The regenerative approach is increasingly prominent in the field of organisations and leadership, and there is a strong indication that it is here to stay. And fortunately for that.
As I (and indeed many influential voices) have previously written about, the regenerative approach offers tremendous opportunities for individuals, organisations and society as a whole, if one manages to incorporate it into everyday practice.
The regenerative concept includes a multitude of facets and parameters. Naturally giving rise to various approaches on how to approach and unleash its potential. In this article, I will outline our – Promentum’s – approach to the regenerative. An approach that I (not surprisingly) believe gives the best results.
What does regenerative mean – at Promentum?
Promentum’s approach to working with the regenerative is not about going out and being in the nature. It is not about nature’s harmony, as other approaches often emphasize. Nor is it about nature experiences rooted in practices such as mindfulness exercises or something similar.
Promentum does not strictly belong to the part of the regenerative that focuses on movement
What we experience at Promentum is that the regenerative field is at an interesting juncture, especially within the paradigm of regenerative organisations and leadership.There is, on one hand, the declared nature-based approach to the regenerative field and on the other hand, there is the entire societal, cultural and social-psychological domain, which also includes architectural, political and economic orientations as well as leadership interests.
Regarding the nature-based orientation in the regenerative movement, our impression is that it rests on a medieval and romantic view of nature (from a philosophical standpoint). Concerning the socio-cultural orientation, Promentum largely belongs to this. The focus is on creating vibrant and healthy organisations, cultures and social communities. Partly by drawing inspiration from some of nature’s principles and the forms of existence of living ecosystems, and then incorporating these principles and logics into the leadership and the organisational life.
Before introducing you to the regenerative organisation and its principles and inherent logics, I will first describe the dream – or the goal – with the regenerative organisation.
What is the goal of the regenerative organisation and regenerative work environment?
The goal is to create organisations that are healing, developmental and life-giving. Organisations where we actually experience an increase in vitality, joy, energy, closeness, security, professionalism and humanity when we go to work.
Organisations where we may arrive a bit worn out in the morning, but still leave energized and happier in the afternoon – because the organisation is beneficial and nurturing for us.
The goal is to create organisations that counteract stress and dissatisfaction, rather than contribute to it.
And the goal is that through these organisations, we create a future work life that is life giving, lively, liberating, security enhancing, meaningful, value creating and professionally motivating.
The regenerative organisation demands an actual paradigm shift.
Creating regenerative, healing and life-giving organisations requires us to make many changes in our organisations. In fact, it demands a complete overhaul of our understanding of what an organisation is and how it operates.
It necessitates a genuine paradigm shift.
In the following, I will expound upon the principles and logics of this new paradigm.
Introduction to the principles of the regenerative organisation
The foundation of the regenerative organisation is nature’s fundamental principle. Nature’s fundamental principle, above all others, dictates that its ecosystems always adapt and create the conditions for life to thrive and evolve.
At Promentum, we use this principle as the overarching purpose when we work on developing regenerative organisations.
The purpose of the regenerative organisation is to create the conditions for life to thrive and evolve.
But what does it mean to create the conditions for life? How should we understand this “life”?
One place to seek understanding is in astrophysics: the science that aims, among other things, to find life in the universe. Here, life is defined as “interaction and exchange.”
At Promentum, we have embraced this definition, so that an underlying purpose when developing regenerative organisational forms is to create (the conditions for) interaction and exchange.
In addition to the foundational principle, we also draw upon other guiding principles from nature.
Interconnectedness
In nature, everything is connected. Here, the elements are interconnected, they influence each other and interact. One would never, in understanding the development and life conditions of an element, consider the element in isolation, but rather always as part of the overall ecosystem.
In the regenerative organisation, everything is also seen as interconnected and should be understood as part of a larger entirety.
Movement and Changeability
Another principle drawn from nature revolves around the notion that nature is always changing and in motion.
Nature is not static, not in harmony and not at rest.
It continuously adapts.
Some things die and something new and more viable emerges.
Similarly, the regenerative organisation is alive and always in motion. It is perpetually learning and continuously rediscovering itself in the interaction/connectivity with its internal and external ecosystems.
