​The organizational ecosystem helps us understand how our organizations respond to change and how we can manage change more effectively as change leaders. Over the past few episodes we've discussed systems theory and how understanding organizational systems help us better understand how change happens in a group setting.   
Well, this is where we get to the good stuff.  What if there was a change model that talked about the organization as both a structure and an ecosystem?  I developed Connected Change for this specific purpose - to address gaps in the current change models and come up with a focused approach that helps us better understand and predict how our organizations respond to change. Furthermore, Connected Change is an integrated change approach that defines the system attributes we are changing alongside core organizational components, AND helps us identify which interventions will be most effective in moving us from current to future state. 
In this episode I talk about the Connected Change model and the 5 elements: Power/Influence,  Politics, Culture, History and Stories and how we use these core elements to bring out profound changes in organizations.

​You can learn more about connected change here:  https://www.charthouse.ca/connectedchange.html

During the Pandemic, our world was turned upside down. As we exit into the immediate post-pandemic period, it seems like many of the changes that were made are going to stick. Why is that?  When looking at complex adaptive systems and change, having another event kick the system out of homeostasis can actually be a huge advantage to bringing about changes to the system itself.

Also - humans? We LOVE homeostasis.  So much of who we are, our nature and how we respond and react to change has to do with maintaining homeostasis. So what do we need to do to change?  Change the system itself and create new systems to sustain change.  
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This wraps up our 5 arc series on Complex Adaptive systems!  listen to episodes 13 - 17 to catch them all.

Fully captioned videos are available on YouTube

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Change is not a process, it is the destination.  If we look at change as a process in a systems view, it doesn't work! Complex Adaptive Systems aren't linear, so applying linear process to a system often ends in failure.  When we add a layer, thinking about systems in homeostasis, we start to see why incremental change, tweaks and nudges work.  Systems seek steady state, and small adaptations are easily absorbed.  When we want to make big change, we need to change the system itself and seek a new and redefined homeostasis in order to make things stick.

Fully captioned videos are available on YouTube

In the domain of biology, organic biological systems are characterised by a state of homeostasis or "steady state".  Complex adaptive systems are adaptive in nature, in that they exist in steady state and attempt to preserve steady state through adaptation.  When something threatens or changes the system, thereby interrupting steady state, the system will adapt to return to steady state as quickly and efficiently as possible. When change is introduced, there is a push and pull, an ebb and flow that is a natural part of the system. Like the waters of the earth resist the pull of the moon's gravity, creating the tides, there is a natural ebb and flow to systems as part of change.

​Fully captioned videos are available on YouTube

Learn more about:

Tides (a fascinating visualisation)
The why of tides
Homeostasis in Biological systems