Explore - Understand - Adapt - Thrive
An Introduction to the Adapting to Change Section
As society moves through constant change, so do the perceptions and needs of organizations, customers, and employees. Every organization and person is using approach-avoid actions in attempt to survive and thrive through this constant change.
In this Adapting to Change section, we will be covering Big Picture Change and Risk. The organizations and individuals who can adapt to change the best will have a leg up on those who are struggling and chasing how to adapt. This section is designed to help people explore and understand selected Big Picture topics and how they can impact individual approach and avoid actions.
The topics in this section impact every persons approach-avoid actions to some degree. Since this website is mostly targeting business leaders and those professionals in the field of improving customer and employee experiences/results, the content will be framed in that regard.
The design of pages in this section will follow the following pattern:
1. What we are monitoring in this particular section and how it provides change and risk to each organization and person.
2. News and information of the change and risk that is important to share to better understand the potential risk and opportunity.
The world is complex. To better manage the use of your time (energy), we will strive to make our content simple and easy to digest.
NOTE: Whether you work with us, someone else, or on your own, we advise you to have an Ongoing Map to take on Constant Change and Uncertainty. As you will read below, Unknown - Uncertainty - Constant Change will be on the menu going forward.
BIG PICTURE INTRODUCTION
Imagine being a person who is just about to turn 100 years old. Every day of their whole life was spent living in one small house in the same area, with the same people in their lives, and the same routines every day. Then, about a month before their 100th birthday, this person is moved to a foreign land, where everything is different every minute of every day. They now have to interact with different people every day, with no routines anymore. Everything is uncertain, and this person finds it very challenging to adapt to this change. This is an analogy of today's society and how the human brain is trying to adapt to new and constant change. Humans have spent most of their existence in small groups within a limited area, and with a small number of people to interact with.
The human race (brain) is attempting to adapt to a world that it was not built for. Humans can and do adapt to change. However, it does take time to adjust, and each person has a different speed and way of adapting to constant change.
Here are the pages of the Big Picture:
- Energy
- Economy
- Resources
- Environment
- Knowledge
- Technology
- Global Village
- Your Changes and Risks
Before moving on to the various sections, let's discuss a powerful part of change on how human society is attempting to adapt to change and uncertainty.
Want to build an Ongoing Change Map that helps you and your organization through Constant Change?
Reach out to us by clicking the button below and we can be a part of your team to:
- Understand Change
- Adapt to Change
- Thrive through Change
At the bottom of this page, you will find an example of an Ongoing Change Map. Take a look and CONTACT US if you would like to have an Ongoing Change Map built for you.
Math/Exponential
How Math and the Exponential have impacted society
"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function"
This quote is attributed to Albert Bartlett (Albert was an American professor of physics at the University of Colorado at Boulder).
Dr. Bartlett gave his celebrated lecture, Arithmetic, Population and Energy 1,742 times since September 1969 (average of once every 8.5 days) according to the website dedicated to him:
https://www.albartlett.org/index.html
DO: The lesson Al Bartlett wanted to share with his classes was the power of math. Detached Observation helps to understand Change by learning the power of the mathematics and implications of doubling. Below is the formula for the Rule of 70:
dt = 70/r
As an example, if there is a global (Or nation, state, city, etc.) growth of an item with a 2% annual rate - it would have a doubling time of 35 years.
35 = 70/2
Let's explore the concept of exponential growth and how it can impact a city or an organization.
First, we will start at 1,000. This could be a city's population, the size and or revenue of an organization, or the size of an organization's customer base.
1,000
2,000
4,000
8,000
16,000
32,000
64,000
128,000
256,000
512,000
1.024,000
2,048,000
4,096,000
8,192,000
Using Detached Observation, let's reflect on the following questions:
City>
How does a city obtain the tax revenue, water, food, and resources it will need to sustain its current population and when it doubles?
What kind of energy needs will this city have at each level?
How will this city growth impact the environment in which it exists?
How will people get along as the city becomes more diversified and larger?
What are the opportunities and risks as this city expands?
Organization Revenue and/or Employee size>
How will an organization manage a quick rise in employee or revenue growth?
How does an organization best manage the complexity (and additional energy required) as it expands quickly?
How does a quick rise in employee size impact an organization's culture?
What resources are required as an organization doubles revenues?
How does an organization manage individual employee's perceptions as it becomes much larger?
How does an organization give an employee more meaning as it expands to large sizes?
Customer>
How does an organization best manage the customer experience when it expands so quickly?
With so many touchpoints, what are the best ways to manage company/brand perception?
Reflect on the complexity of managing customer perceptions as an organization expands.
How does an organization help a customer feel special when its customer base expands exponentially?
Lastly, what are some more potential risks as the numbers grow?
DO: Spend time thinking and learning about exponential/fast growth and how situations can quickly change. Expecting rapid change can help the brain better predict and adapt to the changes.
