Triggered by his real-world experience of Transformation and Change failures, and his academic knowledge of persistent high Change Failure rates over decades, Dr Sweeney was motivated to research, understand and bring knowledge and tools to address this persistent issue, and improve Change outcomes for Organizations and Teams. This led to ground breaking insights captured in ‘Dynamic Systems Maturity Theory’.
Primary Insights (Management Science)
- Change actions at any level, in any human system (Organization, Team, Function) will not gain sustainable traction in the target system, if they are not calibrated, to reflect the learning level (Maturity) of that target system. “So, changes actions fail if they are outside the ability of the system to be effectively absorbed”
- Human Systems Learn (Develop and Improve) in a sequential and cumulative manner similar to how we as individuals learn, from birth through our lifetime. There are 15 discreet habituated states (Learning Levels) a human system can reside at, and 15 related development phases (specific development actions). “Improving performance and changing behaviours, have specific action types which are determined by the habituated Learning Level (Maturity)”
- At, or above a specific Learning Level (Maturity Level 4, on a 7-Level Normative Maturity Scale) next step change and improvement actions have sustainable traction and are effective (Integrative), below that Learning Level change management and actions require more sophisticated review from the lowest level up (Disintegrative)
Application of Insights (Management Science)
Dynamic Systems Maturity Theory (DSMT) is a scientific means for understanding and improving Human Systems, such as an Organisation System. It explains how they function? Why they perform at a specific level? The nature of their Culture and the Learning and Development Process.
The Organisation Capability Maturity Framework (OrgCMF™) is a set of Bodies of Knowledge, Reference Models, Techniques & Tools based on the DSMT Capability Maturity Standard, which enables Organisations and teams improve their Performance (Functioning & Learning Levels) in line with their Aims & Ambitions for Change, Improvement & Transformation.
Real-World Relevance & Findings
Further research found that it is only at the higher levels (5+) that any true Agility, Resilience or Innovation exists and that an Organisations Culture has a similar developmental sequence.
Through simple on-line Assessment (Measurement) of the relevant System (Organization, Team or Digital), Subsystems and/or Elements (Key Capabilities), Leaders and team can get Change & Improvement action calibration guidance.
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