The starting point for the regenerative organisation is nature’s most fundamental basic principle.
“that nature’s ecosystems always adapt and create the conditions for life and for life to develop and unfold.”
At Promentum, we use this principle as the overarching purpose when working on the development of regenerative organisations.
But what does it mean to create the conditions for life? How should we understand this “life”?
In astrophysics, life is defined as:
“interaction and exchange”.
Thus, when we develop regenerative organisational forms, it is an underlying purpose to create (the conditions for) interaction and exchange.
In our work with this, we also draw inspiration from other fundamental principles of nature:
- Connectedness
- Movement and changeability
- Spiralic
Let us take a closer look at these principles.
Connectedness
In nature, everything is connected. Elements are interconnected, influencing each other and working together. One would never, in understanding an element’s development and life conditions, view the element in isolation, but always as part of the entire ecosystem.
In a regenerative organisation, everything is also seen as connected and must be understood as part of a greater whole.
Movement and Changeability
Another principle picked up from nature is that nature is always changing and in motion.
Nature is not static, not in harmony and not at rest. It constantly adapts.
Some things die and decay, and something new and more viable emerges.
Similarly, the regenerative organisation is alive and always in motion. It is perpetually learning and continually rediscovering itself in interaction/connectedness with its internal and external ecosystems.
Spiralic
Nature’s movement is neither linear nor circular – it is spiral or spiraling.
Two summers are never identical. Thus, the cyclical is never a complete repetition in nature – but something that helps create the living and dynamic.
Development in the regenerative organisation is also spiral. It occurs in a constant forward motion within a circular context.
Core Logics in the Regenerative Organisation
When we use the above principles in developing a regenerative organisation, it requires entirely new logics, new frameworks of understanding and a break with several of the core logics that underlie our traditional organisations.
The foundation of the regenerative organisation is built on a set of core logics that help create the conditions for successfully incorporating the principles into our organisation.
Life as a Core Logic
First and foremost, it is important to recognize that interaction and exchange are processual concepts. These are entities that cannot simply be planned and then implemented.
Interaction and exchange only truly unfold when they are brought to life – when they arise, connect and fulfill themselves.
You cannot plan and implement life.
Therefore, organisational development and changes are understood and executed quite differently 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 and supporting life. To adopt the natural movements and changes continuously.
Interconnected as a Core Logic
Knowledge has become more complex. Complex means interconnected and in the regenerative organisation, efforts are made to maintain this interconnectedness. Both in problem-solving and in organizing.
Living organising as a Core Logic
The organisations in the regenerative organisation have no boundaries – neither concerning the surrounding world nor between the different areas of expertise within the organisation.
The regenerative organisation is not static. It flows much more and is highly interconnected. It is dynamic and constantly capable of moving towards new and more appropriate connections and organizations. It is alive.
The Magic of the Moment as a Core Logic
In the regenerative organisation, the moment is seen as essential for organisational flow and life. A regenerative organisation is alive in a stream of moments. Therefore, we work with moment leadership, life-giving moments and breathing spaces.
Curious for More Knowledge about the Regenerative Organisation?
Listen to this episode of ‘The Sound of Promentum,’ (Lyden af Promentum – danish speaking) where Mikkel talks about the implementation of a regenerative organisation.
