Holoptic Foresight Dynamics – Part 3: The Creation of a Foresight-Conducive Environment
Holoptic Foresight Dynamics: Many parts lead to one new unique "whole" where Strategic Foresight plays a vital role.
In Part 2 of the HFD series, I pointed out the main differences between monopticism, panopticism, and holopticism, highlighting the fact that the evolution toward holoptic environments is characterized by:
- The creation of emerging properties that are greater than the sum of the parts involved.
- Perception by the parts (people, nodes, actors, etc.) of the emerging whole as a “unique entity.”
- An awareness by the parts within the system of their individual diversity and their role in creating the emerging whole/larger purpose.
- Intentional evolution practiced by the parts and the whole.
With these environmental characteristics in mind, it becomes easier to understand how an intentionally implemented holoptic model – whether in business, government, or society at-large – could be highly conducive to organization-wide futures thinking, aspirational futures framing, and successful foresight strategy.
Today, many voices are realizing the necessity of futures thinking and Strategic Foresight for organizational development, environmental sustainability and resilience, issues of energy and food, governmental transformation, and the overall advancement of the human species. We are living in a critical time in human history, a time of a “shifting” of our systems, and a transformation of our way of global thinking, learning, and living. For these reasons, it is being said that futures thinking is quickly becoming one of the vital skills for survival in the 21st Century! However, most attempts to make this skill an integral part of any business or change process have been met with frustration, resistance, and futility. It has been noted that humans have a tendency to think in the short-term, looking for immediate gratification, solutions, or ROI, and preferring to deal with situations as they arise. This may be partially true, but it is also more than likely a result of learned conditions, situations, environments, and practices in our general human and social evolution. For instance, in terms of evolutionary theory presented in a model such as Spiral Dynamics Integral, individuals and groups do not have the conscious ability – internally or externally – to operate from the more holistic and transcendent ideas contained in higher-level memes if they are still living within the ideological boundaries of the lower-level dynamics of tribalism, personal power, or protectionism. In other words, it is not the skill-set of futures thinking or strategic foresight that is at fault when change processes or strategies fail, but rather the fact that we have yet to practice the culture, environment and memes that allow us to embrace and actualize foresight as a natural outflow of organizational and social activity.
The organizational and technological progress toward collective intelligence... but is that enough - and what's next?
As stated in Part 2, society in general is operating at somewhat of a panoptic environment at present, in which the parts have access to one-another – creating a new world of idea-sharing, opportunity, and innovation – but have not yet generated the “sense-making” ability necessary to embrace the larger purpose or unfolding “whole.” It is within such a sense-making environment – a holoptic environment – that futures thinking and active foresight can be successfully implemented, and can even become a common part of the system. In this environment, such a flow of futures thinking and strategic foresight could be seen as unfolding in 3 stages, even as the parts of the system increasingly evolve in their understanding of the emerging whole which they are creating and supporting:
1. Holoptic Resilience: In this first stage of foresight dynamics within a holoptic environment, businesses or social initiatives begin to implement resilience as a vital element in all strategic practices. Resilience is quite different from sustainability in that systems and strategy are outfitted with the internal and external ability to rebound, adapt, mold, and be flexible to any emerging situation (and even to “Black Swans” and surprises) rather than seeking to maintain an environment of balance or status quo within the system. Resilience is a key piece of futures thinking and foresight strategy, and a holoptic environment makes this idea and its implementation much more natural in that a more organic state of existence (rather than an unnatural and mechanistic practice, common in today’s businesses, governments, and cultural practices) is sought out under conditions that are conducive to decentralization, complex adaptive environments, and emerging properties. A holoptic environment is one of resilience itself, adapting to the emerging whole as its “picture” becomes clearer over time, and thus this initial stage of foresight becomes a valued dynamic. (For a great treatise on “resilience” as a foresight tool, see Futurist Jamais Cascio’s article in Fast Company entitled “Resilience in the Face of Crisis: Why the Future Will Be Flexible.”)
Are the futures thinking dynamics of resilience and transformation integral parts of a holoptic model?
