thrive

"If you're looking for a role model in a world of complexity, you could do worse than to imitate a bee."

This is the end quote from an engaging National Geographic article on Swarm Theory. As the quote suggests, there's much to learn from the swarming habits of insects in terms of finding novel, effective and efficient solutions to complex problems. The technical term for this process is "self-organisation" and the encouragement is for managers to, in the face of complex problems, implement a self-organising management approach.

In our experience of speaking to leaders and managers about the complex problems they face, and in promoting the concepts of Thrive! Effective Adaption, the last thing managers want to hear about is implementing a laissez-faire management style. Their argument is this: how can I trust my people and organisation to self-organise in the most effective way? They then aslo add in this sentence, barely pausing for a breath, "It's like managing by not-managing!".

In many ways I would agree.

While promoting self-organisation in itself is not helpful nor digestible for managers in today's global economic context, there are components of self-organisation that WILL provide a way to thrive in tomorrow's world (which is probably already here!). There is a caveat we would add though ...

This post is largely inspired by a comprehensive blog entry by Dave Snowden on a new approach to Scenario Planning.   Much of what he says is key to the thinking behind our new Thrive! product.

Seneca said: "The greatest loss of time is delay and expectation, which depend upon the future. We let go the present, which we have in our power, and look forward to that which depends upon chance, and so relinquish a certainty for an uncertainty"

In one of her articles Margaret Wheatly writes about the metaphors we use when speaking about dealing with complex problems, most of these relate to attacking the problem, not actually engaging with it.  Most people and organisation seem to have an inherent dislike for complexity and uncertainty, wanting to eliminate or reduce it all costs.  In their efforts, they often cause more risk to their companies. ...

In the first Part of this series, Sonja spoke of how the current economic malaise is prompting us to engage with a new management paradigm. She also surfaced a metaphor (moving from being a builder to gardener) as an analogy for what we believe the new paradigm should be. It might have struck as a rather simple analogy, but we believe metaphors have a greater influence on our attitudes, values and behaviours than we give them credit for.

Metaphors uncover the basic assumptions driving behaviour and they assist us in making sense of the world we operate in, or in other words, metaphors surface our values. In essence a metaphor is the use of language that directly connects seemingly unrelated subjects, they allow us to “hook” a complex new idea to a simpler but similar idea we’re already familiar with.  Metaphors are also flexible enough to accommodate multiple perspectives on the world, and thus, multiple and varied applications of the lessons contained within a metaphor.

In our everyday language there are many examples of metaphors ...

Sonja and I are really chuffed to announce a new offering: Thrive! through Effective Adaptation.

Since about October last year it has become clear that our old ways of managing people and business  have been found wanting amidst the economic meltdown. We have watched eagerly as to how the business world is responding. One of the responses that concerns us is the "lean" approach that believes our businesses will survive if we just manage to cut costs effectively and become leaner organisations.

We believe that, in light of the enormity of the current crisis, this approach will not last and will do nothing in building organisations that are resilient and adaptive.

The key for managers is going to be how they can turn this uncertainty and complexity into as asset. The choice is clear: do you just aim at surviving, or do you do something to thrive?

Effective Adaptation is a suite of philosophies, methodologies and techniques that will assist managers to get to grips with the requirements of the new management paradigm. It will unlock the potential inherent in groups, organisations and markets and enable leaders to make the most of naturalistic management techniques.

Thrive! is offered as: