P 1 Draft Version #5 January, 2001 © Bernard J Mohr, The Synapse Group, Inc. (207) The Design Phase of AI in Complex Systems: Creating Sustainability By Infusing Your Organization’s Social Architecture with the Power of the Dream “First we shape our structure and then our structures shape us” - Winston Churchill “ What is becoming increasingly clear to me is that if people do great work with Discovery and Dream, then rarely, if ever, do the older command and control structures of eras past serve the org; the new dreams always seem to have outgrown the structures and systems……..When inspired by a great dream we have yet to find an organization that did not feel compelled to DESIGN something very new and very necessary.” - David Cooperrider “Both the opportunity and the challenge to bring the dream alive through innovations in the social architecture are significant. Along with the questions we ask and the stories we tell about ourselves, the organizations Social Architecture institutionalizes our dreams. Much more than the boxes on the organization chart, it includes the work of the organization, the roles, tools and rules, the systems and structures - all the formal and informal mechanisms which sustain our daily interactions. When we align the social architecture in ways which support the emergence of the organizations positive core, the benefits to society, the company and the individuals are enormous. In fact, unless we are engaged in helping people to innovate their social architecture in alignment of their dream, I think we are missing a great opportunity and may even be derelict in our ethical responsibility. “ - Bernard J Mohr “ Organizational transformation is much more than the cumulative critical mass of personal transformation. It requires macro level changes - in the very fabric of organizing - the social architecture”. - Diana Whitney

P 2 Draft Version #5 January, 2001 © Bernard J Mohr, The Synapse Group, Inc. (207) Inventing Juggling Visualizing Fitting Gathering Data (Discovery Of Life Giving Factors) A Grounded Vision of the “new” organization (Dream) Bridging from Dream to Delivery:Using the Design Phase of AI to Create Sustainability The Discovery and Dream phases of Appreciative Inquiry begin the shift towards a new way of working. Energy for change is unleashed. A grounded vision (I.e the Dream.) of the desired future is created. The Design phase of AI allows participants to translate the Dream into organizational reality - to find ways of using the organizations infrastructure to bring the dream into being Sustainable Action (Delivery) Translating the Dream into Social Architecture (Design) No Magic Formula

P 3 Draft Version #5 January, 2001 © Bernard J Mohr, The Synapse Group, Inc. (207) Three Possible Approaches to the Design Phase I. The Requests, Offers and Commitments Approach. In this approach, participants are asked to think about the parts of the Dream for which they have the most passion, the parts of the dream which they most want to bring to life. Each participant is given the opportunity to publicly state a simple commitment, make an offer or articulate a request. (Although particularly appropriate to situations where the focus is on relationship development rather than organizational effectiveness, this approach can be effectively combined with the more systemic approaches shown below) Simple Commitments describes actions that can be easily taken, typically within one to two weeks and are within the existing authority and resources available to the person making the commitment. Offers are a form of “gift” - for example a participant may “offer access” to a data base they control. Or they may “offer financial assistance” to get a project started, Or an “offer” may be made in response to a request for collaboration. Offers can come in any shape or form - specific is better. Requests are the other side of offers - but focused on what one person or group needs from another person or group. For example “The western region call center requests a meeting with the Chief Information Officer to explore upgrading of our system” II. The Participant Built Framework Approach In this approach, participants create, from scratch their own framework/model of the key elements (I.e. High impact design components) of what they see as contributing to organizational Functioning. Once they have identified these elements (e.g. - information systems, relations with the board of directors, workflows etc) they write Provocative propositions about them. The process of Requests, Offers and Commitments can then be used to move the Provocative Propositions forward. III. The Select an Existing Model Approach In this approach, the core group or sponsor team selects from among the major existing models of organization architecture (e.g. the Open Socio-Technical Systems framework, the Mc Kinsey 7S framework; The Weisbord 6 Box Framework; The Galbraith Star framework; The Nadler/Tushman Congruence Framework etc. ) Once they have identified within these frameworks the high impact design elements, the participants write Provocative Propositions about them. The process of Requests, Offers and Commitments can then be used to move the Provocative Propositions forward.

P 4 Draft Version #5 January, 2001 © Bernard J Mohr, The Synapse Group, Inc. (207) Using the Design Phase of AI to Create Sustainability - Working Definitions 1. Redesign of the organizational architecture involves thinking creatively about all elements, including: business processes; jobs and organization structure; management practices, beliefs and assumptions; and technology... to achieve and sustain significant breakthroughs in performance, engagement and quality of worklife. 2. Deciding on and implementing the architectural changes required to bring the “dream”, the“new organization” into being is a key part of the AI process - and consequently the issue of “who” is involved in the design phase and the “how” of the design phase are of critical importance. Passion and participation are the keys. 3. Design of the organizational architecture can be done at either the strategic or operational levels or both. 4. Strategic organization design is primarily strategy driven, focusing on the top two to four levels of the organization (or business unit) and involving key decisions about grouping and linking. Strategic design aims to create an organizational architecture which facilitates strategy implementation and increases organizational flexibility and capability while taking into consideration the expressed values and beliefs developed during the Dream phase of the AI process 5. Operational design, (done within the context of strategic design decisions), involves the design of jobs/roles, authorities at both the individual and group levels, work flows, information flows and human resource management systems. The goal of operational design is to translate the “dream” into the nuts and bolts of daily organization life(I.e.- jobs, roles, reporting relationships, technology, authority, work flow etc ) which maximize efficient process functioning and individual quality of worklife.

P 5 Draft Version #5 January, 2001 © Bernard J Mohr, The Synapse Group, Inc. (207) Your Dream (as expressed in your PP’s) “Building Your Own Framework”

P 6 Draft Version #5 January, 2001 © Bernard J Mohr, The Synapse Group, Inc. (207) Business & Human Results Connections Between Dialogue, Organization Architecture and Results (Business & Human) (The Synapse Group Open Socio-Technical Systems Model) Business Environment Mission And Strategy Organization Culture Strategic Capacity The current capacity of the organization to: Anticipate and respond to the market place at a pace fast enough to provide competitive advantage, given the opportunities and threats facing the business. Is there a good match ?

P 7 Draft Version #5 January, 2001 © Bernard J Mohr, The Synapse Group, Inc. (207) The McKinsey 7-S Framework Shared Values Skills Systems Structure Strategy Style Staff

P 8 Draft Version #5 January, 2001 © Bernard J Mohr, The Synapse Group, Inc. (207) The Weisbord 6 Box Framework 1. Purposes 2. Structure 4. Rewards 6. Helpful Mechanisms 3. Relationships 5. Leadership Outside Environment

P 9 Draft Version #5 January, 2001 © Bernard J Mohr, The Synapse Group, Inc. (207) The Galbraith Star Framework Strategy (Direction) Rewards Processes Structure (Power) People (Skills & Mind sets) Behavior Performance Culture

P 10 Draft Version #5 January, 2001 © Bernard J Mohr, The Synapse Group, Inc. (207) The Nadler/Tushman Congruence Framework OUTPUT TRANSFORMATION PROCESS INPUT Organizational Level Goal attainment Resource utilization Adaptability Group/unit level Productivity Collaboration Quality of communication Individual level Task performance Membership behavior Affective responses Environment Markets Competition Government Suppliers Resources Capital Plant Technology People Intangibles History Key decisions Norms and values Strategy Mission Goals and Objectives Informal Org’n Mng’t Practices Interpersonal Rel’tns Informal working arrangements Task Basic work to be done Level of uncertainty Intrinsic rewards Knowledge and skill requirements Individual Knowledge and skills possessed Needs and preferences Reward expectations Formal Org’nl Arrangements Org’n structure Job design Methods and practices Standards and measures Physical environment Human resource management systems Reward systems