How Do We Fit In?

There are two key elements that we must recognize and understand in order to have our function properly, Interactions and Integration. As a human being we interact with our environment 24-7. Yes, we even interact with our environment while we think we aren’t, like while we’re sleeping. Integration is how we make all that we DO, into all that we want to BE. If our system is not functioning around purpose and intention, then what is it really accomplishing?

Interactions

Very few systems have the luxury of operating in a complete vacuum. Most systems must interact with their environment, other systems, or both. How a system performs and maintains these interactions is crucial to how well any system will operate and survive. Many breakdowns in complex systems of systems will likely begin with an improper interaction between two or more component systems, rather than the complete failure of one or the other. This concept of identifying, and managing, interactions is a crucial element in our individual, and organizational, life and work. How we understand these interactions will be important in two key areas. First understanding interactions will minimize the risk of upsets and failures. Secondly, interactions will help us maintain flexibility and will likely be the source of feedback that is needed to keep our system on track and effective.

Integration

A system is created to produce something useful. In order to do this successfully, a system needs to have tightly integrated parts. This is internal integration. This requires one to know the inputs required, the outputs required, and the interactions for the system and it's parts. A system is usually not independent of other systems. Most systems are interdependent on other systems to function. This is external integration. If our lives are going to function as a whole, both internal and external integration are crucial. Integration is also the result of understanding of the three prior elements we have discussed: Balance, Priorities and Interactions. Get these defined and nailed and natural integration will occur. Like all of the other elements, integration also requires feedback and regular inquiry. Small changes, often imperceptible ones, can lead to major integration problems over time if adjustments are made. All of these elements once achieved, require maintenance. They are not autopilot, or "set and forget" elements. They require feedback and regular review. You must own and maintain these to have the unity you seek.

So how do you how do you determine interactions that are important to you and your life and work? How often to consider key interactions in planning your day, week or life? How often to you consider the integrated nature of your life and work? I would love to hear from the readers in the comments.

A New Model

So if we’re going to live rooted, purposeful lives, we must embrace a foundation of truth. For me this comes from embracing integration of my three primary truths as a basis for all I live and work for. First that there are indeed Moral truths that I should strive to embody. Second, that there are social/political truths that must guide the way I conduct myself in society. An lastly, that I am a Mind, a Body and a Spirit that I must strive to keep integrated and whole. All of this leads us to need a new model to guide our life and work. 

I call this the REPO Model.

R - Reflect

E - Engage

P - Plan

O - Own

A lot of people laugh or scoff at the acronym for repo. The thought that comes to mind is some guys taking your car in the middle the night. Repossession is seen in a negative light, of course no one wants to lose something they “own“, but in this case if you owe the bank money on car did you really own it? The answer is no!

I think the opposite is true. I think repossession is an apt description of what we need to do with our lives and work. We have loaned our life out to a deadbeat world, and we are failing time and again to make the payments. We’re fooled into a tech driven consumerism, or a politically driven need for Utopia, or a modern mobility-driven need for acceptance. What do we really get? Dis-integration. Our tech-driven brains get no rest. Our politically-minded ideas don’t get good outcomes. Our mobility leads to a lack of roots in the community and it taxes, if not destroys, our key relationships.

So the need for a new model is clear. Now let’s discuss what the components mean;

Reflect. We have to take time to reflect on what matters to us, our families, our community, and the legacy we will leave. We have to know in order to commit. We have to spend time in prayer, meditation and solitude to connect to our unique WHY. My pastor Chris Hodges sums it up well when he says if “we lose our why, we’ll lose our way”.

Engage. We have to engage and embrace those around us to live out our WHY. If it is not meaningful enough to lead us to engagement, then it is just selfish and will lead to loneliness and stress. Engaging with others will help us clarify the WHO. Who we are, as well as who is really important to us.

Plan. Without a plan, everything we glean in the first two Stages will be a wish, not a purpose. The old saying goes “ failing to plan is planning to fail”, and the only real way to fail is not to do anything. Our plans will clarify the WHAT and the HOW.

Own. We have to take responsibility for ourselves and our family. We have to stare down the abyss of resistance and potential failure and move forward.

 

This Model is not sequential, or linear. It is also not Rational, especially in today’s world. As we reflect, we may change how we engage. As we engage we may change our plans. As we plan, we may find new ways to engage. As we own our actions and our purpose, we may reflect on new plans. This Model is built to embrace the mixed-scanning mental Model approach we discussed in an earlier post {LINK}. In our next posts we’ll talk about how we put the REPO Model in action to repossess our lives and renew out hearts and minds. As the apostle Paul wrote over 2,000 years ago, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

http://bible.com/111/rom.12.2.niv

Why Do We Work?

Priorities are the reflection of the key "whys" in our life. If we are going to achieve a systematic, unified work and life flow, priorities are not optional. They must be set AND reviewed regularly. They are dynamic, not static factors, therefore they require feedback. Only you can determine what regular means in your life and work. Simon Sinek in his viral TEDx talk, gave a succinct discussion of why getting to YOUR Why is important and powerful.

Simplistic systems are focused on a very limited set of functions. Typically these systems operate in a closed-loop fashion. Inputs come in, get processed in some limited fashion to create an output and then either complete or repeat. There is little or no feedback, and no adaptability. More complex systems incorporate open-loop control, feedback and a myriad of processes based on inputs and/or outputs, with the ability to change or modify processes. Complex systems will establish priorities based on various parameters, either inputs, output, or process related. These priorities will help a system function efficiently and effectively based on it's real-time environment. Our lives are very complex systems, that operate in a complex system of systems called life. Understanding priorities in light of the intended functionality of a system are essential to creating a stable, effective system.

When we set out to create a life that is focused and balanced, priorities will be one of the filters we can use to focus on what is important. Priorities, to be effective, need to be derived from our values and focused on the vision for where we want to go. Having a clear sense of value-driven priorities will help us systematically shape the course of our goals and actions, and will help us clarify how we integrate the various facets of our lives into a whole.

One technique this especially useful in systematically determining a fundamental Why is the Five Why’s. Originally codified by Toyota in the 1950’s as a structured problem solving technique to determine the root cause of manufacturing and design problems, it guides critical thinking to get to the source. As any parent of a three year old knows, it’s been around for eons. So begin with the first why for your life and work that comes to mind. Then ask why that is important. Continue this three more times and you are likely to get to your unifying Cause. Get to this and a battle is won, and the weapon to win the war is now in your hands.

Once we have the WHY (or WHYS), we need to know how we fit them into our system. Next time we’ll discuss the key elements needed to get our system functioning around our WHY(S).

Who Do We Work For?

In the last post, we introduced the concept of systems-based self-mangement. I believe a systematic approach to self-management revolves around three key parameters;

Balance

Priorities

Interactions

Integration

In this post we're going to explore balance in more detail. In review, we said previously that balance can be described as;

Every well operating system is balanced. If any system, whether mechanical, electrical, celestial, etc. is unbalanced, it is also typically unstable. Unstable systems typically lead to failure. This failure can be gradual erosion in performance, a sudden breakdown or even a catastrophic event. Many systems that become unstable will not actually fail based on the instability, but they become more sensitive to other upsets, and when these occur, they fail as a result. Understanding the key parameters that keep a system balanced is an important.

I think when we look at this from our own complex system perspective, our life and work, we can most simply frame it as a question: Who Do We Work For? Simple question indeed, but the answers can go very deep and complex quickly. What constitutes balance in our own system will be a deeply personal answer that will depend on many different factors. The two most basic factors that will affect balance will be importance and timing.

Covey, in his outstanding tome First Things First, described the concept of importance and urgency. By understanding things that must be accomplished in the context of a quadrant of combined urgency and importance, we can balance our systematic approach to accomplishing our intended outcomes. It is essential to always keep the WHO in mind when we establish our intended outcomes. If we intend to serve a limited WHO, then we are more likely to be unbalanced. This imbalance will then likely throw off our sense of both urgency and importance. Ultimately this will lead to breakdowns by either an internal lack of satisfaction, or a significant failure in the other two major parameters; Priorities and Interactions. More on those in the next couple of posts.

So, Who do You work for? Do you have a clear sense of how your intended outcomes serve those who are important? Does your sense of importance and urgency align with your Whos? I look forward to comments.

Self-Management

Over the next few posts we're going to broach the subject of self-management. This is going to take us into the realm of beginning to make conscious, systematic decision about our life and work. Self-management is not so much about the decisions themselves, as it is about the parameters and priorities that we'll use to guide those.

Balance

Every well operating system is balanced. Look up balance in the dictionary and many definitions and uses can be found. One I particularly like is; The power or means to decide. If our system is balanced, we maintain the opportunity to decide. If any system, whether mechanical, electrical, celestial, etc. is unbalanced, it is also typically unstable. Unstable systems typically lead to failure. This failure can be gradual erosion in performance, a sudden breakdown or even a catastrophic event. Many systems that become unstable will not actually fail based on the instability, but they become more sensitive to other upsets, and when these occur, they fail as a result. Understanding the key parameters that keep a system balanced is an important factor in performance.

