Eco Ego Spiral

When strategising or planning, we usually ask ourselves...What's the desired outcome? What do I/we want and need to do?

Natural, more than likely, ego-centric questions. How can we make the question more eco (ecologically)-centric? With an eco ego, the aim is for SYNERGY, where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, e.g.  1 + 1 = 4.

For synergy to occur,  both DIVERSITY and INTERDEPENDENCE are required. The energising eco-centric desired outcome is to value diversity, work interdependently and hope for synergy. However,  synergy is not predictable. Synergistic outcomes require TRUST (in self, in each other, in the system). When in tune with Nature, synergy emerges and energises further spirals. Our current emergencies call for 1+1 = 4 with exponential synergy to enable degrowth.

With emergent synergy, it's important we take responsibility for not only the positive effects (often called serendipity), but address the emergent negative effects (often called unintended consequences). Again, when in tune with Nature, the positive effects will outweigh the negative, and serendipity energises further spirals to value diversity and working interdependently even more. That's the way Nature works.

Want to energise your team to value diversity and work interdependently to create synergy?
Download ECO EGO Spiral PowerPoint v1.0

  The Eco Ego Spiral (text, graphics & download) by Yoshimi & Jon Brett is marked with CC0 1.0 (OK to copy)

Russel Crowe, in A Beautiful Mind, demonstrates how a widely accepted theory is often INCOMPLETE and provides mathematical proof that:

the best possible solution comes
when everyone does what's best
for himself, and the group.

NEXT: Strategy Spiral for the best possible ecological solutions to emerge gently

More: Values Spiral  More: Functions Spiral  More: Uncertainty Spiral