Replying to LO26831 --
>1. Is anyone aware of any cases of the TOC in the natural world in which
>human activity is NOT invloved? Or are instances of TOCs only found in
>connection with human behaviors?
>
>2. In the human domain, is anyone aware of any instances of TOCs within
>an organization, as opposed to between them? In other words, can TOCs be
>found inside individual companies or human organizations, or do they only
>emerge as a consequence of interactions BETWEEN companies, organizations,
>and individuals?
I'd try looking for sources (reservoirs, wellsprings, stocks, ...) that
are renewable but can be depleted (used, misused, ravaged, damaged, ...)
to a certain critical point beyond which they are unlikely to survive
(come back, be restored, ...). Depletion beyond recovery is possible even
when only one entity is depending on a source. It's more complicated when
two or more entities -- often unknown to one another -- are simultaneously
depleting the source. In the TOC story, two entities inadvertently
compete to deplete the source -- grazing material for herds. One or both
may be aware of the critical point beyond which the pasture may not
regenerate, but each is apparently unaware of how fast the other is
depleting the source until it is too late. Too much momentum has been
built in the wrong direction and the "wall will be hit" before the trend
can be reversed.
I'm thinking that people are usually aware that multiple entities compete
for common resources within organizations even though each entity may
behave as though they're the only ones depending on that resource. What I
believe is uncommon is people's understanding of the point-of-no-return
associated with many resources. As in the TOC story, how often do we take
the time to remember and understand how grass may be damaged beyond the
point of recovery? Essentially we can kill it even thought it may still
appear to be living for a period of time.
There are so many reservoirs needed to sustain an organization (or any
network of living beings). Some we're aware of and some we're not. We
may be depleting these reservoirs beyond recovery at any given point in
time. If we are, what are the consequences? I'm also thinking that the
linkages (connections and effects over time) among the various sustaining
sources are not well understood. And hence our over-dependence without
replenishment of any one source probably effects (and is effected by)
other sustaining sources. Such sources may be simply economic potential
or technological capacity. However I think that reservoirs of meaning,
trust, love, systems awareness, relationship, community, etc. are
routinely competed for and depleted beyond recovery. The consequences are
that an organization can appear healthy while it is indeed preparing to
"die." I also think it can work the other way in that we may be building
essential reserve in critical areas -- and while the organization may look
unhealthy for the moment, it is beginning to come alive again (and be
sustainable). Depletion and regeneration is usually not linear such that
our intutive ability to predict becomes fuzzy.
So I'd look for signs of these concepts whether they be "in" a group or
"between" groups, because these issues transcend group boundaries and are
characteristic of what we loosely call the "informal" organization.
We perceive ourselves to be so advanced in LO smarts, yet we know so
little about who we depend on -- and for what. We know so little about
how these sources build, or are depleted. We know so little about whether
they are fragile or rugged. Yet these sources are the wellspring of that
elusive sustainability.
John Dicus
-- John Dicus | CornerStone Consulting Associates - Leadership - Systems Thinking - Teamwork - Open Space - Electric Maze - 2761 Stiegler Road, Valley City, OH 44280 800-773-8017 | 330-725-2728 (2729 fax) mailto:jdicus@ourfuture.com | http://www.ourfuture.comLearning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <Richard@Karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>
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