Two branches of science have always fascinated me because of the way they can be related to organisations, and how they can help us to think creatively about how to make them more successful, and ourselves in the process.
They also lead to a fundamental question you need to ask yourself about the way you behave at work, and my reason for sharing this with you.
Cybernetics is the science of communication and control systems found in biological organisms and machines. It is usually regarded as one of the many methodologies within the field of systems thinking (yes, systems thinking doesn’t just mean Lean!).
What I find most interesting in Cybernetics is what you can learn about how biological organisms survive and thrive in a changing environment, and the systems the successful species have developed to do that. All of this can be mapped to a corporate structure to determine if it is likely to survive.
For instance, boundary spanning roles and their ability to sense what is going on in their immediate vicinity (customer services/sales). Biological organisms also have intelligence gathering and decision-making systems too (steering committees/boards).
Thriving organisms have these systems perfected.
Thriving organisations have these systems perfected.
Thinking about organisations as living organisms jumps quickly to the next field of study, Population Ecology. This considers the way the population of different species grow and decline. This takes Cybernetics up a level and applied to organisations, how industries grow and decline.
Relevance to our work today?
If we think of organisations as living structures that have to survive in a population, and a changing environment, what ideas can we begin to think of that can help solve today’s problems?
For example, one company I consulted was facing a radical regulatory change that would abolish its government monopoly. Long story short, by thinking of it as a great big old organism we realised that there was no way it would be able to compete against a new generation of upstarts as the deregulation rolled out, unless it could regenerate itself. It was stuck in its ways, rigid in its thinking.
Instead of attempting to change the old girl, the idea was born to take some of its DNA and start a new company, in a new city, with new people, well away from parental sanctions. The main company could go on, but we would grow the next generation that would perhaps, one day take over the reigns as the leader. Then we could pension off the parent.
Personally, I think corporate euthanasia should be legalised!
At the time, my mentor and I considered writing a case-study book comparing large organisations with the symptoms of old age: The Corporate Geriatric (Keith, we must get together soon!).
As a fun preamble to the important question I’ll get to in a moment, think about your organisation. Is it showing signs of old age? Symptoms like memory loss, creaking joints, failing eyesight, cynicism, lack of flexibility, droning on like an old windbag, selective hearing loss?
Go on, have a bit of fun with it and reflect a moment on the processes, decisions, strategies that you see all around you.
Now I am not going to suggest you consider creating a strategy to put the old guy out of his misery, but it does make you think doesn’t it? And hopefully, brings forward new ideas for tackling some of these common problems.
So, if organisations can show symptoms of old age…
Are you displaying any of these symptoms as you go about your work?
Pretending not to hear things. Doggedly sticking to ways of working that are past their sell-by date. Criticising the younger generation. Conveniently forgetting things. Failing to keep up with technology. Being nostalgic. Mentoring people with “When I were a lad…”
I’ll leave you with your conscience.
Colin Gautrey
Provocative Coach/Mentor | Specialism: Impact and Influence
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