182: Creating Change through Context with Norman Wolfe, Founder of Quantum Leaders
Mar 11, 2020
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Norman Wolfe, Founder and CEO of Quantum Leaders, discusses the principles of his living organization model including the three fields of energy and the importance of shifting context. He explores the challenges of implementing change in organizations and emphasizes the role of CEOs in understanding employee perspectives. The chapter also highlights the difference between building teams and building communities, and the need to create a new paradigm.
Recognizing that organizations are like living beings can promote a more adaptive and resilient culture.
Understanding the three fields of energy (activity, relationship, and context) can help leaders drive organizational outcomes.
Shifting the context from a machine paradigm to a living organization paradigm can integrate wellness into core operations.
Deep dives
Recognizing the organization as a living being and the importance of maturity and capability
The first principle of the living organization model is to view the organization as a living being, focusing on the concept of maturity and capability. This means recognizing that the organization is designed to create and that its capacity is defined by the maturity and capability of its people. By shifting the perspective from the organization as a machine to a living being, leaders can prioritize the development of employees' capabilities to deal with complex issues and promote a more adaptive and resilient culture.
The three interrelated fields of energy: activity, relationship, and context
The second principle of the living organization model introduces the concept of three interrelated fields of energy: activity, relationship, and context. Activity refers to what we do and how we do it, while relationship energy is the flow of energy between individuals in the organization. The context field defines how we view and give meaning to our reality. These three fields are intertwined, and their dynamics impact the organization's performance, with the context field having the most significant influence. By understanding and addressing these three fields of energy, leaders can have a more comprehensive view of how to drive organizational outcomes.
Honoring the past while creating the future
An important aspect of changing the contextual field of energy is the recognition and honoring of past practices, habits, and routines, as well as the emotions associated with letting go of the old ways. This includes acknowledging what worked well in the past and what needs to be left behind, creating a pathway to the future. By going through a conscious process of acknowledging and honoring the past, organizations can free up energy and create an environment that supports the adoption of new habits and cultures.
Shifting Paradigms: Building a Community Instead of a Team
The podcast discusses the importance of shifting paradigms and contexts within organizations. It highlights the difference between building a team and building a community, emphasizing the quality of relationships and support within the latter. By focusing on developing maturity and capability in individuals, organizations can increase their capacity to handle complexity and achieve results. The podcast also touches on the challenges faced by CEOs in implementing such changes, due to the pressure for immediate results and lack of knowledge on how to do so. It suggests integrating wellness programs and initiatives into the organization's workflow to create a natural context for growth and success.
The Power of Context in Organizational Wellness
The podcast explores the role of context in fostering wellness within organizations. It explains that context shapes habits, routines, and behaviors, both at an individual and organizational level. By shifting the context from a machine paradigm to a living organization paradigm, organizations can integrate wellness into their core operations. This requires viewing employees as part of a community rather than just a team, focusing on relationships, support, and shared goals. The podcast emphasizes the importance of aligning wellness programs with organizational objectives, demonstrating how increasing employee maturity positively impacts stress management and overall well-being. It encourages wellness professionals to find an ally among the leadership and initiate small changes in department-level operations to pave the way for broader organizational transformation.
Organizations are much more like living bodies than the well-oiled machines that we so often imagine them to be. Helping leaders understand and utilize this difference is the life goal of today’s guest, Norman Wolfe, founder and CEO of Quantum Leaders.
In his book The Living Organization, Norman draws on his 30 plus years of consulting and mentoring leaders to explain the core principles of how the world works and how it can be applied in businesses to create extraordinary impact and unleash the power of the human spirit.
In this episode, Norman explains how his living organization model was born and gives us a walkthrough of its principles including the three fields of energy (activity, relationship, and context) and how the interaction of these three fields make up Wolfe’s Law.
He takes a deeper dive through his thoughts on context and leverage, and how shifting the context is the key to making wellness an inextricable part of the organization rather than a non-essential add on. Lastly, he leaves wellness professionals with a tangible tip to start utilizing his model.
This episode is sponsored by Health Enhancement Systems (HES).
I’m thrilled to announce HES is launching a new emotional well-being campaign called Work of Art on May 1. I’ve been anticipating the release of Work of Art for a while and I’m implementing it for a client later this year. Be sure to check it out at myWorkofArt.com.
HES has agreed to award 1 FREE Work of Art implementation to a Redesigning Wellness podcast listener. This is the only place you can get the address and enter the random drawing, go to hesonline.com/jen and register.
