Systematize Change

What do you think of managers who say that systems thinking does not allow for the application of gut instinct or intuition in order to effectively address change issues and the challenges they create in organizations? Is it possible to systematize change and, if so, how would we accomplish this?

On the surface, the idea of going with one's gut instinct seems like an attractive one -- but this calls into question the idea of where one's intuition or one's gut instincts originate. What can seem like a spontaneously generated, new and brilliant idea is likely to be rooted, however unconsciously, one's organizational culture and personal prejudices.

One is always locked in a system, and into certain approaches of how to do things, and understanding where these assumptions originate as part of a greater whole can actually be liberating, rather than constraining. Furthermore, change issues are one of the most holistically affecting aspects of management. Change affects the psychology of workers, the way business transactions are conducted with clients, often even the technology the organization uses.

While this also means that it is not possible to predict and entirely systematize personal responses to changes within organizations, it is also essential to avoid some of the uncertainty and 'crisis management' mentality that can create a negative atmosphere during a major organizational change. The Society for Organizational change suggests viewing all organizational changes as a series of "links and loops." Rather than seeing change as plotted out in a straight line, change is a cycle in which "there can be any number of elements in a reinforcing loop, all in a circle, all propelling each others' growth. Reinforcing loop situations generally 'snowball' into highly amplified growth or decline. A reinforcing loop, by definition, is incomplete. You never have a vicious or virtuous cycle by itself. Somewhere, sometime, it will run up against at least one balancing mechanism that limits it." (Goodman, Kemeny, Roberts, 2006) Organizational change is thus not a plan in systems theory, but a balancing act, an attempt to create and sustain a positive momentum, against limiting, negative influences.

Works Cited

Goodman, Michael & Jennifer Kemeny, Charlotte Roberts. (2006) "The Language of Systems Thinking: Links and Loops." The Society for Organizational Learning. Retrieved 9 Aug 2006 at http://www.solonline.org/pra/tool/loops.html