The Loop: From a system in decay to an emerging new system.
The systems of the world have got stucked ,we all agree on that. We are living a transition phase right now which might cause frustration and uncertainty. Is time now to understand the general overview of the situation and decide how are we going to facilitate the change, how we are facing The Loop.
Nowadays systems are in clear decay, managed by top-down orders, too complex mental models, wicked problem obsessions, individualism, lack of common good values and _____________ (write here your own one).
The good thing in here is that we are living right now in a transition period in which solutions and new paradigms are being prototyped and put into action by ordinary people and collectives trying to do the extraordinary. More and more people are working fully commited to tackle a common problem we are facing as a society, P2P relations are increasing, we are implementing more and more nature-based solutions, and our Whys are getting more clear.
I’ll try to describe the profiles of the ones that will be in charge of The Loop, the ones that are going (actually , are) to facilitate the change and construct the new system. Both individually and collectively.
The Loop – by Whitekaos
The Changemaker (The change facilitator):
I think that everything starts from oneself and continues from how we interact with our environment and how we are able to create value performing on team of teams. Besides, I think a key skill is how good we are understanding our surroundings and reflecting learnings.
Bill Dryton (CEO and Founder of Ashoka) says “Everyone has to be a change maker, because if you aren’t able to contribute to change, you’re not going to be a player.” I think this is the shift each one of us need to experience in order to become a more civic, active and socially sophisticated society.
But hey, which are the key skills we need to have to become a changemaker and to be one of the enablers and facilitators of The Loop? Following Dryton’s thoughts those who master empathy, team work and leadership mixed with creativity, entrepreneurial quality and ethical fibre are the ones to lead the change.
These people are going to be the ones curating and facilitating the choices we need to take in order not to fall into the paralysis and insatisfaction that the overdose of information and opportunities are leading us to. These people they give themselves permission to be free and take risks.
We are all social animals and we special because we’ve got the ability to build communities and cultures, common languages in which we share values and beliefs. But how we should this structures might look like?
The Changemaker Structure (A organization/institution with a WHY):
The Changemaker structures are going to be the one that can manage The Split situation. In Simon Sinek‘s words:
As organizations grow, inevitably they reach “The Split,” a point when what the organization does gets separated from why it does it. When this happens the emphasis on making money increases along with the stress level. At the same time, passion and trust decrease. When the Split occurs, stress goes up and passion goes down. The old timers in an organization say, “it’s not like it used to be.” Companies begin obsessing about what the competition is doing or how they might respond to their actions and decisions. These are all symptoms of the Split – the point at which what you do becomes disconnected from a clear sense of Why.
The learning companies and structures of the new system will have a four bottom-line result indicators: economical, social, environmental and spiritual (Seidler & Baggio) and a co-culture identity (Whitekaos).
The challenge here is not just being a changemaker or an isolated good case. The key point here is being a NETWORK of aligned changemakers, a co-society facilitating the new system. Cooperating with a shared vision despite of having different obejtives and milestones.
It is the time now to prototype and create new institutions and new structures. It is time now to design and work in changemaker networks and team of teams. Happily great examples are gaining presence and are mushrooming globally, networks and communities such as Ashoka, The HUB, Living Labs, Team Academy, and the streets and neighborhoods of course. Let’s work hard for a more civic, active and socially sophisticated society creating and empowering these Changemaker Networks.
And remember…
“The power of the people is much stronger than the people in power.”
— Wael Ghonim
- How are you leading the change?
- Are you working within a changemaker structure?
- How do you perceive this transition period?
- How do you imagine this new system can be build?