2. Holoptic Transformation: In the second stage of foresight dynamics, the parts and the “whole” within a holoptic environment begin to think in terms of ongoing transformation of the system and its higher memetic/practical purposes rather than attempting to hold onto “business-as-usual” and outdated systems simply because they are familiar – even the initial state of the holoptic system itself! (We can see this in the present crisis or “shift” in which governments and organizations are attempting to simply “tweak” or “reboot” the current operating system, failing to recognize that it is no longer viable under the changing external emerging conditions and internal thought processes.) A good explanation of “transformational” vs. “static” systems can be found in an article from Dr. Jay Gary – Regent University Foresight Program Director – entitled Global Recession, Organizational Depression?:
To find a better mindset than “more bricks, less straw” will require us as leaders to understand the difference between organizational development and organizational transformation. Organizational development (OD), or growing within present parameters, is the normal way we speak about change as managers. We talk about taking a company to market and beating the odds. We talk about improving productivity among our employees. This is all needed. Even TQM or total quality management, fall under OD. OD is first-order change. Organizational transformation (OT), on the other hand, is second-order change. Rather than solve problems in their present formulation, it is the search for a better paradigm. In their book Organizational Transformation, Levy and Merry define OT as “multi-dimensional, multi-level, qualitative, discontinuous, radical organizational change involving a paradigm shift” (1986, p. 5). OD, or first-order change for my university would be mean doubling its endowment over the next decade and expanding like a traditional land grant university, with tenured professors, a large on-campus population, and an emphasis on undergraduate liberal arts. While this vision of growth is good and normative, it is only achievable with massive infusions of capital. OT, or second order change for my university would require us to search for a new vision of higher education in the 21st century. This would involve preparing people for self-leadership, for life-long learning, as a mobile workforce. It would mean empowering global teams, empowering our professors to work both from home and campus, such that our graduates could lead their own organizations into the molecular age…
Again, holoptic environments are transformational-friendly in that the emerging future – emanating from the parts and their collective purpose (the “whole”) – are seeking to produce organic growth toward higher orders or levels of purpose. In this atmosphere, conditions and actors seek out the place of transformational breakthroughs rather than remaining in the old growth curve without recognition of new orders of “life.” (Purpose, direction, goals, meaning, or the “whole.”) Beyond only implementing a landscape of resilience, the holoptic parts and whole desire to transform, making the work of futures thinking and foresight part-and-parcel of the system. There is no more fighting transformation by leaders or policy – it is welcomed!
The third stage of foresight thinking and activity that would more naturally unfold in a holoptic environment is entitled “Holoptic Precognizance,” and I want to leave this for the next installment in the series, giving it the full attention it deserves as the apex of the HFD model. I would simply end this installment by stating that the goal of futures thinking and strategic foresight is not prediction, but rather the discovery of alternative future probabilities and possibilities, as well as navigating and adapting for preferable future outcomes, in order to create strategy that leads to adaptation, transformation, increased innovation, successful risk management, and the development of unseen opportunities. The term “precognizance” does not point to the use of extra-sensory perception or prophetic utterance in this model, but rather a movement toward a state of powerful insight, “direction identification,” and understanding of the system goals, purpose and the unique entity of the “whole,” allowing for successful strategic endeavors to be put into place that manifest aspirational future outcomes.
References:
Image 1: Jared (Flickr)
Image 2: Gauravonomics (Flickr)
Image 3: Addictive Picasso (Flickr)
We wanted to take a moment to reflect on the wonderful people we met in 2009 who have had a major impact on KedgeForward, as well as on our own lives. Needless to say, many – if not all – of these contacts came through social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook, wonderful collaboration tools indeed. Thank you guys, and we can’t wait to see what we can conjure up together in 2010!
So, without further ado…
Michelle James: CEO of The Center for Creative Emergence, and Founder of the Capitol Creativity Network in Washington, DC, Michelle also hosted the very popular Creativity in Business Conference in 2009. Named as one of the top visionary leaders on the Fast Company blog in 2008, Michelle has become a close friend of KedgeForward, imparting her creative wisdom into our processes, initiatives, and lives. You can visit her website @ The Center for Creative Emergence. (@CreatvEmergence)
Michael Margolis: Being that KedgeForward utilizes story and storyfields in helping clients to develop adaptive, robust, and transformative strategic futures, this one was a no-brainer. Michael is the founder of a storytelling consultancy for some incredible companies and social entrepreneurs, and his new book, Believe Me, helps clients to understand why they need to build a bigger story for their vision, brand, and leadership… brilliant! KedgeForward will be speaking and writing on this very subject more in 2010, and I’m sure much of Michael’s expertise will make its way into our services. (@getstoried)
