Scene 2 From Relational Blindness to Relational Sight

19 Three Patterns of Relationship

Over the years, we have studied three patterns of relationship that occur regularly in system life, whether in the family, the classroom, the organization, or the nation. These are Top/Bottom, End/Middle/End, and Provider/Customer.

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Top/Bottom

The Top/Bottom relationship is one in which one party—Top—has designated responsibility for the system or piece of the system (the organization, division, department, classroom, meeting, project, and so forth) and the other party—Bottom—is a member within that system (worker, student, faculty member, subordinate, ...

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