Regenerative System Change is the focus of my career. I work within and across boundaries to convene key stakeholders or "actors" in service of system change initiatives that help to regenerate the planet, its people and the organizations they work in. Regenerative System Change builds upon living systems principles and centers work that can systemically improve ecological systems and well-being on the planet. A great example of this is a recent project to improve the circularity of compostables and compost for the U.S. Composting Industry.
For the past 18 months, I've been working across boundaries to convene over 110 organizations and facilitate a strategic change process that shifts the U.S. Composting Industry into greater circularity. The industry plays a large role in reducing methane emissions by diverting food waste away from the landfill and into compost manufacturing facilities. It is estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency that 58% of the fugitive methane emissions released into the atmosphere from municipal solid waste landfills are from food waste. A recent report by Closed Loop Partners estimates that at most, 4% of the nation’s 66 million tons of wasted food annually is being composted today. Composting can make a difference in minimizing these emissions and compostable packaging made of bioplastics can serve as a vehicle to transport food and organic matter to a compost manufacturing facility where it can be composted into rich organic soil and sold back into circulation.
The U.S. composting system and compostables packaging industry is at an inflection point because it is fragmented and that lack of cohesive collaboration and sharing of information and resources is affecting the development of policy, the improvement of infrastructure, and the universal acceptance of compostable materials.
The scope of this work is Regenerative in nature because it’s helping to improve systems that not only help to regenerate soil but also shift our dependency away from plastic which is undoubtedly degenerating our ecosystems.
It is vital to have conditions be ripe for this type of system change work and in this particular case, there has been a unified felt sense of urgency from across the system to come together to do this work which centers around developing a new strategy together. The ultimate outcome was (and still is) to deepen relationships across boundaries, align on a direction and a plan together, and begin to build and weave a stronger network that is capable of transforming together.
This is regenerative systems change for two reasons.
The work centers on improving the circularity of our food systems, which is an integral system to maintaining sustainable life on the planet.
The process adopts a regenerative approach to systems change in that it leverages the behavior of complex adaptive systems in its change approach.
Let's talk a little bit about the process. Regenerative System Change efforts are engineered with principles that thrive in complex adaptive systems. A complex adaptive system (much like nature) thrives through a process that is iterative and adaptive. It requires certain conditions to thrive and becomes unleashed when it can maintain a boundary of its own making – meaning when it can self-organize around the change without additional inputs. This requires all participating entities to do their part in receiving and transmitting information, energy, and resources around the system. Through adaptive cycles of doing, reflection, insight, and integration, the system becomes more cohesive in its functioning. Then something happens through all these cycles and interactions – something emerges. This emergent outcome is a property of these types of systems, and it is this emergence that can catalyze system change efforts.
This is a different way of working than what most institutions and organizations are used to where there is more predictability and linearity. Therefore, this work may not always feel as comfortable and could feel a bit chaotic or ambiguous. Operating at a “network” level, is different than operating at an “organization” level and although it is more complex, the behavior of complex systems can also emerge in far greater ways than we can visibly predict or control. This can be powerfully helpful when it is orchestrated intentionally.
What we can control is our design of the structure and the guiding principles to help the system behave in a productive way. In large group convenings where big meetings guide strategy, the principles of self-management, holism, and an appreciative framing towards the future help orient the system and its players towards greater cohesiveness. To sustain the momentum from large group convenings, a network structure must be designed to ensure that working groups have the information and resources they need to move work forward. They must feel empowered to self-organize from many different angles from within the system. A few design principles to enable the system to be unleashed are to 1. leverage user friendly collaborative tools 2. ensure visibility across and into work 3. establish a predictable meeting cadence 4. co-create parameters to support empowered decision making, and 5. expand shared leadership to multiple entities across the network.
Regenerative System Change can transcend the organization level into a network level of collaboration across boundaries in service of some of the most complex issues of our time that are a threat to our ecosystems. This work is pioneering some of the most meaningful change work of our lives where a consultant’s job is to not just make an organization more profitable, but it is to act as an ecosystem facilitator in service of innovative systems or efforts that regenerate people, the planet and its resources.
The time is now – do you represent an organization and do you feel the call to serve as a convener of this type of system change? Listen in to the emergent call for this work – it is not for the faint of heart but it is deeply needed. We cannot solve these things in isolation – we must go together.
Arielle
See Regenerative Systems Change in Action! Below are a few snap shots from the recent in person gathering for the U.S. Composting Industry. Folks spent three days together to co-create a strategic plan for the industry using a Future Search process. The outcome was clear alignment around 10 initiatives with accompanying action plans and supporting teams. The next step will be building a collaborative platform with an empowered network to drive work forward. Stay tuned for more updates!
Thanks to Evan Kruse from Diverse Video for the excellent shots.
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