Organizations as catalysts of change

When we think of change in the world, most change occurs in small groups working within organizations. While Covid changed where people sit and do their work, work itself remains centered in teams of small groups belonging to organizations. From this perspective, organizations are the catalyst of change in our world.

The dictionary defines a catalyst as "something that causes activity between two or more persons or forces; a person or thing that influences an event or change." When designed well, organizations act as forces that inspire and influence the world—designed as communities of belonging with specific and shared purposes that align and connect with other like minded organizations.

How then do we design organizations to be communities of belonging with shared intentions. Nature's streams offer a useful way to look at organizations. A stream's purpose is to return home to its original nature, the ocean. All of its energy and focus is centered on this single intention. Streams are agile and can change form and direction as needed in the moment.

Organizations with the right intention can also remain on course—on track toward their original nature. Connected together, with a shared vision, the combined force of many organizations is unimaginable. Think of disasters and what the Red Cross and so many other organizations are able to accomplish when they work together.

Transformation requires clear intention. If we hope to change the direction of our currently troubled world, an intent to do social good is necessary, not just making profits. Transformation is the meta process of change going on all around us every day. Too often we resist change and wait until there is no longer a choice. But we have a choice. We can harness the power of transformation and make it our own, for the good of the world we live in and for those we love.

But without an authentic purpose—like meeting a social need, all organizations risk issues with identity, integrity, reputation, productivity, and survival. Like a stream, organizations can be agile and capable of changing form in the moment to meet their evolving future, but not as structured today. Most organizations today are too rigid in structure and strategy to keep up with the current of change.

Intention Reflection Transformation

At The Kuendig Group, we view intention as the single most important area of focus for an organization, followed by learning. Intention is the cornerstone of any organizatio. It is why an organization exists in the first place. Often referred to as core purpose, organizational intention describes the social need that its founders intend to meet.

Organizations continually move through a cycle of relection and transformation. Reflection is about taking time to see what you've become and assessing changes in the environment. Transformation is the activity of an organization changing form to meet current and future needs. Intention is to the organization as constitution is to the individual. It is the rudder that steers all work. Our intention here at The Kuendig Group is to share our knowledge and expertise on the psychology of helping people work together to meet the needs of society and on designing organizations as communities, as well as sharing our thoughts about connecting the world.

Most human accomplishment happens in small groups of people working together in an organizational setting. When we peel back all the window dressing, organizations are simply places where people connect with each other, share ideas, and think of new ways to do things. All too often, however, they are places that fail to nourish human connection. Our specialty is transformation, intentional design, and managed change.

On a global level, the intention is not a mystery. People around the world have a shared vision of what a better world looks like. Now, we simply need to create a global community of connection and compassion, a world where we take care of each other and the beauty of nature that surrounds us, a world where everyone is respected, a world where we share our abundance with each other. If we can eliminate greed and the selfish desire for power and control over others, as well as the imbalance of profits not being shared with all employees, we can create this better world. And it will be amazing.