YOUTH
Nature tends to go through these cycles with more ease than human beings because we do not take kindly to the unknown. It should also be noted that the phases of the cycles do not always go in this direction, in some instances conservation is able to be managed in a way that delays a release and moves back towards a growth phase.
what seems to be a later phase of conservation. We are in a period of having to let go of what we once thought would work in order to allow for an organization that will thrive in the modern world. Systems as they age tend to make themselves more rigid and less open as they implement more rules and boundaries, which is not necessarily a bad thing. An organization cannot exist only in the exploitation phase, it has to move out of that. Our organization has over 60 chapters with women who have been steeped in an environment of leadership and change making so it is no wonder how we got to this place. It is scary to launch into a state of chaos, but it does not have to be. The period of release is a time of creativity and brainstorming, it is a period where all doors and possibilities open back up even if it doesn’t feel like it. KDChi has women who are creative, driven, and passionate ready to push through and reorganize and that is a beautiful thing. Often organizations stuck at the conservation phase allow the release to build up because they put it off for so long, but these cycles are healthy. The longer the release is delayed the more damaging it can be. Think of a forest that sheds debris every year that catches on fire, burns out, and then builds back up again. If you spend years
is a time of experimentation, each choice made informs the next in what is hopefully growth and progression. Growing older makes experimentation seem risky, exchange what has worked for what might not seems more likely to induce a setback. Organizations that have been around for 100+ years have had to learn major lessons in order to grow. They have had to sit time and time again and re-evaluate who they are as an organization and who they want to be. This process is not one that indicates failure, but instead indicates a march towards success. This is something that happens in nature, this process is needed for any self-regulating entity to survive. The ability to identify what is worth preserving, adapt to any changes that threaten it, and learn from the experience is Resilience.
is the process by which a self-regulating entity works to be resilient, these cycles are fast and slow and occur at different scales. At the smaller scale every chapter is going through these cycles. They may have had a semester of no intake, low attendance at their events, or fundraisers that no longer make money and now have to figure out how to move forward. Our organization as a whole is in a period of trying to adapt so that we can continue to be resilient. At the larger scale we have more chapters than ever before and with each chapter comes a new set of voices that need to be heard and worked into a larger vision. We are in a great position to grow and push ourselves to really achieve our goals and flourish.
The adaptive cycle has four phases exploitation, conservation, release, and finally growth or reorganization. Exploitation occurs at the beginning of all things where possibilities are endless and no consequences are in sight, it gives way to conservation as an entity begins to realize
some things need to be preserved and are in
jeopardy, next comes a release where
there is no longer control or
organization, which allows
for a final period of
growth.
AN ADAPTIVE CYCLE
WE ARE IN
The Emerald | Winter/Spring 2018
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