Priorities

Simplistic systems are focused on a very limited set of functions. Typically these systems operate in a closed-loop fashion. Inputs come in, get processed in some limited fashion to create an output and then either complete or repeat. There is little or no feedback, and no adaptability. More complex systems incorporate open-loop control, feedback and a myriad of processes based on inputs and/or outputs, with the ability to change or modify processes. Complex systems will establish priorities based on various parameters, either inputs, output,or process related. These priorities will help a system function efficiently and effectively based on it's real-time environment. Our lives are very complex systems, that operate in a complex system of systems called life. Understanding priorities in light of the intended functionality of a system are essential to creating a stable, effective system.

Interaction

Very few systems have the luxury of operating in a complete vacuum. Most systems must interact with their environment, other systems, or both. How a system performs and maintains these interactions is crucial to how well any system will operate and survive. Many breakdowns in complex systems of systems will likely begin with an improper interaction between two or more component systems, rather than the complete failure of one or the other. This concept of identifying, and managing, interactions is a crucial element in our individual, and organizational, life and work.

I'd like to hear your feedback on these three critical systems elements of self-management. Have you mastered any of these in your own life and work? Do you see these in your daily lives? Would mastery of any or all of these help your life and work?

Balancing Inquiry and Advocacy

One of the challenges most people face is the balancing act between inquiry and advocacy. Inquiry is the skill for investigating and understanding information or another's point of view. Advocacy comes into play when we begin to sell our own thoughts or ideas to another. We at this point are advocating our position and attempting to be right or win. While there is nothing wrong with being right and/or winning, if this is our focus it can significantly block learning for the individual that is locked into advocacy. If it is a primary behavior in a team or organizational culture, it can be very detrimental to learning, creativity and interpersonal relationships.

In many organizations, advocacy behavior is typically the type of behavior that gets rewarded. In fact many organizations see the very definition of competence as the ability to solve problems - to figure what needs to be done, and influence those required to get the outcome required. These individuals typically become successful based on their abilities to debate forcefully and produce results. Inquiry skills many times go unrewarded and unrecognized. However, as problems or systems become more complex and diverse, they can quickly outpace our personal experience and understanding. This drives the need for insights that go beyond our personal view and the need for learning. This is where a reliance on advocacy skills will become counterproductive. What is required is a blending, or balancing, of advocacy and inquiry.

Ultimately, the goal of applying a balance of inquiry and advocacy into a systems activity is maximize the learning and engagement of the stakeholders involved. By it's very nature, introducing inquiry into these situations will result in confirming and disconfirming data, assumptions and beliefs that are held by the stakeholders. This can be a very uncomfortable situation for those involved. Practicing inquiry and advocacy means being willing to open yourself to change and to test your own ideas openly. The result will almost always be a more creative outcome than could have been obtained through a typical, singularly advocated solution from a single source. So think about interactions you see within your own sphere of action. Do you see any of these in practice? What about in your actions, do you tend to one or the other, a balanced approach or do you just "clam up" in the face of extreme advocacy? I'd love to hear from you in the comments.

Inquiry

Inquiry skills are crucial to developing a systems thinking mindset. The ability to interrogate a complex issue or item, and remain mindful of what we see enables real systems learning.

Critical Inquiry involves several types of actions and skills to be effective. The first crucial Inquiry skill is to be able to ask purposeful and constructive questions. This skill involves both an element of content and delivery. It is important to pursue questioning in a constructive manner as it could be perceived in a bad light.

Secondly, it is critical to gather and analyze information that is germane to the system. Developing the ability to sort key information and view it objectively is invaluable in systems analysis. The primary importance of inquiry in a systems thinking context, is the ability to interrogate and understand our own individual (or group) mental models and how they affect how we guide our thoughts and actions. An imperfect understanding of our own mental models will enable us to continue to take actions within a narrow channel, even when those actions are inadequate, inappropriate or do not yield the results we wish to obtain. In a previous post, we explored the difficulties associated with a Rational Model, or reductionist approach.

Another ability is also crucial, it is important to master a skill to balance our tendency to advocate our own perceptions and ideas, instead of inquiring to understand other perspectives and new or different information. Balancing inquiry and advocacy is a critical step in learning and understanding systemic issues, and will be the subject of our next post. If we truly endeavor to obtain a systems perspective, it will very quickly become too complex and diverse than our own personal experience can adequately comprehend. Therefore, exercising our inquiry skills to comprehend new ideas and perspectives will be crucial in diagnosing what needs to be done, and in enlisting support to make it happen.

