Living Systems as Models for Organizations

As we explore what Compassionate Operations could mean for organizations, one of the foundational shifts in mindset is away from the old mechanistic models for management and organizations toward natural living systems models.

The industrial revolution and the hierarchical management systems that created and were reinforced by it have dominated the way most organizations function for a couple of hundred years. There are many elements of the thinking that created these systems which are at odds with creating a more compassionate workplace – starting with the basic idea of humans as machines to accomplish tasks in some version of an assembly line process.

This thinking reduces much of what people do at work to being a set of tasks that are to be performed according to an established process in an efficient, consistent, and predictable way. Machines were invented to be even more reliable and less expensive than human beings in performing many of these tasks.

Now we sit at the edge, some would say precipice, of a time when machines have become smart enough to potentially displace human beings in even more repetitive work processes. We’ll talk more about Artificial Intelligence another time. For now, let’s just focus on the core thinking of work as a mechanistic task and process.

The Impacts of Industrial Thinking

The industrial revolution had a lot of benefits as scale and technology have made many things possible which could not even have been dreamed of before. And there have been some, largely unintended impacts that have created a world that feels more fragile and unsustainable than ever before.

Let’s explore some of the subtle, yet potent ideas that are part of this mechanistic view which may be holding us back from creating the kind of workplace in which human beings can thrive.

Perfection at Scale is the overarching goal

There is an assumption that an optimal process will produce results with zero defects. But it goes deeper than that, it is perfection that can scale up to huge volumes at a low cost that is often the underlying goal.

This consistent production of the exact same thing over and over appeals to our hard-wired desire for certainty. There’s a reason that processed foods, chain stores, consistent brands, industrial agricultural production, and dominant market leaders appeal to us. Yes, scale reduces unit costs, but perhaps more importantly it helps us feel safe, and reduces stress.

And this consistency stifles innovation, limits our choices, and threatens diversity – from biodiversity in agriculture to diversity in all aspects of our humanity.

People are mostly expendable

Except maybe for a few people “at the top”, mechanistic thinking produces organizations designed to make it easy to swap out people in almost all roles. The system will go on with or without any of the individual humans involved. This is vital to achieve perfection at scale which is the overarching goal.

When things “fail” they get “fixed”

When something doesn’t work as planned or stops functioning as well as it once did, we go into fix-it mode and figure out how to return the process to align with the perfection at scale goals. Old systems and ideas get fixed without usually challenging the fundamental assumptions that underlie their existence.

Difference is a Defect

Something non-standard or different is a problem, a defect – something to be fixed. Our drive for predictability can feed our unconscious bias against what’s different.

Diversity is an expensive challenge to be overcome

Any difference in inputs or variance in resources or processes must be managed so that it doesn’t compromise perfection at scale. So, it’s fundamentally a problem that must be mitigated.

The Living Systems Alternative Model

In the living systems model, we use nature as our guide. We look at the ways in which ecosystems function as a set of interrelated interactions that follow seasonal changes and find their own rhythms and balance over time.

Two examples that have opened up this idea more fully for me are:

• The story of the reintroduction of wolves into the Yellowstone National Park – captured in this short video.

• A longer, more detailed story in the documentary “The Biggest Little Farm” highlights the restoration of a farm and all of the interrelated elements of the ecosystem that were navigated in the process.

Several things strike me as standing in quite stark contrast to the mechanistic model discussed above.

Continuous adjustments to find Balance

Balance, rather than perfection as the goal. And like physically balancing on a skateboard or railroad track it is a constant series of little adjustments that keep us standing upright. It means developing the small muscles that we may not use very often.

What if we thought about our challenges in terms of what adjustments we could introduce that would naturally bring things into greater balance?

Things die and that death is good for the ecosystem

In nature death gives life. As things die, they become food for the life of other things.

What if we let go of things that aren’t working anymore to make way for something new?

All living things have value in nature

Outside of some extreme cases where human intervention has introduced invasive species into ecosystems, all the living things in natural environments have value and play a role for the good of the whole.

What if we could assume that there is value in each life the organization touches and become curious to learn more about how it may already be contributing in ways we haven’t noticed?

Biodiversity is essential to reduce risk and improve resilience

In nature, continuous adaptation creates diversity which protects the ecosystem from the vulnerability of fewer species that can be threatened more easily.

What if we genuinely saw Diversity as an essential asset rather than something we ought to do, but don’t really value?

What else can we learn from Living Systems?

Here are some questions we are holding this summer at A Human Workplace. What do these prompts bring up for you? What other questions or prompts are you holding?

• What aspects of a living system are you curious about?

• What other principles or ideas could we bring forward into our organizations from nature?

• What nature can you explore this summer that might open your mind to new ideas which support healing and restoration in your body and mind?

Join the conversation.