Action Research: The Realm of the Tempered Radical (TR)

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Action and Case Research in Management and
Organizational Contexts
Action Research The Realm of the Tempered
Radical (TR)
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Aims of this session

• To understand the concept
• To reflect on the skills and contexts in which
• tempered radicals work
• To consider who in your organisation might be
• perceived as a tempered radical and how have
• they made change happen.

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Originator of TR
A phrase coined by Debra Meyerson and key texts
etc. tend to include her name, e.g. Meyerson,
D., (2003). Tempered Radicals how everyday
leaders inspire change at work. Harvard Business
School Press.
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Characteristics of TRs
TRs are people who want to succeed in their
organizations yet want to live by their values or
identitiesThey want to fit in and want to
retain what makes them different. They want to
rock the boat and they want to stay in it
(Meyerson,D., 2003pxi). TRs are people who
operate on a fault line. They are organizational
insiders who contribute and succeed at their
jobs. At the same time they are treated as
outsiders because they represent ideals or
agendas that are somehow at odds with the
dominant culture (Meyerson, D., 20035).
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Characteristics of TRs
Tempered to know anger but to mitigate anger in
order to use it to fuel actions. Toughened to
become stronger and more action
oriented. Radicals can be extreme and tend to
depart from the usual but it can also mean to be
relating to roots or fundamentals.
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Characteristics of TRs
Therefore tempered radicals may question
fundamental principles or root assumptions but do
so within the system and not by advocating
extreme measures. They have different social
identities from the majority and see those
differences as cultural or philosophical and not
a basis for exclusion.
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How tempered radicals make a difference

• Resisting change quietly and staying true to
  ones self
• Turning personal threats into opportunities
• Broadening the impact through negotiation
• Leveraging small wins
• Organizing collective action.

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How tempered radicals make a difference.
Much change in organizations is incremental,
adaptive, small local accommodations or changes
that accumulate into something bigger. As action
researchers how do you notice, identify, record
these changes, these differences from the usual?
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Reasons for tempered radicalism
Why be a tempered radical? Is it not easier just
to manage the general work challenges and not
bother? The rewards for conformity are often
many. Being a tempered radical creates an
ambivalence towards the organisation to manage
and tolerate. For some conformity is not an
option it would be selling out of their self.
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Reasons for tempered radicalism
Others may not recognise themselves as tempered
radicals, but continue to struggle with
ambivalence and uncertain how to make that work
for them. Those that do act can provoke
learning, help people to think differently about
situations, they can challenge current thinking
about what is the usual, the normal, the tried
and trusted.
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Examples
A manager introduces flexible working in their
department to accommodate individual valued
employees without requesting permission to do so
from outside or following the HR norms. An
African-American who makes efforts to make her
company or her part of the company more friendly
to others like herself. White man who believes
in family friendly working conditions and
therefore questions or challenges the demands for
5.00pm meetings, for long distance travel, for
over night stays.
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Actions as tempered radicals

• Build relationships inside and outside the
  organisation
• who share some of your identity. (Note many UK
• organisations have Black Workers networks,
  Women's
• network/group, etc).
• Develop the discipline to manage heated emotions
  to fuel
• your agenda.
• (Meyerson, 2004)

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Actions as tempered radicals

• Learn to state your case in ways that support
  your agenda but in language that is understood by
  the majority e.g. a green technology sold on
  financial gain
• Design behind the scenes actions and initiate
  conversations that connect with others of similar
  values to help ripple out the change.
• (Meyerson, 2004)

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Strategies

• Self expression.
• Helping others within the organization.
• Channelling and sharing information.
• Recognizing choice interactions are
  opportunities, silence is a choice,
  depersonalizing encounters.
• Interrupting the momentum in discussion to
  prevent it becoming threatening/destructive.
• Naming the issue (make its nature and
  consequences more transparent).

• Correcting assumptions or actions (provide an
  explanation, rectify assumptions).
• Diverting the response (take the interaction in a
  different direction).
• Using humour (release tension).
• Delaying a response (find a better time and place
  to address the issue).
• Develop negotiation skills.
• Recognize your own and others fears which keep
  them compliant.
• Develop alternative actions.

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Strategies continued Creating small wins

• Maintain a blurry vision i.e. a vision for
  change that allows for multiple
• specific outcomes and alternative paths,
  flexibility (Improvisation?).
• 2. Create opportunities in the details.
• Challenge your sense of organizational tolerance.
  Use small wins as a
• way to push existing conventions and
  constraints outward.
• 4. Scope and time your challenges wisely.
• Design small wins to generate learning. Think of
  small wins as
• experiments that probe conditions and help
  you and others learn.

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References
Meyerson, D., (2003). Tempered Radicals how
everyday leaders inspire change at work. Harvard
Business School Press.