Originally published in the May 2003 Issue of Link & Learn.

The concept of "Wholeness" consists of parts, and connections between those parts. The science worldview currently being explained to us by chaos theorists and leaders like Meg Wheatley and Frijtof Capra focuses on the importance of the awareness of and focus on systems thinking. We must no longer see the world as a machine with isolated pockets of problems needing to be "fixed."

Wholeness is a goal that we need to strive for in everything we do. It is literally a "healing" experience. The entomology of "whole" and of "healing" is found in an old British word:

Weal \Weal\, n. . A sound, healthy, or prosperous state of a person or thing; prosperity; happiness; welfare.

We recently conducted interviews with experts in "Whole System Transformation." These experts are consultants who have studied under the founders of system transformation methodologies and have practiced for over 10 years (e.g., Harrison Owen, Marv Weisbord, Kathleen Dannemiller, Dick and Emily Axelrod, and David Cooperrider). In our study of the experts, we found five solid common elements or "Best Practices" in whole system transformation.

What we suspected - and have now confirmed through our interviews, is that these elements explain the principles of sustainability that emerge as a result of the use of whole system transformation processes. Each of the founders has created tools and a methodology that reflect their personal experience, which means that the processes appear to be different to the naked eye - and are different. Yet there are similarities that are deeper than the tools and methodologies. The larger implications for other consultants, are that if you ensure commitment to these five basic common truths, you can invent your own tools and technologies - and indeed must invent your own in order to really serve your own client systems. Let's briefly visit the five themes…

1) System

A system is comprised of a set of parts or components that are related or interconnected in such a fashion as to form an organic whole that focuses on performing a function. Thus, applied to organizations of people, the term "system" means that it is composed of two or more people and perhaps other elements as well, for the purpose of performing a function. Generally, that function is to serve a need, usually a need outside of itself - although the need could also be to itself.

A balanced system includes healthy, win-win interactions between its parts, ensuring that all will thrive. Balance is the secret to the health of the system. If there are win-lose interactions between the parts, balance will not be maintained and homeostasis will collapse. If any interactions between the parts are win-lose, you will, by definition, sub-optimize the whole.

Think about win-lose battles between siblings or between different generations of family members. How about recalling any win-lose situations that come alive when a family gets together for a holiday. For example; "Uncle John has hated uncle Robert since the neighbor's dog incident when they were twelve." Is there any reason you can think of for why this win-lose will continue? If you can get the situation to become a win-win, the whole family will be optimized - people can learn from each-other, laugh together, and support each other. This has the potential to lead to a "healing balance" to your family system.

Now let's look at the importance of boundaries around solar systems, whole systems, and the like. As a consultant entering the client system, we need to enter the system asking questions - we need to ask: "What are the boundaries of the system into which we will be intervening?" The first answer we get will likely not be the final answer.

2) Purpose

Purpose focuses on the reasons for the transformation. At its core, purpose answers the question, "How will the system be different?" Be open to new methods of achieving purpose. Act "on purpose." The system needs to work together to agree on the outcomes of their intentional behavior as you begin to move toward the purpose of your interventions. It will be critical to get people to agree on measurement criteria to be used at various points in the process: How will we measure success on this in three months? Six months? One year? If people can agree on success measurement criteria before they start doing the work, chances are strong that they will succeed. We need to see where we're going and agree on how we'll know we got there before we can ensure that we will get there together. The old adage applies here, "If we don't know where we're going, any road can get us there." And the further truth is that if we have not defined "there," we cannot know that we arrived!

3) Journey

Each of the founders of Whole System Transformation methods appears to see the change journey as some form of well-researched road map, articulated clearly in terms of the purpose of each step and the requirements between steps. The roadmap will describe the purpose-driven processes needed, as well as the flow of work across the global system. When the journey is delineated clearly and is believable to the reader, there will be no accidental turnings or detours. The outcomes of the whole journey need to be clear to all, as well as inspiring.

4) Theory

Good theory is the result of good research - well documented, well analyzed, and endlessly tested with different clients, until the results become truly predictable. Good research is shown by the robust nature of the results; e.g. "When we do this, that happens." The research processes can be of all kinds: action research, phenomenological research, quantitative, and qualitative. The research process used can date from the 1600s or from 2003; the real differentiation comes from the completeness of the measurement and the broadness of the applications.

By using robust theories, we know that we can get the results the system needs predictably, every time. "Trial and error" is not a good concept when you are working, consciously, with an inter-connected, inter-dependent system. Actually, you always are working in a system - the trick is that you need to remember that fact. You will need to get it right the first time as there may not be a second chance.

5) Values

What we believe and hold true is that each of the founders whom we studied is profoundly and totally driven by values about people, learning, caring, confrontation, and empowerment. It is not surprising that many of these values are common across the different methods - most of the founders learned and lived those processes at Bethel/NTL in the 1960s. They were all around the same age (give or take a decade) and were all hippies of the 60s, committed to empowering people to choose and live in the world and/or organization they yearned to have.

An important part of this theme should be pretty obvious. We have to live the values with every breath we take, every word we utter, every design we use. Any incongruity will bring the system to different outcomes. As the system intervenes, any phony behavior will spread across the system. Truth telling in everything we do is an important key to system change.

The Benefits of Being Whole

"Organizations tend to form in a biological manner as a result of the shared identity of its founding members; this identity emerges as a result of openly sharing information and the creation of authentic relationships and common yearnings" -- Michael Arena

What happens when a system becomes whole? What are the benefits? We believe the system knows the right thing to do and moves fast in doing it.

Everybody matters on this universe, everyone has a place, everyone has a meaning. And, in that, healing occurs. What are possibilities that are achievable if we work as a whole system? What do we miss by using divided parts of an organization? And, why is it particularly important in these times to be able to achieve system-wide success?

As organizations evolve, they often shift into a more mechanistic mode of thinking in response to their operating environment. Frequently, these pressures result in the loss of the originating identity. Our challenge isn't to attempt to alter the environment, but rather to unleash the shared organizational identity that existed from the very beginning.

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