Living systems

(return to Co-creative Learning Teams, an article on Languaging-Co-creation or see more keywords)

The Whole Course

1. Systems Thinking
2. Self-regulation
3. Self-coordination
4. Living systems
5. Team consciousness
6. Team synergy
7. Team sizes
8. Team diversity
9. Lucky Teams
10. Team Evaluation

Living systems

An autopoietic system

1. The above diagram represents a living system in 5 key elements:
   • a) The large circle represents the boundary between inside & outside
   • b) The circulating elliptical line with arrows is its metabolic system
   • c) The wavy lines at the bottom represent the external environment
   • d) The upward arrow represents denotes an intake of nutrients etc.
   • e) The downward arrow indicates an outflow of its products.
2. Biological cells are encased in a semi-permeable membrane.
3. However, as our diagram is so simplified it can also apply to other living systems:
   • e.g. ...in an animal, a) & b) can represent stomach, guts, nervous system etc.
   • e.g. ...within city walls a) & b) might contain town hall, bakeries, pubs, houses, etc.
   • e.g. ...in a commercial brand a) & b) would include strategists & designers, etc.
   • e.g. ...in a team a) & b) is the space where specialist individuals work together.

Inside v. Outside

1. We might see the outer 'wall' (a) as the boundary between two worlds.
   • A. The interior is where its metabolic processes (food processing / dreaming etc.) take place.
   • B. The exterior is the (rest of) the whole universe, from which it gains its life-support assets.
2. This is analogous to non biological living systems such as teams, corporations, or nations.
3. In all cases their autopoietic task is to survive by (coordinating both domains.
4. This means coordinating many sites of awareness.
5. Despite the distinction between inner and outer awareness we will call it Team consciousness.
6. It is inevitable that an interior reality will sometimes differ from the ''exterior' reality.

Identity

1. Another way to think of it is in terms of the living system's identity.
2. When discrepancies open up between identities, adjustment is needed.
3. This seems equally true for ecosystems, corporations, brands or teams etc.
4. How we like to present ourselves is unlikely to match how we are seen.

how Bert sees how friends
himself see Bert

Staying Alive

1. Modern humans make lifestyle choices from their personal preferences.
2. But finding the identity we like always has some consequences.
3. Others react to how they see us and may not approve or understand.
4. Even so, identity changes seldom pose a life-or-death crisis.
5. Many involve garments, makeup, tattoos, jewellery or cosmetic surgery.

Managing your Identity

1. If your new identity proves unwelcome you have a number of options.
2. You could:
   • a). Revert back
   • b). Persuade others to accept your new identity.
3. Often, a projected identity will fail to live up to what is expected.
4. Birds may not eat a strawberry that tastes acrid or looks like a stone.
5. This means that fewer birds will carry strawberry seeds to new places.
6. This could be unfortunate for next year's strawberry crops...

Failure to Convince

1. Occasionally, failures to align internal and external identities prove fatal.

how Nigel saw how the lion
himself saw Nigel

Mutual Support

1. Autopoietic systems need affirmative feedback to survive.
2. At the biological level, healthy cells receive affirmative signals from adjacent cells
3. In effect, this denotes the recognition of a neighbour's identity as a beneficial ally.
4. Many ecosystems operate with mutually beneficial processes of exchange.
   • e.g. Humans inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide.
   • e.g. Plants inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen.
5. This mutual process enables different types of organism to co-exist happily.

HUGE THANKS FOR BEING PART OF OUR TEAM!!

Pride and Shame

1. If we receive affirmative feedback from those close to us we may feel pride
2. This is likely to lead to more effort in future, rather than less...
3. But the experience of alienation is emotionally painful.
   • 
4. If we are unjustly criticised or ignored we may feel ashamed
5. And can lead to depression and a reduced interest in working well.

Self-sacrifice

1. This process can be much more brutal in the world of living cells.
2. If a cell is stressed or fails to perform healthily it may stop receiving 'thumbs-up' signs.
3. This can trigger a normal (biochemical) process in which the cell kills itself. 
4. This is called apoptosis. Once started it follows an unstoppable sequence of changes. 
5. This is a protection mechanism that stops damaged cells from replicating uncontrollably (e.g. cancer). 
6. ⇒ go to NEXT SESSION or return to The School of Co-creation