The secret to discovering the new rules of the game

Image by Changhua Coast Conservation Action via Flickr

The ‘old’ rules were based on mechanistic thinking – seeing people and organizations as machines.

And they’re not.  We’re not.

People and organizations are living systems.  It’s not the org charts that define organizations – it’s the relationships.  The relationships between the people in the organization and between the people in the organization and other organizations are the living systems of your organization. 

The more constrained these relationships are by policies and controls (the ‘old’ rules), the more limited they become, and the more ineffective the organization becomes.

The stronger and richer the relationships and the interactions and the sharing of information, the more vibrant and dynamic the organization.  The more people can connect authentically and honestly, the more

And the currency of these living systems, of these relationships?  Conversation.

To nurture the living systems that our organizations are, to discover this new game, its rules and what ‘winning’ means, you, as a leader must be able to engage the players and nurture meaningful conversations.  And this is true whatever level and position you are at in the organization.

To engage others, you have to create a safe environment that allows them to let down their barriers, their masks and have the real conversations they need to have to find the way through these challenging times.

And to do that, to create that safe space, you have to model what you want.  You have to show up authentically to show them that it’s safe for them to do the same.  If you can’t do that, they never will.

That's my 2 cents.  What do you think?