effective adaptation

"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 ...

I remember watching a TED video of Richard Dawkins (I think) who said that the cells in our body are always replacing themselves, so much so that after about 18 years, our body has an entirely new set of cells. How's that for a thought: I am not who I was 18 years ago! But surely I am? I am still Aiden, am I not?

This is a big question for us as humans, but what about for the organisations and companies we lead and manage? Is our organisation the same one it was a few years back? Sure, it has the same name (maybe), and there's been some personnel changes, but at its heart, does it still have the same identity?

I've found a story, Theseus's paradox, that is very powerful and is a challenge to managers as they try to create sustainable and adaptable businesses (which I think is what we need to do in the face of the global economic meltdown) ...

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 ...

Turbulence. We know the feeling: it starts out with a little shaking. The captain switches on the seatbelt sign, and just as you’re about to click the belt buckle in place, the plane hits an air pocket and it feels as if the bottom of the plane is going to fall out. Then, a few seconds later, the plane stabilizes and your stomach returns to its usual anatomical position. ...

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: