Organizational Development: A Manual for Managers and ... - FPDL

• Proactive reactions related to the predictable development of the situation (‘map of current
situation’ + ‘meta-model of reality’ = ‘map of future situation’); and
• Creative behaviour in the face of chaos (‘map of situation’ + ‘meta-model of reality’ + ‘maps
of alternative scenarios for development’ = ‘unrolling space of possibilities for the future’).
The realization of one or another scenario depends also on the organism itself, because it is a part
of the same reality. Sufficiently proactive reactions at the points of bifurcation (based on seeing
alternatives in the dynamic) may determine which scenario will be realized. Consequently:
• Reactive behaviour reflects existing reality (ignoring the future);
• Proactive behaviour reflects the future (ignoring chaos);
• Creative behaviour changes the future (utilizing chaos).
The existence of chaos allows one to easily influence the future (‘butterfly effect’). However, the
possibility to create the future depends on some important features:
• Amount of knowledge about the world (‘map of situation’ + ‘meta-model of reality’);
• Imagination (seeing virtual alternative scenarios for development); and
• Ability to make decisions (choice) and carry our corresponding actions.
In a world where chaos plays a principal role, the situation at any given moment is just one of the
more or less probable realizations of virtual realities, which existed as possibilities only a moment
before. And in the next moment – this reality is already substituted for another one. Structures and
behavioural patterns that were formed in one reality may be not effective in another reality and the
model of the world may become an out-of-date map, which is not applicable any longer.
Thus, orientation based on the perception ‘what does the world look like‘ gives way to orientation
based on the knowledge ‘what it may be plus the perception of which one of the possible scenario
is taking place in the moment. The map of ‘how the world is now‘ is losing value, because there is
little hope that in the next moment everything will still be the same. Cartography is changing the
chart. An organism is permanently charting the map of reality, based on what it perceives, and
interpreting its immediate perception according to what it ‘knows‘.
The amount of an organism’s relevant knowledge becomes a critical factor for the ‘right’ orientation
and for survival. In terms of competition (different organisms may observe the same picture, but
based on their different knowledge, may choose different behaviours that will bring different
results) relevant knowledge is also critical. No surprise that the knowledge base of an organization
must be the focus for managers and organizational behaviour theorists.
128