Sheri Herndon: As Sheri recently noted, she is a futurist of a new emerging planetary civilization. Coupled with the fact that her birthday is on January 22nd (Frank’s birthday), it is no wonder that she has quickly become a Facebook and Twitter information guru for KedgeForward. As a Non-Profit Organization Management Professional, Sheri has incredible insight into social evolution and forward-thinking emerging issues. You can find this vital voice on Facebook here. (@sheriherndon)
Venessa Miemis: A graduate student in the MA in Media Studies at The New School in NYC, Venessa definitely characterizes the “new breed” of Futurist for the 21st Century. Her blog – Emergent By Design – is quickly gaining widespread internet popularity, and she is one of our favorite Twitter “intelligence nodes.” “Exploring the intersection between technology, culture, and communication,” Venessa is designing the logo for our 2010 website unveiling, and she is also going to be teaching alongside Frank at the Futuristic Institute at Duke University’s Talent Identification Program in Summer 2010. (@VenessaMiemis)
Jessica Charlesworth: Jessica (maybe somewhat unknowingly) is adding to the KedgeForward knowledge-base through her work as a “Design Futurist” in London. Her expertise and accomplishments are impressive: Graduating from the Royal College of Art (London) with a MA in Design Interaction, she worked with FORESIGHT (a government think-tank based at the Government Office for Science), and now works for a design research and strategy company called Sense Worldwide. One of her focuses is in designing new future forecasting methodologies – a practice that puts her in rhythm with KedgeForward as we continue to explore unique and transformative theory and methodology for improved futures thinking and processes. You can read more about Jessica here. (@jessginger)
Kate McCallum: There’s no better place to point out Kate’s accomplishments and influence than on the online community which she help to develop – c3, a hub for conscious creatives to bring about global transformation and authentic self-expression. On top of her long career in the entertainment industry – writing and producing for major studios such as Paramount and Universal, as well as working with Placido Domingo and the LA Opera – Kate is also strongly influenced by foresight and futures thinking (she is a member of the World Future Studies Federation). Kate is one of several friends helping KedgeForward to further develop our interdisciplinary and integral view of futures work, and we look forward to the creative endeavors on which we can collaborate in 2010! You can read more about the incredible Kate here.
Tom Goddard: Not only is Tom one incredible dude, but Frank had the privilege of staying at his home in Chevy Chase, Maryland during The Creativity in Business Conference in late 2009. Tom has his hands deep within the Integral community (a vital element in KedgeForward’s toolkit), and we have a ton to learn from him. As founder of The Integral Company, Tom helps clients to navigate internal and external complexity, and we thought that the following vid of Tom explaining the use of Spiral Dynamics, Integral Theory, and Big Mind is a good example of the power he potentially imparts to our own practice and focus. You can see the video here. Thanks Tom! (@baldzenman)
Tony and DaVena Jordan: Tony and DaVena are the founders of All Walks of Life, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides art and technology education to at-risk youth in the city of Savannah, GA (USA). Now, that short description doesn’t come CLOSE to doing justice to AWOL’s mission, vision, and accomplishments, so you absolutely must read about Tony and Davena here. Because this husband and wife team “fears youth are a ‘voiceless’ population with little control over the development of policies and legislation that can have resounding effects on them,” KedgeForward is excited about the future that they are creating for the youth and the city (as social initiatives and betterment are a huge part of our purpose as a foresight consulting firm). BTW, when you visit the link above, please donate to the 2K Strong and help AWOL to build a better future! (@awolinc)
Leigh Lawless: Marketing and Member Services Coordinator at The Creative Coast Alliance in Savannah, Georgia, Leigh is nothing less than a godsend to us. She has a heart for community development, as well as helping young companies and start-ups to experience growth. This woman is just one all around uber-cool person! KedgeForward looks forward to working with Leigh in 2010, and participating in her work of bringing creative and brain-based business to Savannah and the world! You can find out more about Leigh and her work here. (@leebaweeba)
Brynn Grant: Director of The Creative Coast Alliance, Brynn is very much in-tune with KedgeForward’s work in social development and entrepreneurial transformation. She has big plans for the city of Savannah, and we can’t wait to collaborate with her in the coming year on bringing adaptive strategy to TCCa and the city at-large. You can visit Brynn’s Facebook page here.
Rick Smyre: As the founder of Communities of the Future, Rick shares a passion with KedgeForward for helping cities and city planners to become more adaptive and resilient as we collectively move into increasingly volatile, complex, and uncertain futures. We met Rick at the Creativity in Business Conference in DC in October 2009, and we can’t wait to team up with him in 2010 to help identify emerging issues in our present cityscapes, and formulate transformative strategy and city policies for the 21st Century! You can visit Rick’s website here.
Gail Taylor: This fantastic woman is just nothing less than a kindred spirit! Gail is the founder of The Integrated Approach, and is doing for life coaching what James Cameron is doing for the future of the 3D movie experience! Having met Gail in Washington DC, she quickly became an inspiration to the internal aspect of KedgeForward’s services, and we know that her knowledge and insight will help us to broaden our own consulting practice for years to come. You can learn all about Gail here.
