by Susan Szpakowski

How we think about efficiency depends on the paradigm in which we live. In the machine age, we think of economies of scale, lean operations, tightly controlled strategies, long hours, and hard work. All of these have virtue, but I am also reminded of the elegance of an almost-invisible aikido move that sends a much larger opponent hurtling to the mat. Or images from the Art of War, or from the tipping-point paradigm, where a well-timed intervention releases accumulated energy toward a desired direction or result.

In the paradigm of living systems, we are learning our way back to elegant economies. Nature wastes nothing. Systems are themselves intelligent, constantly adapting and evolving, whether at the cellular or the planetary level. How can we, as humans, remember this intelligence? Now that our human-made financial, social, and environmental systems are mirroring back our lack of synchronization, how can we reclaim the systems intelligence that is all around us, and in us, so that we can continue to evolve our way into a bright future?

Last week I attended a workshop on innovation in primary care (doctor-patient relationships), sponsored by CIMIT, Plexus Institute, and Kingbridge Centre and facilitated by Keith McCandless. The theme of the day was the potential for “liberating structures” to release the latent intelligence in our healthcare systems. These “structures” were defined as the minimal rules and methods needed for groups to solve their own problems. So, for example, one small-group exercise was to identify the invisible “rules” that perpetuate unwanted results in primary care and then to ask, What does this tell us about what we need to stop doing right now? And what new rules do we want to test? In another exercise, the group followed the simple rule responsible for flocking behavior in birds—and soon we were swarming as a mass, without anyone taking the lead or telling us where to go.

“Liberating structures” come out of research into complex adaptive systems (or complexity science) and are rooted in the study of ecosystems. Unlike the prevalent business paradigm, “creative destruction” is seen as equally important as growth. Without death in the system, there can be no renewal. The S-curve is replaced with the infinity loop, which is ultimately much more robust and resilient.

From my vantage point at the ALIA Institute, I see how the green shoots of new-paradigm problem solving are all emerging from similar soil. They all provide “just enough” structure to clear a space for creative emergence. There are things we must stop doing—momentum we must interrupt—so that something can begin to show up that is fresh, intelligent, right for this time and place, and in sync with the future that is emerging. The World Cafe and Open Space have simple rules that make it possible to listen to oneself, to the other, and to the intelligence “in the room.” Theory U stresses the importance of “letting go” of preconceptions and also the source of preconceptions, so that “profound innovation” is possible. Chaordic processes focus on the structures that lead to coherence of intention, so that top-down control can be let go without losing forward movement. Deep Democracy uses simple rules of engagement that begin to surface the undercurrents and blockages that get in the way of healthy group functioning.

At the ALIA Institute, we also stress the importance of a personal “liberating structure” as an inner foundation for fostering an “outer” culture of collaboration and innovation. For example, mindfulness meditation provides simple rules that interrupt the momentum of habitual thinking so that it is possible to simply pay attention and be present. From there, we are ready to see clearly, listen deeply, and ask the real questions that will lead us forward. We have increased tolerance for ambiguity and paradox—two hallmarks of complexity. In a way, meditation is like Theory U or Open Space for one. Conversely, you could also say that engaging in collective “liberating structures” is a group meditation. One of the Institute’s founding beliefs is that such a personal practice is a natural and powerful foundation for new-paradigm problem-solving and leadership.

As external restraints demand that we “do more with less,” how will we respond? In these times, the inherent ability of organizations and communities to learn, innovate, collaborate, and adapt is more important than ever. At the same time, the impulse to contract into fear, rush into ill-informed decisions, and revert to old patterns of command and control is stronger than ever.

As leaders who have glimpsed the possibility of another way, how can we support our organizations and communities to navigate successfully through these times? How can we help ensure that the dissolution of past reference points becomes an opportunity for an upward spiral of learning, innovation, and evolution rather than a self-defeating downward spiral driven by insecurity and fear?

One way to “do more with less” is to join forces. Perhaps this will be a time of new collaborations, where we begin to focus on the common ground that nourishes new-paradigm methodologies, so that we can begin to speak with a clear and coherent voice about the critical choices that are now appearing before us all.