Leadership in Chaordic Organizations

Description

Supplying a clear vision of how to build high-performance teams, Leadership in Chaordic Organizations presents methods for improving operations through the application of complex systems engineering principles and psychological counseling techniques. Ideal for systems engineers, organizational managers, coaches, and psychologists, it addresses the fundamental issue of the human condition in systems development. The book considers the dynamic variables inherent in the human condition and how they impact group dynamics. Helping you to demystify complex system behaviors, it details an approach to leadership that integrates elements of neurobiology, systems engineering, complexity science, philosophy, and evolutionary and social psychology. It defines complexity and its impact on the organization and also explains how conflict can actually be constructive in group settings. Sharing helpful tips on how to build trust in today’s environment, the book also: Describes how the human condition affects group dynamics Lays out current problems and outlines workable solutions Shares a new vision of high-performance teams Illuminates theory with applications Illustrating what teams and collaborative groups look like in a decentralized environment, the text introduces a highly effective group communications process invented by Richard Knowles―describing its use in designing 3D Immersive Learning Environments that enable complex emergence in dynamic interactive simulations. It also discusses complex human systems (Wicked Problems) and the potential of multi-user virtual environments to provide the transformative vision needed to fully engage all employees in your drive to make your organization more effective, efficient, and sustainable. Cover Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Foreword Foreword Preface Acknowledgments Authors 1: Definition of Complexity and Its Impact on Organizations Definition of Complexity Complex System Behaviors Surprising Emergence Evolves on Its Own as a Whole Acts Robustly Thrives on Diversity Many Factors at Play Stimulates Different Perspectives Ever Changing Informs the Observer Performs Openly Internal and External Relationships Are Key Self-Organized Sensitive to Small Effects Exhibits Tight and Loose Couplings Complex Systems Engineering Principles Bring Humility Follow Holism Achieve Balance Utilize Trans-Disciplines Embrace POET (Political, Operational, Economic, and Technical) Aspects Nurture Discussions Pursue Opportunities Formulate Heuristics Foster Trust Create an Interactive Environment Stimulate Self-Organization Seek Simple Elements Enforce Layered Architecture Human Behavior Impact on Organizations Overarching Fragility Concern Recognize That Complex Systems Can Do Better than We Can 2: The Nature of Being Human Mind and the Brain: An Overview Basics of the Brain Mind, Body, and Environment Interaction The Mind and Emergence Images and Knowledge: What Is Reality? Innate Dispositions for Survival Beyond the Non-Conscious Emotions Reason and Decision Making Synopsis 3: How to Build Trust Perspectives on Trust World Politics, Religions, and Fear Biases of Individuals, Groups, and Organizations Learning in Organizations Storytelling Perceptions of Reality and Power Applying Laws of Power and Getting Inside Types of Trust Persistent Trust How Your Emotions May Affect Your Trust Interpersonal Trust When Not Face to Face Trust and Inter-Reality Systems Trust in Mental Health Trusting with Limited Interpersonal Contact Implications for Leadership Recapitulation 4: Collective Group Dynamics: A New View of High-Performance Teams Introduction Characteristics of Traditional Teams Enneagram© Cynefin Framework Examples and Level of Commitment Behaviors Distributed Team Models Serious Games/Virtual Worlds for Training Difficulties in Distributed Environments X-Teams Exploration of Dissenting Individual Mindsets Program/Project Management Information Sharing Guilds Organizational Learning Implications for Leadership in Chaordic Organizations Summary Takeaways 5: Application of Theory Complex Adaptive Systems: A Reprise of Previous Chapters Conflict Process Enneagram© Change How to Facilitate Change in Organizations Counseling Skills and Techniques Specific Techniques Core Values Ground Rules Evaluating Group Processes Social Systems The Individual Changing Our Behaviors Views of Reality Human Systems:—What Makes Them Complex Today’s Problems Come from Yesterday’s Solutions The Harder You Push, the Harder the System Pushes Back Behavior Grows Better before It Gets Worse The Easy Way Out Usually Leads Back In Faster Is Slower Cause and Effect Are Not Closely Related in Time and Space Small Changes Can Produce Big Results, but the Areas of Highest Leverage Are Often the Least Obvious Dividing an Elephant in Half Does Not Produce Two Elephants There Is No Blame Summary 6: Wicked Problems and MUVEs: Understanding Human Interactions through Multiuser Virtual Environments Dynamics of Living Human Systems at Work Psychology of Virtual Worlds Next Level of Interaction and Learning Narrative Structures and the Underlying Psychological Dynamics Appendix A Mini-Lexicon of Selected Terms Appendix B INCOSE Working Group Sidebar on Complex Systems Appendix C Quotations from The 48 Laws of Power Appendix D Research for Virtual Worlds’ Promotion of Oxytocin Appendix E On the Information Explosion Appendix F On the Deeper Impact of Virtual Worlds Appendix G Web Collaboration, Workspace, Blog Platforms References Bibliography Index