ABSTRACT
No discussion of Weick’s work would be complete without an exploration of the concept of organizing. Perhaps more so than most, Weick seemed reluctant to be an organizational theorist without unpacking what this means, and in particular, what we mean by organization and organizing. As the chapter will explore, for Weick this means eschewing the noun organization in favor of the more active organizing, and exploring how individuals and groups bring meaning to this action in the context of work. Typical of Weick’s work, I raise more (hopefully better) questions than answers. The chapter starts with a brief review of some important concepts and features of Weick’s work that are introduced and unpacked elsewhere in this volume more fully, to set a context and ensure that these ideas are at the reader’s disposal. Building on these foundational ideas, a discussion of organizing follows, and the chapter concludes with some thoughts on the application of organizing to the field of education leadership. To foreshadow, with the concept of organizing Weick asks us to acknowledge—even embrace—the fact that our collective work is fraught with ambiguity and complexity, and much more is emergent than planned. Organizations are socially constructed entities, talked into being and continuously reinvented. The message is a hopeful one and seems to accentuate the need for thoughtful and strategic leaders who take advantage of opportunities to influence the organizing process. Befitting any work on Weick, this discussion is guided by a question that emerges well after diving into the deep end of Weick’s pool: What if education leadership as a field took Weick’s notion of organizing seriously? We will know what I meant by this question when we see what I have written. If, by the end of this chapter, you understand why this might be the case, the chapter will have served its purpose.
