The importance of approach in regenerative organisation design and development

The central role of thinking in the regenerative paradigm.

After reading around a dozen leading theorists and thinkers from the ‘regenerative’ paradigm’, the one thing they all have in common, and almost the first thing they all say, is that to change the way we do things into being regenerative, the first thing that needs to change is the thinking.

Most of them also refer to consciousness development and the notion of a new paradigm - some call it integral, some metamodern, some anthroposophy, and of course many more terms besides. This new consciousness of course centres around thinking (as thinking is that through which we make sense of the world, of life), and on an essential level, again there is consensus that this new form of thinking is integrative as opposed to ‘mono-ontological’ - a multiplex of worldviews, all with valid partial truths, none with valid claim to knowing the whole - the notion of certainty becomes almost laughable - at least an intellectual certainty based solely on ‘facts’. There are valid counter-arguments for almost any claim (especially in the social realm).

Jean Gebser calls this thinking ‘post-dialectic’ (going beyond dualism), ‘a-perspectival’ (going beyond even a multiplex of perspectives) and with a quality of ‘time-freedom’ or freedom-from-(linear)time.
Rudolf Steiner’s praxis (which is what Lievegoed’s work is based on) calls it ‘living thinking’ ‘heart thinking’ and ‘intuitive thinking’.

The underlying approach from Lievegoed is to apply ‘living thinking’ to everything in the organisation.

As an organisation is conceived and operated, and as strategy is formed, if one starts with the action as primary, and works through to the insights and wisdom, the knowledge is alive and adapted to the organisation, context, and the situation.
The old thought form begins with seeking insight/wisdom and working this through into action planning and executing - this is the form that places concepts and ideals as a blueprint to which reality must be shaped.
The new approach integrates the rational mind into its proper role as searcher and seeker, shining light onto areas that arise as needing to be explored with full (embodied) consciousness.

Old forms of thinking - the pre-regenerative paradigm if you like - enact a thought-form that always has a primary perspective (this could even be ‘integral’ or ‘metamodern’). The mind is then fixer and former of conclusions, and the certainties become the instrument through which destructive leadership and strategization occurs.

In all forms of integral thinking there are notions of levels of consciousness, and in framing why this can be important, Lievegoed’s notion of which level one is operating from is very illuminative in this regard.
The following three ‘levels’ (not to be confused with stages or states of consciousness - more like ‘modes’, although there is a sequential nature that is ever more towards the archetypal), are:
The ‘imaginative’ - intellectual mind. Regenerative leadership is about proper methods, adequate plans and strategies - a largely quantitative approach. Is it true?
The ‘inspirational’ - emotional mind. The focus is on the qualitative effects of the (plans and) actions. Is it Beautiful?
The ‘intuitive’ - embodied mind. The focus is on the moral - Is it good? This forms the basis for all action - and this requires constant questioning, constant learning, constant reflexivity.

A central point in Lievegoed’s approach is the notion that the work is in manifesting the threeness of archetype, form, vision through the fourness of development in time - the key point being that we must avoid attempting to (whether consciously or subconsciously) imprint our ideals onto reality - rather the archetypal inspiration ‘informs’ every step of development in time/context: we can check back to see (or ideally, to inhabit a state of presence that is mindful of) whether our actions are engendering the good, have beauty, and are truthful - whether we are developing fraternity in economic activity; working from/with equality in governance (and with transparent use-of-power); and that we are engendering freedom in culture, thinking and spirituality.

‘Squaring the triangle’ in Organisation design, enactment and development

Threeness (the archetypal): freedom in culture; equality in governance, fraternity in economics - the inspiration.

Fourness (development in time): enthusiasm, insight, action and result: the process in time and context - the enactment.

Integrating threeness into the steps of fourness: Applying these ideas to the regenerative organisational context.

1. Organisation design: engendering enthusiasm

1. Place/physical Connectivity -

   1. spirit of place, local wildlife, social setting, local economy, organisations as living systems.

   2. Regenerative design principles.

   3. Nature as a core partner.

2. Personalisation/individuation - engaging with what is unique in individuals.

   1. Reflexive role development.

   2. Self-responsibility. Full engagement.

   3. Healthy boundaries/balance.

   4. Clear communication. Good contracting. Accountability. Transparency

3. Community/enactment - discovering and co-creating what the future is calling from us.

   1. Connection.

   2. Regenerating each other through self-regeneration

   3. Collective insight
      
      

Regenerative design:

In OD terms, what are the ‘ingredients’ for engendering enthusiasm? E.g. sense of security, good communication/culture, sense of agency, sense of purpose, responsibility, freedom and dignity.

As an organisation how can we meet the individual and ‘speak to’ what is highest in them. What are their unique gifts? What makes them sing? Where can they shine?

2. Strategic approach: developing insight for conscious enactment

1. Imagination/thinking

   1. Integrative thinking, understanding that things can only begin to be understood by combining/integrating/holding together differing perspectives.

   2. Creativity - learning to lean into creativity as a consciously cultivated ‘resource’.

   3. Criticality - ability to critique all aspects including self.

   4. Living thinking. Resisting the urge to ‘crystalise’ before things are ready and/or all key perspectives are seen/considered. Keeping things alive. Resisting conclusions, continually learning.

2. Inspiration/connecting

   1. Connecting with body, inviting in ‘other’ ways of seeing/communicating - bringing nature into the conversation,

   2. Connecting with soul. Offering ‘soul food’ (e.g. quality cultural initiatives). Connecting with cycles of the earth and cosmos.

