Resources

In a recent post on the Harvard Business Review blog, Why Haven't Managers Embraced Complexity, Richard Straub looks at what managers face as they recognize that management practices from past decades don't really fit today's challenges. Even the term "management" may be undergoing a shift - notice that the post is not about "managing" complexity.

In the world of human systems dynamics, understanding is important, but it is not enough. We strive to see patterns clearly and to understand them. The ultimate goal, however, is to transform current patterns into possibilities for the future. In times like these, the journey from seeing to acting is not easy. My last two posts have told the story of my journey as I strive to transform the turbulence and uncertainty I see in US politics toward something more sustainable and equitable. As we approach Election Day, it is time for the NOW WHAT?

A decade ago, the business world was abuzz with talk of teams. It was the way to get things done in the “organization of the future.” We are now in the future, and teams (at least as we knew them then) are becoming a thing of the past. Why?

Mary's blog post about generative engagement is a great starting place for this reflection about conflict at all levels of an organization or community. This week's survey invited responses to three items: 1. Describe an intractable conflict - local, national, or global. 2. What keeps the conflict going? 3. What can you do/do you do to help those around you deal with the inevitable conflicts that arise when people live, work, or play together?

Any new paradigm challenges fundamental assumptions and beliefs. Old habits make it difficult to step across the line into new ways to think and act. For 20 years, the HSD global community has built bridges from the closed-system paradigms of the past to the open-system opportunities of the future. We have tried our best to be gentle, patient, and subtle in our invitations, but time is running out! The challenges are urgent, and we are impatient! So, we are engaging in two initiatives to break through into the future: Dragons of Complexity and Adaptive Action for Sustainability!