The second critical characteristic of a living system is that it must have an internal metabolic process of self-assembly, or autopoiesis. This process turns matter and energy, filtered in by the membrane, into cellular structure, and likewise breaks down worn structure and turns it into waste, which is then filtered back out by the membrane. This process of consumption and excretion establishes the organism's place in the food web (Capra 9).

This system is known as a dissipative structure: an open system that maintains stability far from equilibrium. As the incoming flow of energy increases, the system becomes unstable and may branch off into a new state of being where new structures and new forms of order may emerge (Capra 13-14). Incoming energy could mean food, heat, light, stress or external stimuli. The emergence of new order can also be addressed as the inherent creativity in all living systems, and is the "dynamic origin of development, learning and evolution" (Capra 14). When a cell replicates, this system splits seamlessly and continues on. "Thus, life has unfolded for over three billion years in an uninterrupted process, without ever breaking the basic pattern of its self-generating networks." (Capra 12).

This simple model for a living system can be applied at all levels of complexity. We started in terms of a cell, but it can just as easily be applied to a bacteria, a goldfish, my dog, myself, or even my group of friends on Facebook. A living system is a creative, learning system that couples to its environment by altering its internal structure in response to external forces, which then determines future behavior (Capra 35). This is cognition at its most fundamental level. While an organism's behavior is influenced by environmental disturbances, it does have the autonomy to choose which disturbances it will respond to (Capra 35). This is a critical point, as you cannot control a living system, you can only influence it. Therefore, meaningful impulses will always be far more influential than precise instructions (Capra 112).

When we apply Capra's framework to social organization, the self-generating process of the system is no longer metabolism, but communication. Contrary to common belief, communication is not simply the exchange of information. Communication is the coordination of behavior, and emerged through the evolutionary advantage of creating and exchanging meaning to evoke action (Capra 83). This shared context of meaning creates a sense of identity, forming the abstract boundary between individuals of a network and the outside world (Capra 91).

Culture emerges as sustained networks of communication coordinate rules of behavior, social norms, beliefs, and abstract concepts (Capra 73-74). And as with living organisms, this framework applies to social organizations at all levels of complexity - within or between departments comprising multinational corporations, little league baseball teams, or your own family members. An increased influx of meaning, in the form of new ideas, threats, stress, etc., pushes the dissipative structure of the system to a point of instability where emergent creativity can lead to new forms of order (Capra 13-14). Meaning lets us act with intention and purpose, which is the foundation of experiencing human freedom (Capra 73-74).

Traditional models of organization (business, government, etc.) neglect the inherently human capacity to create and by reserving the conceptual thought process for those in positions of power and delegating the execution of those concepts to the remaining members of the organization (Capra 113). Formal channels of communication are designed to establish responsibility and distribute power, but there are infinitely more fluid, informal networks of communication that exist between employees, known as communities of practice (Capra, 108).

According to organizational theorist Etienne Wenger,

"As people pursue any shared enterprise over time, they develop a common practice, that is, shared ways of doing things and relating to one another that allow them to achieve their joint purpose. Over time, the resulting practice becomes a recognizable bond among those involved." (Capra 108).

Embracing these communities of practice is critical. By creating the conditions for emergent innovation and using the power of authority to empower others, formal organizations can unleash the inherent creativity of every individual within the organization towards a common purpose (Capra 113). This not only has revolutionary implications for employees' sense of purpose within the enterprise, but allows the entire system to respond quickly and flexibly to dramatic changes in the organization's environment (Capra 113).

To enable emergence within an organization, leaders need to be intimately familiar with the requirements of a living system. Communication is vital to the autopoietic processes within a living system, and so multiple feedback loops and transparency need to be established within the organization so that people can measure the impact of their actions (Capra 122). A living system must also remain open to new ideas and new knowledge. Continual questioning and experimentation should be encouraged and rewarded (Capra 123). Now that we have established the fundamental principles of this model we can dive a little deeper into the root causes of larger, cascading system failures.

Continue to Part 2: We Need to Talk

Reference

1. Capra, Fritjof. The Hidden Connections. New York: First Anchor Books Edition, January 2002.