Dr. Kristin Alford: Since Frank has recently been named as one of the Directors for the Foresight Education and Research Network for 2010, we are going to get the opportunity to have extensive contact with fellow Director Kristin as the new year rolls in – and that’s a VERY good thing indeed! Dr. Alford is the founder of Bridge 8, a foresight consultancy in Australia, and a leading futurist voice in industry development and science communications. Her writing and ideas have already had a tremendous impact on KedgeForward’s own processes and focuses, and you can check these out for yourself by visiting here. (@kristinalford)
John Smart: We actually met John a couple of years ago, but recently reconnected, so we decided to slip him into the list. John is the Founder and President of the Acceleration Studies Foundation, and Founder of the Foresight Education and Research Network (FERN). FERN has big plans for 2010 (stay tuned) and Frank was recently named as a Director for the network. We can’t wait to work with John and “pimp” his ideas in the coming year, as KedgeForward has an internal focus on academic foresight for organizations and educational institutions. Way to go, John!
Kristi Miller Durazo: Describing herself as a Futurist/Strategist/Listener with the American Heart Association, Kristi is a great friend to have if you are even remotely into issues relating to health, emerging cityscapes, or the social impact of gaming (again, all areas of which KedgeForward has a great interest). She has been working on a project with the AHA to design cities so that they would promote “lifestyle health,” and we had a great conversation earlier in the year about the direction of infrastructure, technology, and social development in terms of a new paradigm of healthy thinking (man, the implications of such a project are VERY far reaching!). Here’s to working with Kristi in 2010! You can visit her Facebook page here. (@krash63)
Eric Garland: A prolific speaker, writer, consultant, and founder of Competitive Futures – and extremely funny – Eric is another “must know” futurist, and we are glad that we do! Eric has probably made us put on our thinking cap more than any other social media friend that we met all year. We certainly cannot do justice to all of his accomplishments and expertise, so you can read all about him here. We look forward to actually working alongside Eric in 2010 to produce a new generation of future thinkers and leaders, a skill set that is vital for life in the 21st Century. (@ericgarland)
Shana Ferrigan Bourcier: We definitely did not meet anyone in 2009 with more energy and enthusiasm for multidisciplinary transformation – socially, organizationally, and spiritually! Shana is a total visionary, and has a heart for health care, education, and city reform (and reframing), among other endeavors – both in the way we think about these issues, as well as how we intentionally actualize them. She is a true evangelist of the KedgeForward philosophy, and you can visit her consulting firm – Infinite Worth Enterprises – here. Thanks, Shana! (@infiniteworth)
And now, a special tribute to people that we met before 2009, but who have also had a HUGE impact on our lives and practice in this past year:
Dr. Cindy Frewen Wuellner: One of the most amazing futurist thinkers we know! You can learn more about her here. (@Urbanverse)
Dr. Jay Gary: The program director of the MA in Strategic Foresight at Regent University, Dr. Gary continues to give vital guidance to KedgeForward. Visit Jay here. (@drjaygary)
Kevin Beck: Kevin is the president of Presence International, which is presently undergoing a huge “makeover” in order to more fully represent their fantastic work on issues of global reconciliation, creativity, and community. You can visit Kevin’s blog here. (@transmillennial)
Tim King: As CEO of Presence International, Tim has allowed us to speak on a regular basis at the annual conference on community, creative futures, and social initiatives. Since KedgeForward also has a focus on helping faith communities navigate the ambiguity of the 21st Century, Tim continues to be an awesome friend and ally for global transformation. You can visit his blog here. (@post_christian)
Mark and Dena Brehm: We’ve known Mark and Dena for several years, and it just keeps getting better! Since none of us can give away all of our secrets, we won’t say anymore about this incredible couple for now, but you can visit and enjoy Dena’s blog here. Thanks guys!
Susan Isaacs: Frank has known Susan for quite awhile, and it just keeps getting better. KedgeForward has worked with Susan’s design firm – Paragon – facilitating a full strategic foresight process, and these guys just flat out “get it.” Their web, print, and media design is unparalleled, and you can visit Paragon’s website here. And thanks to the entire Paragon team – you guys rock! (@grenadasu)
To all of our fans, friends, and supporters – thank you for a great 2009, and here’s to a great 2010!
Food Systems in 9 Minutes: A Presentation on the Ideas and Outcomes of our Present Local and Global Food Economies
KedgeForward is happy to announce the release of a short slide/audio presentation entitled “Food Systems in 9 Minutes.”
Narrated by KedgeForward co-founder Mike Morrell, this presentation briefly examines the prevailing ideas and approaches to local and global food economies through the use of the foresight methodology known as Causal Layered Analysis, bridging the gap between our present reality and the hope for a more sustainable, resilient, and brighter tomorrow.
Are you concerned about what you eat, issues such as poverty and equitable food distribution, and the future of food on a local and global scale in general? Take a look at the link below…
Picture: johnny.hunter via Flickr
This is probably review for most readers of this blog, but today a write a little bit of an introduction to CLA (or causal layered analysis) over on my personal blog. Come on over and take a look, if you’re so inclined…
