The theories of Mary Parker Follett were presented in the early part of the 20th century but forgotten quickly in the United States after her 1933 death. This is unfortunate since the theories are still very much applicable in today's business world. Mary Parker Follett looked to view organizations as group networks and to influence human relations within these networks. The softness of her approach may not be revolutionary, but it does stand out from mainstream theories.

Working with management theory of Mary Parker Follett also hinges upon informal education in the field and lifelong learning as a continuing process. Businesses can benefit in many ways by becoming more familiar with Mary Parker Follett and her management theories. Some of the benefits to be enjoyed include:

1. A more centralized business with a focus on teamwork;

2. Increased satisfaction of employees due to career development;

3. And improved business and client relations.

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Learn about Mary Parker Follett and her contributions

Businesses can expand their effectiveness and audience reach simply by expanding the scope and education of their staff members. When it comes to conflict in business, the Mary Parker Follett management theory hinges upon integration rather than domination or compromise. Folletts theory allows business to more wholly and openly rectify concerns without resentment, placing an emphasis on positive human relations. Folletts management theory allows for a positive work experience rather than intense competition and potential backstabbing. There will always be conflict in the world of business. However, by changing the ways in which a business responds to it, employees, clients and enterprises can develop more successfully. There is also a difference between competition and conflict between rival companies and that which takes place between staff members.

I recommend: Selected writings and complete texts from Mary Parker Follett are available free of charge, courtesy of the Mary Parker Follett Foundation. SunSite also offers the free compilation of one of her works, "The New State."

Educate employees on Mary Parker Follett theory basics

Once you understand and come to terms with Mary Parker Follett management theory basics and practices, make an effort to get your employees involved with this new style of operating. Such management theories may be unusual at first, but remember to point out all of the benefits. Reading the first-hand work of Mary Parker Follett may be beneficial, but it may help employees to read analyzed works when it comes to Mary Parker Follett management theory practices and beliefs to simplify the concepts.

I recommend: In addition to inviting employees to read the free online works available from Mary Parker Follett, The Leadership of Everyman explores her work in a more specific and potentially easily understood manner. Infed.org offers employees a breakdown of Mary Parker Follett's work, as well as her life and what she hoped to accomplish through her theories.

Assess your company after implementing Mary Parker Follett management theory to understand benefits

In order to stay motivated, businesses and staff members will likely need to understand how the management theories of Mary Parker Follett were able to benefit the company. Focus on data that exemplifies the goals outlined in Folletts management theory. Make the information available to employees in a way that will catch their attention and encourage them to feel proud of their new work habits. Also, try to include any feedback from clients that may be applicable. For example, have you gained more clients or otherwise increased your workload as a result of these new practices?

I recommend: Consultants are some of the easiest ways in which to bring an objective perspective to your company's practices. Institute of Management Consultants and PRTM may be able to provide your company with an impartial consultant to make sure the theories you have put in place are working to their full potential.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Obviously when it comes to business theory, the success of such will hinge on its ability to adhere to the theories and strategies admired. Consultants will likely not be able to ensure the implementation of the management theory of Mary Parker Follett after just one visit. Annual consultations may even be beneficial to ensure long-term adherence to Mary Parker Folletts theories. Remember to implement any changes suggested to you to ensure continued improvements to your business.

Mary Parker Follett, writer, social worker, political theorist and organizational consultant, has been called "the woman who invented management." Her early influence on modern management theory has, in fact, been so pervasive that management theorist Warren Bennis has been quoted as saying of her, "Just about everything written today about leadership and organizations comes from Mary Parker Follett's writings and lectures."

Follett never managed a for-profit enterprise herself, yet her keen insight into the dynamics of organizations and groups gave her theories widespread appeal. She advocated a "pull" rather than "push" approach to employee motivation, differentiated between "power over" and "power with," and postulated insightful ideas on negotiation, conflict resolution and power sharing which helped shape modern management theory. The Mary Parker Follett Theory of Management is marked by such principles as the following:

1. Conflict resolution through Integration (i.e., identifying and meeting each party's underlying and often compatible need, as opposed to attempting to meet the frequently-incompatible expressed desire of each) often results in a win-win situation.

2. In Mary Parker Follett leadership theory, genuine power is not "coercive" ("power over") but "coactive" ("power with").

3. True leaders, according to Follett's theory, "create group power, rather than expressing personal power."

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Understand the concepts of Mary Parker Follett management theory

Numerous websites provide valuable information about Mary Parker Follett theory. In addition to summaries of Follett's principles, you'll find various videos and instructional materials that can help you develop the background knowledge and practical expertise to put Follett's management theories to work for your company.

I recommend: CADRE offers a unique and informative video on the Mary Parker Follett theory of conflict resolution. The 28-minute presentation, entitled "Dynamic Conflict Management: The Wisdom of Mary Parker Follett," was given before a group of special education instructors by Albie Davis. Davis, who delivers her entire speech via an assumed Mary Parker Follett persona, effectively communicates the essence of Follett's conflict resolution theory to her audience. YouTube presents a second, much shorter video, entitled "Bonner's Lemon Law," which (though it doesn't state the fact) is based on Mary Parker Follett's orange story illustrating the difference between the concepts of distributive and integrative negotiation.

Try a consultant to help you put Mary Parker Follett theory into practice

Consultants with knowledge and experience in the management theory of Mary Parker Follett can guide you in maximizing the benefit of his principles in your own company's unique environment.

