Summary of the Work of Juanita Brown
Juanita Brown is an "organizational strategist with twenty years' experience integrating business strategy with community development practices." She and David Issacs, a leadership coach with experience promoting organizational learning in both non-profit and for-profit organizations, work together at Whole Systems Associates, 166 Homestead Boulevard, Mill Valley, CA 94941.
They believe that organizations should be designed as communities that encourage emotional involvement by employees in a shared vision and overall strategy. The action techniques used evolved from the community development movement and from study of voluntary organizations. Roots are found in the work of Miles Horton, Paulo Freire, the Scandinavian study circles, Saul Alinsky, M. Scott Peck, and Marvin Weisbord. They believe that a "combined organization-community form can produce better performance than any of the traditional forms of organization," if it is designed to support the "personal experience of the community" and assures the "long-term sustainability" of the community. Infrastructure is important as it determines how "workplace communities" will govern themselves.
Juanita Brown tells of "bean suppers" where people gather in a house to eat and talk in an unstructured meeting. The tradition, which is now part of community development work is said to go back to Rochester, Minnesota, where young doctors were invited to Sunday night bean suppers at the Mayo Clinic's Plumber House. The future of the Clinic was developed at those gatherings. Hardee's CEO tells of using the same strategy to develop self esteem and through this, self management.
Techniques for bringing people together besides bean suppers, include informal meetings where food is present and community rooms. Celebrations and recognition events are other actions that don't cost much money, but they diffuse tension and build self-confidence. Supporting work can be found in the concept of the "wheel of learning" and in articles on workplace design.
Of particular interest is the experience of the San Francisco Foundation, which she counseled through a period of extraordinary growth, change and pressure. Foundations may promote innovative projects, yet they seldom are progressively organized. Yet this foundation found a way to change both its focus and it method of operation.
Juanita Brown received her Ed.D from Vanderbilt University in 1980. She conducted research on the causes of job dissatisfaction of elementary school teachers, who voluntarily requested a transfer or resigned. Changes in her name format have made tracking difficult, but it appears that she has not published widely. An effort is being made to find more of her work.
Prepared by Corinne Nyquist