You can stand with your left leg in water at a temperature of 1 degree and stand with your right leg at a temperature of 73 degrees. You will be pretty comfortable on average, but both legs will die.
The logic within organizations, formed by seeking unanimity, tends toward average thinking. And that is a great danger. Avoiding discussions that deviate from average thinking can seriously jeopardize the future. But as humans, we simply like to avoid or postpone conflicts to another day, each day.
If you want to innovate, it is crucial to determine how system thinking is formed within your organization. Or, as I call it, the dominant logic. Being aware of the system in which the organization operates and what the dominant logic of the system is provides new insights. Assumptions are made within every organization without people being aware of them. It is important to become aware of the dominant logic that is followed and what its consequences are.
Understanding the dominant logic and becoming aware of the dominant answers within your organization will create room for questions. Renewal starts with asking questions that challenge the existing dominant logic and system thinking and open new doors to the future. The deviations from the average may be the tracks to your future.
In short, be open to deviations, beware of yes-men, and organize the conflict.
Author: Rob Adams