I recommend: Karl Knapp provides consulting services based in part on his insight into the management theory of Mary Parker Follett. Morgan Management Consulting also offers consultation services, along with its Leadership By Objectives program, which include Mary Parker Follett management theory as part of their philosophical basis.

Access online tools that help you practice Follett's theory more effectively

Widely available online tools and resources can help you more easily implement Mary Parker Follett principles. PowerPoint presentations, surveys and other products and information on Mary Parker Follett management theory let you choose the resources most valuable to your business.

I recommend: KarlKnapp.com offers a PowerPoint presentation which provides background information on Follett and explains her theories. DataProSurveys.com provides various assessment tools that can help you get the feedback you need to apply Mary Parker Follett's theories to your company strategy.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider the many benefits of putting Follett's management theory to work for your business. If you decide to use it, why not go all out and practice it in all the areas it can effectively address: your own leadership of the company, your managers' leadership development and your employees' empowerment.

The Mary Parker Follett management theory has added greatly to the modern understanding of conflict resolution and the empowerment of the business employee. Studying Mary Parker Follett theory helps managers and small business owners make positive changes in the management and leadership of their organizations.

By understanding roles and promoting self empowerment, Mary Parker Follett provided employees and employers with leadership theories that gave the individual a reason to learn and grow as well as fix problems without orders or specific directions. Learning about Mary Parker Follett management theories lets the individual explore options for their small business. When considering the Mary Parker Follett theory of management:

1. Understand the Management Theory of Mary Parker Follett is just one approach to working with employees

2. Know that Follett's theory is about teamwork and individual empowerment

3. Realize that you can easily apply the Mary Parker Follett management approach to today's workplace

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Learn about Mary Parker Follett theories to offer practical solutions to office dilemmas

The writings and business analysis of Mary Parker Follett heavily focuses on organizational structure. Learning about Mary Parker Follett's management theories in easy-to-follow language with explained terminology makes it easier to turn management education into practical leadership solutions. Articles offering information about Mary Parker Follett educate the business leader on the personality behind the theories.

I recommend: The Mary Parker Follett Foundation occasionally holds conferences and discussion groups about her theories. Stay updated by visiting their "current events" page. Infed.org provides an educational look at Follett's theories and writings, as well as her analysis on the state of society itself.

Use books to help understanding the management theory of Mary Parker Follett education and training

In the case of Mary Parker Follett, there are a number of publications that people use as textbooks. For the office manager or business owner, selected texts (such as Prophet of Management and Dynamic Management) will prove more useful in the office environment or as employee teaching tools than others. Publications and Management Theory manuals often contain information on Follett in more modern language than the original text.

I recommend: Dynamic Administration: The Collected Writings of Mary Parker Follet is available through eBook format. The University of Tennessee has the full text of The New State available online.

Hire consultants that specialize in the theories of Mary Parker Follett

For a more hands-on training approach, you may want to consider hiring a consultant or management training company that focuses on Follett's theories. This allows you to learn as you interact with others and gives you the opportunity to receive answers to your questions.

I recommend: Jim Stroup, of Managing Leadership, frequently talks about Mary Parker Follett's theories on his blog. He also offers consulting services. People Praxis appeared at the first Mary Parket Follett conference. They offer management consulting and training services for businesses.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Contacting the local business college to inquire as to when they will discuss Follett management theory in their class may elicit an invitation (no fee) to attend the lecture.

Mary Parker Follett is well known in the field of management theory for her humanistic and socially just viewpoint on management structures and conflict resolution within organizations. Follett built on classical management principles to lay the foundation for much of the modern management theory ideas in use today. Mary Parker Follett is also highly regarded as one of the forerunners of feminist organizational theory, which advocated defining organizational and management concepts through women's ways of knowing and navigating the social world.

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Management theory

Follett's work drew from and contributed to management theory, or modern management theory. This refers to the contemporary science of examining the function of organizational structures and hierarchies of authority. This includes not just the study of productivity, but also how power is constructed and how disputes are resolved.

I recommend: Sunrise Information Services offers an overview of how management theory is defined, including Mary Parker Follett's own distinct definition.

Coercive and coactive power

Mary Parker Follett embraced two different types of power: coercive power and coactive power. Coercive power is power of one group or individual over another, while coactive power involves the sharing of responsibilities and rewards within a power structure.

I recommend: Read a distinction between coercive and coactive power as they are defined by The Institute for Community Learning.

Conflict resolution

Conflict resolution, as defined by Follett, was an alternative dispute resolution strategy designed to reframe the problem so that the outcome is a balanced result of the interests of all parties involved. Follett cites the example of sitting in a library where she wanted a window shut and another person wanted it open; to resolve the conflict, a window was opened in another room, reframing the situation without compromising the interests of any one party.

I recommend: Managing Leadership provides a definition of Follett's concept of conflict resolution.

Democracy

Follett defined democracy as a process of existing in the social world, rather than merely a political activity or set of civil rights. Follett linked her concept of democracy to community involvement and cooperative group effort, indicating that her notion of democracy was social rather than individualistic.

I recommend: The Mary Parker Follett Foundation offers a definition of Follett's view of democracy in an explanation of its program visions.

Business administration

Business administration or management is defined by Mary Parker Follett as a process of controlling processes and events to achieve results that target a specific human benefit. As such, Follett's idea of business administration is not merely a bureaucratic structure of efficient governance and oversight, but instead an ethical process designed to improve the social conditions of people.

I recommend: Read Mary Parker Follett's definition of business administration or management at ManagersHelp.com.