Throughout human history, there were feedbacks that limited the growth and change of human society. Some of these included:
- Limited knowledge
- Disease and shorter lifespans
- Lack of resources
- Natural disasters
What is interesting to reflect on is that much of human society today sees today's world as normal. It is hard for the brain to understand that almost every moment of known human history was NOT like today. We want to drive this point consistently to induce more understanding of the change and empathy/knowledge for ourselves and others as we all try to manage this change within our own lives and our organizations. Also, what we may feel is normal today will not be normal to someone living 50 to 100 years from now.
The pushbacks that happen to reduce growth are and will continue to play out as we move forward. Change and Risk are on the menu for organizations and individuals every day. That is why having the ability to adapt to change is such an important skill to learn about and acquire. It is our mission to be a part of assisting you with this challenge.
Quick Experiment
What is happening right now exactly 1000 miles to your east?
How will you learn and is it important to know?
This experiment is a good example to two important items. First is that human perception is limited. We cannot be everywhere around the globe at each moment of every day. So we count on other people and technology to teach us what is happening.
Second, our brain energy is limited so we need to focus on what is useful to us - our survival. Thus, the second questions answer can be that unless it is useful, we will most likely not extend energy to pursue the answer.
If we want to learn what is outside our perception, what is a method we can mostly rely on to help us in this pursuit?
The answer to this question is the human discovery of math. It has helped human progress tremendously and we will be using that within each section. There will be actual numbers that are referred to and there will also be Math Thought Equations. You will see this along with Detached Observations as ways to explore Change and Risk.
Let's talk more about math.....
Math Wins
As you do analysis to evaluate potential change and risks, keep these tow words in in mind. One cause of human failure in understanding and predicting change is going against math. The need for humans to feel safe in their worldview can be prioritized over math. Math has given humans a better understanding of reality. Thankfully, bridges you drive over and planes you ride in have good math in their calculation to make you safe.
Linear
Thinking in a linear fashion is normal for the human brain. As you explore strategies for your organization, think of how quick change will impact these strategies. Have brain mapping sessions that encourage exponential thinking to forecast potential changes and risk.
As an example, consider essential material needed for an organization. Thinking in a linear way that change in society will be slow or conclude that there will not be as much risk to obtaining this material needed. Exponential/Quick change thinking would allow areas of possibilities where this material could be in jeopardy and induce leaders to seek back up strategies to prepare for exponential change.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR CHANGE ANALYSIS:
For every section listed here and for all the potential changes you are seeking to understand and be in front of, mentally reflect on how math (exponential and fast change) will impact that particular risk.
Additional thoughts
Encourage your team to think in exponential/differently. Math doesn't care if you prepared or not.
Smaller world with increased complexity - Challenge to human decision making
Through most all of human history, what happened in other parts of the planet did not impact a local tribe. Organizations and individuals must now adapt to a world that is connected and complex. What happens throughout the globe matters. Although the world changed and has become smaller and complex, the human brain cannot evolve quick enough to take on all this change. As an example, the internet provides vast sums of information of what is going on in the world and it is filled with potential knowledge. However, a human brain cannot take it in. Human perception is limited in energy and capacity. Thus, the individual and the organization can be overwhelmed (especially with exponential change).
Society Risk: Decision makers can think of smaller tribes yet the world is now 8 billion plus. Decisions have and will continue to be made that do not understand the world itself and other cultures.
Organization Risk: Organizations can be overwhelmed by the vast amount of data and inputs that they are not able to see and protect themselves from.
How is your organization monitoring risk in world that is becoming smaller and more complex? How does your organization manage information (discarding what is not useful and focusing well on what is needed)?
Individual Risk: People can be overwhelmed with too much information and too much complexity of change. The brain will not evolve as fast as society. As such, it is important to find ways to understand the world with limited data.
Exponential increases risks of decisions made
Decisions made throughout an organization will have more impact - increased competition and quick change requires organizations that want to adapt and thrive be able to make better decisions. This is a common sense statement, however, with a society that is leveraged, the impact of the statement is also leveraged. Competition will eat up the bad decisions of others. Exponential means a faster race. Inputs that slow your organization down will allow others to make larger advancements.
Society Risk: Conflict, Environment, Technology... these are a few items where decisions humans make on the world stage matter dramatically down the road in the near future.
Organization Risk: Decisions made by organizations need to be solid. Too much competition will make bad decisions pay a heavy price.
How is your organization monitoring the most important decisions being made? What is the mechanism to recognize bad decisions and change course quickly?
Individual Risk: Similar to organization risk, bad individual decisions will pay a heavier price in an exponential environment. (Ex. Picking wrong career)
Every customer/employee is attempting to adapt to exponential and quick change
Change occurs whether people want it to or not. Each person has their own way and rate of adapting to change. This is where Theory of Mind and Empathy play a role in learning and understanding how others see their world. Examples of customer/employee journey challenges:
> Anxiety of constant change and disorder
> Being overwhelmed - Too much information
> Mental Health Issues - Depression
> Anger (Need to displace pain)
> Prediction errors of current events (Too much change, difficult to understand)
> Challenge to physical and cultural survival (Protect self and family)
> Seeking positive inputs (dopamine)
> Goal seeking and achievement
> Personal wins and self-esteem
> Personal management of a world of change and complexity
How is your organization listening and learning how customers and employees are attempting to adapt to constant change?
