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Organizational Change

A Systems Perspective

The Universality of Systems

• All healthy natural systems share the same 12 qualities: Purposefulness – the dominance of goals Differentiation – specialization of parts Wholeness – subjugation of parts to the whole Interrelatedness – interdependence of parts Openness – environmental influence and adaptation Transformation – input-output process Control – maintaining focus and order Rhythms – cycles and patterns Competition – seeking competitive niche distinction Decay and death – natural entropy Intelligent design – irreducible complexity and beauty ????? – what would you add?2

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The Universality of Purposefulness

• Purposefulness – the dominance of goals Healthy systems marshal all their structure and

processes to serve the system’s purposes Healthy systems have simple, clear, compatible

purposes. The greater the number or complexity of purposes the more fragile the system

Healthy systems adapt to environmental changes by making adaptations to continue to meet their purposes

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The Universality of Differentiation

• Differentiation – specialization of parts Healthy systems have different parts that handle

different processes The specialization of healthy systems allows both

effectiveness (goal achievement) and efficiency (resource conservation and optimization)

Healthy systems creatively adapt to environmental changes by developing additional points of specialization

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The Universality of Wholeness

• Wholeness – the subjugation of parts to the whole Healthy systems sub-optimize by each part sacrificing

itself to the good of the whole Sub-optimization in healthy systems is a good thing

because it focuses on the cooperation of parts in service to the greater collective gain of the system

The design of healthy systems reflects harmony and rationality

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The Universality of Interrelatedness

• Interrelatedness – the interdependence of parts Healthy systems achieve an internal communication

process that minimizes conflict and maximizes cooperation

Healthy systems demonstrate an efficiency in design – parts and processes flow together in ways that demonstrate balance and proportion

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The Universality of Openness

• Openness – environmental influence Healthy systems sense, respond to and live in

balance with their environment Healthy systems adapt to changes in their

environment The design and function of healthy

systems reflect mutually beneficial dependencies

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The Universality of Transformation

• Transformation – input-output process Healthy systems receive resource inputs and change

them into outputs used by the system and valued by its environment

Healthy systems are efficient – the proportion of inputs to outputs reflects internal conservation and value-added

Healthy systems creatively adapt to changes in environmental inputs

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The Universality of Control

• Control – maintaining focus and order Healthy systems develop optimal controls to insure

effectiveness (goal attainment) and efficiency (resource utilization)

Healthy systems place controls at the key points where recognition and response are best located

Healthy systems exhibit economy of control – control always serves clear value-added purposes

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The Universality of Rhythms

• Rhythms – cycles and patterns Healthy systems exhibit cycles• rest – work – recuperating • birth – growth – maturity – decline • daily – monthly – seasonal – annual

Healthy systems exhibit a pacing and sequencing that preserves and restores the system

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The Universality of Competition

• Competition – seeking competitive niche distinction Healthy systems compete with other systems for

resources – that competition helps make the system stronger and more adaptively resilient

Healthy systems compete by focusing on a an environmental niche and marshalling resources to attain a competitive edge in that niche

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The Universality of Decay and Death

• Decay and death – natural entropy Healthy systems have a finite life – no natural system

last forever All systems lose, gradually and eventually completely,

loss of energy and function Healthy systems experience decay and

death (and rebirth and repair) in various parts throughout their lifetime

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The Universality of Intelligent Design

• Intelligent design – irreducible complexity and beauty Healthy systems reveal structural design and process

integration that is impossible to achieve accidentally Healthy systems are irreducibly complex – their

minimum requirements could not appear merely sequentially by a natural evolutionary process