The Organisational House

Introduction

🎧 Start by exploring the topic through a short podcast.

In this episode, you will hear the very ideas presented in the text below. You can listen, read, or combine both — whatever works best for you.

(This podcast was produced with AI.)

Das Haus der Organisation_Skizze

Finding Orientation in a Living Structure

What exactly is the Organisational House?

You can think of an organisation as a house. Inside this house are rooms where people work and live together. For the house to remain stable, it needs a solid foundation, supporting walls, and a roof that protects and connects.

This house is constantly evolving. It is built, maintained, reshaped, renewed, and sometimes extended. It provides structure for collaboration, while at the same time being shaped by the people who inhabit it.

There is no universal formula for keeping a house stable and liveable over time. But there are conditions that provide safety and orientation, as well as materials, tools, and methods that help us care for it properly.

What we would rarely do in our own homes, however, is attempt everything at once. We would not plan to rebuild the house next week, redecorate every room, and replace the entire roof all at the same time.

Yet this is often how organisational change is approached. And this is one of the key reasons it fails. Change takes time. It unfolds step by step.

I believe in the horse. The automobile is only a temporary phenomenon.
(Kaiser Wilhelm II)

The Organisational House is a model that links the system with the people who shape it. It illustrates how the different rooms interact and how an organisation can grow from within.
The organisational culture forms the foundation.
Purpose and vision as well as psychological safety and trust support the entire structure and give it stability.
The roof represents the emotional layer of an organisation: the feelings and needs that influence every room.
The four rooms each reflect a core area of organisational life. Each has its own dynamics, yet all are deeply interconnected:
    • The individual room: the people
    • The relationship room: team collaboration
    • The steering room: structures, processes, and rules
    • The operational room: the actual work and results
The Organisational House reveals what is often treated as separate: humanity, structure, and culture. It helps us view organisations as an integrated system rather than attempting to repair isolated problems. Because organisations are forever changing, the house provides a way to stay oriented and see how the different rooms connect.
 
Self-management is not a fixed state but an ongoing approach. It encompasses methods, tools, and mindsets that make organisations more human, more adaptable and more effective. The Organisational House demonstrates that safety and flexibility are not in opposition — they strengthen each other.

Typical Challenges in Organisations

Change rarely fails due to a lack of good concepts. It fails because structures, people, and culture are omitted from the conversation.

  1. Lack of orientation during change: “Things should be different, but we don’t know how.”
    When structures shift but people are not brought along for the ride, uncertainty and confusion grow.
    Example: A ward introduces a new documentation system, but no one explains the principles underpinning its use or why it is needed.

  2. Insecurity instead of relief: “Management needs to decide.”
    When leaders are overburdened, pressure builds at the top and dependency grows at the bottom.
    Example: In cases where conflict or bottlenecks emerge, everyone turns to the manager, even though many decisions could be made within the team.

  3. Conflicts remain unspoken.
    When tensions are not addressed openly, they surface in relationship dynamics and team atmosphere.
    Example: Frustration grows between medical and nursing staff because roles and responsibilities remain unclear.

  4. The organisation works only ‘on paper’.
    Mission statements, values, responsibilities and workflows exist, but they remain ineffective in everyday practice.
    Example: Clear guidelines exist for collaboration, but in reality, old habits and quick workarounds shape what actually happens.

The Organisational House in Focus

Every organisation shares the same basic structure: a foundation and supporting walls, different rooms and a roof.
But every organisation is unique. Just as the houses we live in are all different.

Some rooms are well looked after and full of life; others are crowded or gathering dust. Sometimes a full renovation is needed, and sometimes it is enough to open a door and let in a little light.

Organisations do not change from the outside. Real change begins when people make the house their own from within.

Now it’s your turn: Which room would you like to explore first?

The individual room: this room centres on mindset and attitude, self-leadership, personal responsibility, and individual strengths. This is where everything begins — with you.

The relationship room: this room focuses on communication and empathy, feedback and a learning culture, conflict resolution, and team development. This is where it becomes clear that effective teams do not happen by accident.

The steering room: this room is about system clarity, responsibilities and roles, leadership, and decision-making. This is where orientation and safety are created.

The operational room: this room emphasises on efficiency, transparency, agility, continuous development, and results. This is where the impact of collaboration becomes visible.

The foundation and supporting walls: this is where culture and values, psychological safety and trust, and purpose and vision lie. This is what holds the organisation together.

The roof: This is where feelings and needs reside — the emotional layer of the system. This is what protects the human side of the organisation.

Das Haus der Organisation_Skizze