The Box

One of the crucial things every individual will need to overcome is the incipient trait of self-deception. Self-deception can come in many levels, but it will always lead us to act in an inconsistent way with our stated values. In a striking book called Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box, by the Arbinger Institute, the box is the frame that we place ourselves, and others, that leads us into this self-deception. This can take on many forms, but it always leads people, and organizations, into an area of dysfunctional interpersonal relations and a lack of focus on results.

Self-Deception, or The Box, will lead us to fall victim to four major flaws;

A lack of sincerity

A sense of entitlement

Seeing other people as objects (or worse impediments)

A complete sense of justification for all of our actions, good or bad

If you are attempting to practice self-mastery, you will have to gain perspective, and ultimately change these behaviors in yourself before you can completely unify your actions with your stated values. As long as this gap is large, your ultimate effectiveness will be stifled, or severely limited. We must learn to use, and balance, the tools of inquiry, reflection and advocacy to gain a more learned view of ourselves and how we relate to the others around us. (We will discuss these more in subsequent posts.)

Ultimately, being in the box will lead to a lack of proper focus on results. Most commonly, this will lead people, including leaders, to focus on, and confuse, activity rather than results. We will use our activity level to provide justification, rather than fulfillment. Through our seeing others as impediments, we fail to properly integrate, or collaborate, to achieve truly stellar, concrete results. We can allow our personal sense of entitlement to lead to a disinterest in the true purpose of what we're trying to achieve.

Any truly integrated system, whether it is a highly complex spacecraft, or whether it is the life's work of an individual, it is the results of the systems effort that truly matter. It is the objective integration of unified effort that make any system truly functional, and it is the achievement that produces that makes any system worthwhile and effective.

Let me hear from you. where have you encountered self-deception in your own life and work? When have you seen the dis-integration of a team where self-deception was part of the culture? What do you do to fight these things in your own life and work?

The Big Picture

We have all experienced some mental Olympics when we have dealt with a significant crisis or change in our life. How we see the crisis, or change, and it's consequences can significantly affect our response. These can lead us into actions, overreactions and in some cases paralysis. The importance of having a systematically grounded mental model can be crucial in dealing with our view of change and growth.

The concept of mental models has been around for years. They can be called many things, such as models, paradigms, and filters. The latter term can be limiting but it does describe one essential aspect of how most mental models can be applied. When we subconsciously apply mental models, we will filter input that doesn't fit our model and we can overestimate the importance of confirming information. In this day and age, our society is becoming fractured, dis-integrated, because rapid communication like cable news, social media, etc. tend to be avenues where people can feed on Confirmation Bias. Being able to understand a big picture that is grounded in our goals and tested open-mindedly is a critical step in self-mastery and establishing a working systems thinking model for yourself.

An important skill that one needs to apply to our lives to unlock The Power of One, is the skill of reflection. Peter Senge wrote in his seminal work The Fifth Discipline that, "skills of reflection concern the slowing down our own thinking processes so that we become more aware of how we form our mental models and the way they influence our actions." The bottom line is systems thinking, in absence of mastery of our mental models, is ineffective to get us to where we wish to go.

I would love to hear from my readers about instances where you've come face-to-face with the realization that your mental model(s) was disconnected from the big picture.

Self Mastery

As "The Who" sang out in their 1978 release "Who Are You";

Who are you

Who who who who

Who are you

Who who who who

A major question that could have many answers. As a result, the first two themes we are going to explore in The Power of One are Self-Mastery and Self-Management. These are similar themes, so it is important to contrast my thoughts on what makes them different. In my line of thinking, Self-Mastery is more associated with our thoughts and paradigms, e.g. How we see and feel about the world around us. In contrast, I view Self-Management as more of the processes and actions we follow to live, work and play. Another way to look at it is my taking a holistic view of what makes up a person; mind, body, and spirit. Self-Mastery would be about the mind and spirit, whereas Self-Management would be about the mind and body.

I feel like it is important to explore Self-Mastery, before Self-Management, for obvious reasons. If we are looking at how to achieve more unity and hence more power in our lives, then we have to get a grip on who we are, before we worry too much about what to do, or how to do it. To follow an old quote "If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there." It is the difference between leadership and management. Leadership is seeing the forest, finding the forest in context of the country, etc. Management is cutting down trees effectively to make a path home (or to work, etc.).

So over the next several posts I want to dive into the messy area of Self-Mastery. We will explore four primary areas of Self-Mastery to help us gain and understanding of, and maybe some applications to our own lives. The four areas are;

The Big Picture

The Box

Inquiry

Balancing Inquiry with Advocacy

Let me know in the comments what you think of this topic of self-mastery.