Savvy business managers acknowledge that they are not able to control everything that is happening in their spheres of influence. They recognize the need to become skillful and intuitive masters of adapting to a continuous state of change. Rather than simply react, the goal becomes to move from the current state towards some desired state with greater agility and fewer surprises.
Larry has partnered with Denise Easton to identify four interdependent elements of an Organization Ecosystem that are both “true and useful” in creating awareness and conversation about any team or organization’s unique context. They have developed applicable and actionable language and tools that enable teams and organizations to assess and influence each of the components of their own unique “Complexity Space.”
The four components are:
- Dimensions: History, context, culture, and the systems that bind them together are often subtle, pervasive, and not easily changed.
- Catalysts: Connections, Experiments, Diversity, “Influence-ship,” Stories, and Structures provide opportunities to intentionally influence short-term patterns of thought and behavior
- States: Complex systems vary based on their goals and context. Each state — Status Quo, Innovation, and Mutation has its own characteristics and issues and is very sensitive to internal and external disruptions.
- Indicators: Traditional measures and metrics are usually not sufficient to provide change agents the perspective needed to gauge an organization’s progress in addressing their current and future ecosystem challenges and opportunities. The term “indicators” is used very intentionally to connote a different level of expectation and precision.
Visit http://complexityspace.com to learn more about the Complexity Space.