Indulging the Microcosms in Large System Interventions

What is the role of a Microcosm?

The growing popularity of Large system interventions among Leaders is a testimonial to the success of engaging a large number of people around a common and effective strategic focus that must be executed at a fast pace. In order to approach the task of shifting the whole system, the parts of the organisation must be able to think the way the Whole system is thinking. The real subsets of organisations are the ‘microcosms’ that represent the voices of the organisation and allows the whole to see and think.

The microcosm contains the essential DNA of the entire organisation which help you view the whole system real-time. The microcosm mirrors the whole in many ways which allow the organisation to resonate with the whole system at a different level. While the microcosm re-creates the DNA of the organisation, what must be ensured is that even if all the employees are not active participants in the process, the decisions taken by the microcosm should be the same as what the DNA represents. Moving away from the idea of tapping into the wisdom of the ‘experts’ who usually from similar backgrounds and backed by their designations, large scale interventions look at tapping into the wisdom of every level of the organisation not just on the dawn of implementation but all the way throughout the design and strategy phase by engaging every employee in a meaningful way.

Why are the microcosms important?

The use of microcosm is significant to the success of the large scale intervention because of the underlying belief that the wisdom necessary to reach the end outcome resides within all the people of the organisation. It is not limited to the top or the bottom or the middle of the organisation but also includes those stakeholders who are impacted by the organisation say, suppliers, distributors, customers etc.

Large system interventions bring out the group wisdom not by directly controlling or directing the process but merely facilitating it. The role of the change agent and the leaders is to support its microcosms get ready. Through the power of microcosm, the systemic process will lead to individuals shifting from their current identities to one that exists as their reality in the microcosm. This phase is called a Paradigm shift where the employees start seeing themselves, their role in the organisation and the organisation in a different light. This is the first stage of building momentum towards actions that will make the change successful. A paradigm shift experienced by the critical mass of microcosm in the organisation is half work done in the organisation's strategic direction.

Who form the microcosms?

Some examples of microcosms in Large systems are Research Teams, cross-functional Task Teams, Core Planning and Project Teams. One of the most resourceful ways to use microcosms is through “max-mix” seating, which is a group of people at a table, representing the same mix of knowledge, experience, functions, levels and attitudes that will be in the larger group. Each table in a large system process is thus a microcosm of the room, and all those in the room together are a microcosm of the system.

How do the microcosms work?

While microcosms are at work, it is essential to note that their participation must not be limited to simulations, role-plays etc because the idea of trusting them with the actual process gets diluted. Many organisations focus on problem-solving and finding the right solution to approach improvements in the large system. But this ideology creates the need for a right answer and a wrong answer. In an exploratory method like that of large scale interventions, the participants should not be limited by the rights and wrongs. Every individual has the truth and reality of his/her own, and each person’s truth is equally important. It’s the combination of many truths that gives the view of endless possibilities.