So many things have changed in the past few years : those of us who are not millennials cannot recognize the world of our childhood. I remember my parents describing their younger years, which took place well before World War II. Their lives did not involve television, a telephone in every home or omnipresent cars: all elements that defined mine. I used to reflect on the disconnect they have felt between the environment in which they grew up and the one in which they lived most of their adult life. Until a few years ago, I believed I had experienced fewer changes in my life than they did., I also felt that the transitions they experienced were amplified by the fact that they were born in a rural area in northern Italy and moved to live in large Italian and international cities to raise my sister and me. Having turned 60, I am now quite far from my early years, and I am not that sure anymore.
Indeed, one of the most notable changes I have witnessed is related to how we communicate and exchange information and the rate at which we do so. Technologies to process and transfer information have changed how we plan and manage our organizations. Moreover, technology's impact is likely to accelerate further in the years ahead. In this blog, I will try to reflect on some critical drivers of change within organizations. They are not necessarily restricted to innovation in information technology but are often related to or enabled. I will also elaborate on some approaches that someone may find helpful to experiment with. The pace, the intensity, and the instruments of change will not be the same everywhere or within all economic sectors. Every specific situation will require proper contextualization.
To understand the evolution of a given organization, the more important aspect to consider is the intentions of the individuals that compose it and the stakeholders that revolve around it. The approaches and techniques discussed in the following chapters will appeal to those who believe that one cannot change a system without transforming first oneself. Intentions will determine the matters toward which they will direct their attention and therefore drive the organization's evolution. In that respect, the notion of consciousness will be one of the significant threads through most of the sections that follow. Along with Agility, Collective Intelligence and Digital Transformation, Consciousness represents one of the four petals of the peaceful Organizational Revolution unfolding before us.
Why the petals and the revolution? Because significant, disruptive changes can bring positive and negative impact. If you see a young plant germinating, you cannot know if it is a weed or a beautiful flower. I hope that the approaches presented here will help create environments within our organizations where diversity, inclusivity, and performance can flourish.
Let’s start by having a look at how the power of information is shaking the very foundations upon which our societies are built.
Follow the thread here .
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This post first appeared on the LUSVAL blog at https://fr.lusval.com/post/introduction-to-the-4-petals
Photo by PIXNIO