While listening to the Management 500 lectures for this week I started to think about the framework and organizational structure of where I work.  The organizational structure has evolved over the years.  When I started working there it was just changing from a much more divisional type atmosphere to a cooperative atmosphere.  For example in the area of health where I am, we were focused on health and that was it.  We did not need to know or worry about social services, education, operations, etc..  And on the flip side of that they didn't need to know or worry about health.  With a change in upper management this idea became obsolete.  The new idea was to have all areas working together cooperatively.  This idea would help focus the program on the family as a whole, utilizing all the resources that we had.

The new structure has health involved in things like family and community engagement, determining eligibility for a program, helping in the social service areas and areas of education.  Health now is there to support the other divisions in helping the family and child.  There are still some growing pains to this change, but we are working through it.  I think the innovation of upper management to take the old idea and make it better was wonderful. 

As a manager I know that sometimes you can see things that others can't see.  You are able to visualize how things are going to work, and others are not able to see it.  I feel like the upper management at my work place had a vision of how he wanted things to go and made them happen.  He was able to get us to buy into the changes and make them our own.  We have had to make a few adjustments along the way but overall the change has been for the better.