Discovering the Ecosystem Within: An Approach to Design

The great irony with regard to business ecosystems is that businesses are not organized as ecosystems while at the same time they are ecosystems. All of the components of an ecosystem may already be resident in and about the organization while at the same time not being recognized as such. This post describes the phenomena and then takes a step toward addressing how to intervene to bring the ecosystem into ascendance.

Let's look for some of the attributes of an ecosystem in the contemporary organization. They exist in various stages of development.

Elements of an ecosystem in current organizations

The contemporary organization exists in a sea of stakeholders. Marv Weisbord highlighted this in proposing a Search Conference in which the key stakeholders of an organization are assembled to address critical organizational issues. We have now moved to recognize that these stakeholders exist in some semblance of a network with regard to the organization and one another. They are bound by strong and weak ties and the overall relationships can be described in terms of whether the entities are tightly or loosely-coupled.

Customers are an important part of this mix though the degree to which customers are involved in product or service development varies and customers may not necessarily be involved in overall organizational planning. Digital technology has become a part of these organizations though digital potential may in some cases be seen as an add-on while in others it intimately facilitates the work and the existence of the organization through the transfer of knowledge and creation of value.

The heart of an ecosystem.

At the heart of an ecosystem may be its ability to adapt, to flourish. This is where nature is a guide. Biological ecosystems do not follow the principle that: "this is the way I am today and I will continue being this way." They prize adaptation over formalism. They do not avoid the input of environmental forces just because they do not like them as in: I'm not comfortable with the topic of global warming so let's just not deal with it."

What keeps an ecosystem from being ascendant?

What keeps this ecosystm from becoming ascendant is due to a variety of factors. At the core of this may be that the organization simply does not see itself as an ecosystem. In addition, the organization may simply not know how to do business in a new way. It may need to strengthen its current ecosystem attributes so that they can play a more impactful role. It may not have the confidence in its innate abilities to act as an ecosystem. It knows very well how to act as a linear transformation process or value chain. It has not yet built up the practices to act as a more networked ecosystem process of value creation.The organization may still be designing itself using a previously helpful approach from the 20th century rather than moving to approaches more fitting with the ecosystem that it can really be.

Strengthening the organizational ecosystem.

Here are some ways to strengthen the organizational ecosystem.

1. See itself as an ecosystem. There are attitudes, practices, behaviors and principles of being an effective ecosystem. We can articulate them.
2. Recognize, appreciate and strengthen its current ecosystem attributes so that they can play a more impactful role.
3. Experiment with doing business in new ways. Emphasize creating value through the transfer of skills and knowledge and building in the customer as part of the process of creating value. See: "Whither the Ecosystem."
4. Utilize network and digital aspects of the organization in a more integral way to support other ecosystem practices coming to the fore.
5. Develop new approaches to ongoing, adaptive design more aligned with an ecosystem model.

A new mental model.

As organization members and consultants and advisors to organizations we need new mental models to address all of this. I would like to propose one. I call this the Michelangelo Model of Ecosystem Design.

Michelangelo known for his famous paintings and sculptures is quoted as saying:

"In every block of marble, I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and in action. I have only to hew away the rough ways that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the others eyes as mine see it."

I think this can be a guide for those who choose to intervene in organizations in addressing the organizational ecosystem.

This is illustrated wonderfully by a "work-in-progress" by Michelangelo located at the Academia Gallery in Florence, Italy.