   3. Connecting with collective and planetary impulses, connecting with spirit.

3. Intuition/enacting

   1. Role modelling

   2. Reflexivity / self-awareness. 3rd person view of self as behaving personality.

   3. Invitation - Forcing and coercing are seen as counterproductive and counter-regenerative. Transparency with use-of-power.

   4. Hierarchy of roles not people. Leadership is seen as a process occurring between people, not a unidirectional flow from leader to follower.

   5. Service. Deep professionalism. Inspiring others through integrity.

Integrative strategy

How do we as organisations (and leaders of them) ensure that we first recognise, and also nurture new life that comes towards us, and don’t unwittingly quell the enthusiasm that is being gifted, also ensuring that new energy does not adversely affect what is already growing?

How can we work toward the ideal of community and collective leadership whilst being mindful of what is currently real? Growing into full realisation through the phase of new growth and consolidation is the antecedent condition for integration to emerge and grow.

3. Operational enactment: Reflexivity in action:

1. Head/mind/thinking: Beholding

   1. Clarity. Developing clarity in thinking and communicating, in roles and responsibilities and plans and strategies.

   2. Integrative thinking. Living thinking (as opposed to ‘dead’ mechanised thinking). Spirit inspires through intuitive thinking.

   3. Moral awareness. Know where obligation comes from. Take full responsibility.

2. Heart/feelings/connection: Communing

   1. Humility. “Tuning in’ ‘Reading the room’ ‘Listening’.

   2. Conscientiousness. Taking care of things.

   3. Service. Putting in more than you take out.

   4. Adopting a learner’s stance - leave the knowing for yesterday’s ways.

   5. Gratitude.

   6. Work as play.

3. Body/will/action: Recalling

   1. Integrity. Walking your talk (which means also knowing your talk…) - learning who you are ‘as a behaving personality’, discovering what your ‘theory-in-use’ is, and whether it matches your espousals (what you tell yourself and others about your rationale-for-action). Embodied enactment.

   2. Being open to (and looking for) feedback.

   3. Freedom and responsibility. Taking full responsibility and honouring freedom and human dignity.

Integration into context and development in time

Developing a single will born of integrated beholding, communing and recalling embodied through conscious action - founded in our hearts, directed in our heads, given through love.

4. Regenerative results: Impact over intention.

1. Learning organisation. Capturing what works, developing what needs improvement. Not resting on past success.

2. Regenerative KPI’s

   1. Environment: developing regenerative land projects; local/ethical supply chain

   2. Social: sense of purpose, development, a place to come and shine.

   3. Economy: entrepreneurial opportunity; networked organisations, benefit to local area. Organisation is financially stable. Entrepreneurial rewards?

   4. Personal/professional development - Organisation/roles. KPI’s for self-leadership and development (not linked to reward, but for self-reflexivity).

3. Creating social ecosystems

   1. Networks for social growth - fertile ground for creative ideas

   2. Local connectivity (public - a place to come)

   3. Partner organisations / inter-organisational community

   4. Local currencies / alternate economic transaction

   5. Political engagement

Regenerative organisation and environment

Organisationally, we need systems to ensure the maximisation of learning and for our processes to be dynamic and adaptable. The balance is between the fixedness of form, of threeness, and the chaos of fourness. If we hold too close to the ideal, rigidity takes hold - too much development and fluidity, and chaos ensues.

Inter-organisationally, through becoming ever more clear and conscious of our own design principles and enactment, we can find suitable partners with whom a mutual sharing of ideas and trade can occur.

The way to ‘sell’ ideas, is through enacting them so well that people want to know your ‘secret’.

We need to constantly strive to align with the living-ness of our organisation - so often what was once the right thing, becomes a key obstacle in developing further.

Some reference links:

Biographical phases of organisations https://www.barefootguide.org/uploads/1/1/1/6/111664/phases_of_organisation_development_-_bfg1_17.pdf

Lievegoed essay - The institutions of spiritual life. https://q46488.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Lievegoed-Spiritual-Organization-Booklet-final1.pdf

The following is an excerpt from a book written in 2017 on Lievegoed and Anthroposophy:

“We arrive as a human being traditionally in a historically formed theocratic social order. The house of God is above us working down, the devils house has been fallen down and is under us working up, and we humans are in between and can go either way in our soul. After a long development, man has finally fully landed on earth and it is our 'I' that is individualized living in the human soul. God and the devil are far away when it concerns the daily consciousness of our soul. The earth on which we live has been transformed into a social - economic system as our organized home in which the service of one man towards the other is done by all of us. We now live in a global economy as a common human creation.
The world economy is driven forward by countless organizations of all signatures. Every organization is connected to all existing economic processes. She is the perfect manifestation of the human soul in its actual status. The organization exists only when it is created again and again, and she has no sense than the sense that involved people add to it. Organisations must be revitalized again and again. Just as the soul comes and goes and creates itself this is what is reflected in the life cycle of organizations.
Man has become entirely an individual soul, a mini cosmos in which all processes individualized unfold themselves. The natural common binding, which previously showed itself in family, nation and religion, evaporated and the socio/economic reality comes in its place. A wonderful base for a conscious soul change and development is created. After all, here we can say goodbye to blood and soil, to ideology, or to everything that divides people and blocks us to connect with the other human being. Fraternity, equality and liberty are actually human realities in this man-made world that are ‘in becoming’.”

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