Anecdote: Criteria for implementing initiatives in a complex space

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16/05/08 |

Criteria for implementing initiatives in a complex space

By Shawn. Filed in Complexity, Facilitation.

Dave's written a excellent post on how to make progress in a complex environment. It's excellent because it comes at a time when I'm working with a client where their staff have come up with a range of initiatives yet there is a feeling among some of the project members that the initiatives wont make a difference—they are not clear winners.

In hindsight, I should have made my approach clearer to my client and said that we create a process for the client to work things out for themselves and that I don't have the answers. I suspect they're used to the highly controlled and 'expert' facilitator who leads the group to a conclusion that is mostly pre-determined. But I didn't do that. I used a combination of narrative techniques, open space and world cafe approaches so the business folk worked out their own way forward.

Mind you there's a spectrum here. I have insights to share. I've seen many other organisations and their initiatives but I know the context will be different and a tremendous success in one organisation might go nowhere in another. But they are still possible patterns for experimentation. I need to work on other ways to share these ideas and experiences.

I liked Dave's tests for whether an initiative should be tried. To paraphrase:

If the proposed initiative fits in with things that have happened before and what might happen in the future, give it a go
If a failure in unlikely to be overly costly and there are things to learn, give it go

I'd like to add another criteria,