SYSTEMS-FIRST MODEL

MODEL OVERVIEW

INTERCONNECTION

The model visualizes all the forces and elements separately to promote clarity and facilitate heuristic evaluation. However, in reality all the forces and elements are interconnected creating an organizational ecosystem. When forces work against each other, this creates tension within the organization. This tension increases change friction, sub-optimizes fit-to-purpose, and reduces the likelihood of lasting improvement. The goal is to decrease tension and bring the org design into balance.

ELEMENTS

The six Forces each have three Core Element Areas. An Element is a practice, process, policy, procedure, structure, state, artifact, capability, behavior, norm, or narrative of an organization. Organization have many Elements. However, the three Core Elements for each Force have been identified due to the frequency with which they show up impacting organizational change.

Additionally, the three Core Element Areas in each Force have different Flight Levels:

1. Strategic (first in the list)

2. Operational  (second in the list)

3. Tactical (third in the list)

The Flight Level of an Element provides insight into how directly it will impact a given change or challenge being planned or evaluated. This will affect how easily the impact of the Element can be sensed or how many Elements in the system may need to shift to achieve a desired result from an organization design.

MODEL DETAIL

UNIFYING FORCES

Aligning & Relating are Unifying Forces. This means that they are needed for the organization to function congruently. These Forces allow decisions and tradeoffs to be made in the other Forces. However, by themselves, they do very little to accomplish an outcome or enact change. When these Forces are not balanced with the other Forces, your organization sub-optimizes and loses integrity - as does the organization's leadership by association.

DEFINING FORCES

Shaping & Acting are Defining Forces. Shaping is a constraining Force. It dictates what an organization can do. Acting is a behavioral Force. It dictates what an organization will do. Regarding change, it requires a Defining Force to change an Acting Force. Balancing an Amplifying Force may make change easier, but Amplifying Forces alone will rarely change a Defining Force.

AMPLIFYING FORCES

Operating & Developing are Amplifying Forces. When the organization is stable and has a balanced design, Amplifying Forces will amplify that stability. During times of change, Amplifying Forces will often work against the desired changes if not accounted for and integrated as part of the change. Changing elements within Amplifying Forces tend to make change easier in other aspects when changed together. 

OBVIOUS & HIDDEN FORCES

Obvious Forces (Aligning, Shaping, & Operating) are associated with structural or procedural elements of org design, while Hidden Forces (Uniting, Acting, & Developing) are associated with behavioral or humanistic aspects of org design.

An observed tendency is that change often focuses on elements within Opaque Forces. That may be fine as a starting place as long as the Obscure Forces are considered soon and brought into balance. It will be difficult or impossible to sustain an organizational change using only Opaque Forces. We recommend starting with Obscure Forces.