti-social, almost inhuman. People are conditioned to enjoy and encourage each other, even on the most difficult days. In community, walking the road of commitment together makes the journey worthwhile. People who belong to a community live in a much larger world. Henri Nouwen said, “Community is the place where the person you least want to live with always lives.” Surrounding ourselves with familiar people can form a club or clique. It takes shared vision, hard work, and persistent networking to form a lasting community of people who are not like us. A community of diverse members captures the attention of the world. Accelerate by John Kotter (2014) anchors operating systems in an inseparable partnership between hierarchy and network. Managers develop and implement a seamless flow of information and activity to maintain and improve daily operations. Hi-
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