Spiralic
Nature’s movement is neither linear nor circular – it is spiralic or spiralar.
While it invariably transitions through summer, autumn, winter and spring, there are no repetitions. Two summers are never identical. The cyclical is never a complete recurrence in nature, but rather something that contributes to the living and moving.
The evolution within the regenerative organisation is similarly spiraler. It progresses in a continuously forward motion within a circular context.
In seeking to incorporate these principles into the development of the regenerative organisation, it necessitates entirely new logics. A new framework of understanding and a departure from several fundamental logics that underpin our traditional organisations are required.
Logics in the regenerative organisation
The foundation of the regenerative organisation is constructed upon a set of fundamental logics that contribute to creating the prerequisites for successfully incorporating the principles into our organisation.
Life as a fundamental logic
First and foremost, it is important to recognize that interaction and exchange are processual concepts. They are dimensions that cannot be planned and subsequently implemented.
Interaction and exchange truly unfold when they come to life – when they emerge, connect and fulfill themselves.
You cannot plan and implement life.
Therefore, the understanding and execution of organisational development and change are significantly different in the regenerative organisation. It is not that the plan and intention to develop something in a particular direction do not exist in the regenerative organisation. But here, development and change are approached more openly and responsively.
In the regenerative organisation, it is about unleashing life and supporting it. And adopting natural movements and changes continuously.
Therefore, organisational development in the regenerative organisation mostly occurs as a product of an organisational ‘sense and respond’ culture.
Here, expertise and the organisation are liberated and life, interaction, exchanges – and development – are supported.
Interconnectedness as a fundamental logic
The majority of traditional organisations are built on the principle of simplification. They attempt to handle complexity with systems, structure and simplification.
But complex means multiconnected and in the regenerative organisation, efforts are made to maintain multiconnectedness. Both in task execution and organisation.
Living organisation as a fundamental logic
In the regenerative organisation, the word ‘organisation’ faces the fundamental challenge that an organisation is a demarcation/a box within which our business operates.
In the traditional organisation, we are in our organisations.
Often, the word organisation is also associated with a kind of crystallized structure – this is how our hierarchy, our demarcations and our interrelations are. And this is undesirable in working with the regenerative organisation.
The organisations in the regenerative organisation do not have these demarcations.Neither in relation to the surrounding world nor among the different proficiencies within the organisation. It flows much more and is multiconnected.
The regenerative organisation is not static, but dynamic and constantly manages to move towards new and more appropriate/hensigtmæssige connections and organisations. It is alive.
The magic of the moment as logic
In the regenerative organisation, the moment is seen as essential for organisational flow and life.
The regenerative organisation is alive in a flow of moments.
Therefore, we work with moment management. With life-giving moments, with breathing spaces.
Conclusion, but not closure
We are approaching the conclusion of this introduction to Promentum’s approach to the regenerative organisation. I hope it has provided some insight into how we believe one should approach the regenerative. Unlike many others who focus on direct interaction with and in nature, we emphasize drawing inspiration from nature’s deeper principles and applying these in an organisational context. It is not about being physically present in nature but about understanding and incorporating the essence of nature into the way we structure and operate our organisations.
Promentum’s approach is based on the idea that nature’s ecosystems, with their diversity, adaptability, and complex networks of relationships, can serve as a powerful metaphor and guide for creating dynamic, connected, and resilient organisations. By mimicking nature’s way of functioning – where everything is connected, in constant movement and adaptation, and where development occurs spirally rather than linearly – we hope to open up a new way of thinking about organisation and leadership.
This approach is about creating organisations that are as alive and adaptable as nature’s own systems.
It involves an understanding that in a healthy organisation, just as in a healthy ecosystem, there is room for growth, renewal, and positive change. We must shape organisations that not only survive but thrive by emulating nature’s logics – by being in constant dialogue with their surroundings, learning and evolving through interaction, and acknowledging the interconnectedness in all aspects of organisational life.
I hope you have found the courage to explore how your organisation can undergo a regenerative transformation. I wish you every success in your work. And as written, this is a conclusion, not a closure.
The work starts now.