**** NOTE > With Customer and Employee Mapping, this risk should be a part of and monitored within your maps.
Importance of Learning - "Theory of Mind" - Empathy
Build better skills and maps with increased Self and Society Awareness
As will be discussed in the knowledge page, human society has a lot of knowledge of both the self and how the world works (and how human society works). We can take that knowledge and improve moments and experiences for others. Let's begin with two definitions:
Theory of Mind - Ability to understand the thoughts, beliefs, desires, and emotions of other people.
Empathy - Ability to understand and share the feelings of another person.
Building maps is about exploring how other people (customers and employees) approach and avoid within their world. Using Theory of Mind, learning through feedback, and having empathy to how another person interprets their world will help in providing the types of experiences that people will want to come back for (Increasing Approach to your organization). A successful map completes this objective.
Along with using empathy to better understand and improve customer and employee experiences, it is also a powerful item to use in exploring and understanding change and risk. A few examples can include:
- Why does a potential customer continue to go with the competition? What are past experiences that led to this approach decision?
- What are the current concerns of people in the marketplace with skills we need to have at our organization? What is their top brain approach metrics?
-
Coping with Change
List of potential ways people will be coping in this changing world
By taking a detached view of society, we can explore and learn more of how people are currently and will continue to attempt to adapt and cope through constant change.
To better understand change and how it is impacting others, a good exercise is to take some time and reflect on the following list. It is not inclusive, but it is a good start to reflect on how people (your customers - your employees) are going to try to adapt to the oncoming avalanche of change in our future. We recommend spending a minute on each listed word and reflecting on how people are in society are using that method to adapt to change.
People can reframe situations to change how they interpret inputs and feel more in control (control increases certainty)
Denial – Avoiding reality. This can help in keeping self-esteem higher and requires less energy.
Rationalization – A way to cope that preserves self-esteem by justifying thoughts and actions.
Distraction – Focusing on something else to avoid discomfort.
Fantasy or daydreaming – Escaping reality mentally to explore possibility or find relief. A better world than the one the person is currently in.
Problem-solving – Actively seeking solutions to reduce stress or uncertainty.
Future planning – Making goals to create a sense of direction. Taking control.
Compartmentalization – Keeping different parts of life mentally separated. Managing energy and stress.
Intellectualization – Using logic or facts to distance from emotions.
Humor – Laughing as a release and perspective shift.
Crying – A natural emotional release.
Expressing emotions through art, writing, or music – Externalizing internal experiences. Making a better world.
Meditation or mindfulness – Staying present and centered. Can reduce stress - helps in coping with change.
Gratitude – Focusing on what’s good, even in difficulty.
Emotional suppression – Bottling things up (not always healthy, but common).
Journaling – Making sense of experiences through reflection.
Self-talk – Coaching ourselves through inner dialogue.
Seeking beauty – Nature, art, music, or aesthetics to feel grounded.
Hope and optimism – Believing things can improve. Avoid depression.
Spiritual practices – Prayer, rituals, or meditation for peace and connection.
Talking with friends or family – Sharing burdens and getting validation.
Belonging to a group or community – Finding strength in connection.
Helping others – Coping through kindness, shifting focus outward.
Seeking support or therapy – Getting guidance or professional help.
Social comparison – Measuring ourselves against others (for better or worse).
Conforming to social norms – Feeling secure through fitting in. Cultural survival.
Storytelling – Making meaning through shared narratives.
Humor with others – Laughing together to reduce collective stress.
Imitating role models – Learning how to cope by watching others.
Social media engagement – Connecting (or distracting) digitally.
Routine and structure – Creating order in daily life.
Exercise – Releasing stress through movement.
Consuming comfort food or drinks – Soothing or numbing emotions.
Shopping or material consumption – Seeking control or gratification.
Working or staying busy – Distracting through productivity.
Avoidance or procrastination – Delaying stress-inducing situations.
Travel or physical escape – Changing environments to shift perspective.
Cleaning or organizing – Gaining control through external order.
Self-care rituals – Baths, skincare, routines to soothe and reset.
Engaging in hobbies – Focusing attention on something pleasurable.
Displacement - Taking pain and displacing it onto others
Escaping - Using drugs and other negative vices to escape the world
Some of the above list can be more positive (problem-solving, gratitude) while others can be more negative (displacement of pain on others, escaping with drug use).
This is where mapping and design can be so effective. Being proactive and managing adaptation to more positive methods can improve the employee and customer experience (increase approach - decrease avoid).
