Parent Child cultures are born when an organisation values control, consistency and predictability as the strategy for managing people…..

…Organisations have been built on the notion that people must be held accountable and that someone else is in charge of doing that. This kind of thinking, more than anything else, creates and maintains parent-child conversations in the work place that fosters cultures relying on compliance rather than commitment. The idea that we are all responsible for our commitment is radical. It requires people to acknowledge each other as adults who are responsible for the choices they make. We must abandon the thought that others can be the source of our motivation and morale. Then new conversations must begin to engage and support the new worldview. The shift is profoundly difficult, and it is absolutely essential. If you don’t believe it ask yourself this basic question : “What is best for this enterprise – people who are treated and behave like children, or adults who are resilient and capable of of responding to difficult circumstances?” The answer is so obvious that it makes the question looks ridiculous.  Yet organisations are still deeply entrenched in workplace philosophies, policies, and procedures that reinforce parent – child conversations and cultures without realising the cost to the business.

– Jamie & Maren Showkeir from ‘ Authentic Conversations’