by Helen Halford
The extraordinary social and economic impacts of COVID-19 have profoundly disrupted the operations of social purpose organisations and shifted the needs and perspectives of the communities they serve. At the same time, the importance of maximising the impacts of activities that create meaningful and long-term social transformation that is relevant to present and future generations has never been greater. This presents a complex and critical problem at the level of both business and beneficiaries. Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) is a method for deepening the process of addressing complex social problems and formulating alternative futures. Questioning and creating metaphors is the deepest layer of this method and often the most challenging and important [task]. In this opinion piece CLA is applied to social purpose organisations post-COVID-19 alongside a case study from the Australian disability sector in response to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The perspective offered for consideration is that new narratives can powerfully orientate a business to the future and the emergent society it seeks to support.
The phrase “Build Back Better” refers to the process of making a strong recovery from disaster. It has been deployed by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (2017), the World Bank (2018) and, on 22 April 2020, it was referenced by the Department of Global Communications (2020) in response to COVID-19. To build back better is to take the opportunity in a period of recovery to shape more sustainable, inclusive societies. In the context of COVID-19 it is a rallying cry to emerge with a positive attitude from a period of exponential disruption. Governments and purpose-led organisations around the world are promoting action to maximise the positive social impact of diverse economic activities.
It is reassuring to hear a call to action by people identifying that we can and must do better for our society. However, there is reason to question the value of the call to build back better. Whilst it evokes the possibility of a better future, it reinforces the past. The narrative driving this powerful proclamation is that what has worked before can be reinstated in a “better” version.
When people imagine the future they automatically refer to their memories to guide their thinking (Zheng, Jiayi, & Rongjun, 2014). Is it possible that organisations which pour their energy into building back better are doing so by rebuilding long-standing systems served by existing stakeholder relationships and economic interdependencies and creating the ‘better’ part on top? With a deeper understanding of a better (preferred) future both deconstructing and reconstructing would be occurring, not just a process of putting the old stones back on top of each other in the places that they fell.
Photo by Deniz Altindas on Unsplash
Is this metaphor of a comeback – of making things comparatively better – useful? What happens to an organisation if they move forward with the perspective of coming back from the past? In a context of significant disruption, an organisation’s failure to use strategies for deepening before making decisions about the future can lead to reactive behaviours and a missed opportunity for lasting change. What follows is an example from my experience of how leadership can behave at a pivotal moment: that is, by responding to a litany of crisis with a tight focus on strategy and reliance on an identity that offered a guidepost in the past. Causal Layered Analysis (Inayatullah & Milojević, 2015) is applied to this case example to see how tuning in at a deep narrative level locates the nascent source of powerful change.
Perspectives Under Pressure
When the National Disability Insurance Scheme[1] (NDIS) began rolling out in Australia in 2016 the disability sector across the country faced massive disruption. Given the estimated magnitude of change some described the Scheme as ‘a tsunami’. During this time, I worked in upper management within an organisation that was time-pressured to adjust to the rapidly incoming tide. In the early days of my tenure I was awed by a vanguard of aging executives whom I assumed would lead the organisation from strength to strength through their combined wisdom, experience, and endurance. Two years later the leaders I had looked up to appeared daunted. It had become abundantly clear that exponential changes required a new business model – fast. People were recruited, change consultants brought in, and a leadership coaching program emerged to stimulate innovative thinking.
Motivated by the prospect of rapid innovation I recommended to the CEO that he engage a Futurist and send some key executives to a workshop in Strategic Foresight. In a meeting I had requested with the CEO I excitedly described my vision of establishing budding futurists amongst the ranks, especially those influencing key decisions. The CEO agreed with the vision and approved for members of the wider executive to attend the training. However, as time passed, one-by-one the executives pulled out of the course in futures thinking and said they were too busy to participate in the coaching that sought to help them meet disruption with self-awareness and innovation.
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
Overwhelmed by a litany of questions – how much do things cost? What does the data say about supply and demand? – their reaction to the rapid pace of change was to focus on business strategy and abandon foresight. That is, they did what they knew how to do, and more of it. One executive told me that she had abandoned methods suggested by her coach to minimise ‘busyness’ and make space for visioning in favour of what had always worked for her when time-pressured, which was the apparent efficiency of eating breakfast while driving then diving straight into emails as soon as she arrived at the office. My participation in the course and ongoing coaching created tension in me as I continually challenged my thinking. However, the experience was nowhere near as uncomfortable as witnessing my esteemed leaders turn down these opportunities.
A Return to the Past to Meet an Extraordinary Future
Eventually the change management consultancy and coaching wound up and a statement of what the organisation was grappling with, how well it was meeting those challenges and a vision of ‘where to from here’ was delivered to the CEO. Its conclusion? That the organisation’s culture was the unifying element that had seen it through uncertain times and was also its future. Apparently, the culture that prevailed before this unprecedented disruption was the source of strength – indeed the backbone – that could be relied upon. Thus, fearing the unknown, under pressure for financial survival, accustomed to the mindset of outputs and strategy, the leadership took their power back by reasserting their legacy as the key to their authority.
Photo by Thomas Griggs on Unsplash
Why did experienced leaders turn down opportunities for self-reflection and transformative thinking? It wasn’t because there was so much to do and so little time. It was the story that they believed in. In this case the pervasive narrative was that the organisation had a long and continuous history from humble beginnings to become leaders in their field. Because of this they strategized with a view to continuity, familiarity and status. They re-packaged services and re-purposed staff. They researched customers to transact with and promoted their expertise. Unsurprisingly, with the reassertion of the old story, assumptions about, and relationships with, their beneficiaries went unchallenged and aligned with their vision of themselves: they gave to recipients the knowledge and skills that they lacked as they both travelled on a linear journey of improvement. Although well-meaning in their activities the outcomes included limitations on growth for themselves and the people they served, and to this day I am asked what became of the organisation that seems to have disappeared from view.
Transformation through Causal Layered Analysis
The story that an organisation tells itself is a powerful force in creating the future. A new story can propel change but a historic one may only provide direction on a familiar course. Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) can shed some light on the way in which this and many other organisations right themselves in the face of exponential disruption. CLA is a method for progressive exploration through vertical layers of information, knowledge, perception and meaning to open up possibilities for alternative futures. The process begins with an examination of the ‘headlines’, or the litany of the present, then delves into three underlying layers: systems, worldview, and myth or metaphor. The transformative impact of CLA emerges when the narrative is deconstructed and a new story emerges. As the CLA participant lifts their gaze and works back through the layers, changes occur at each level that sustain the new narrative. In this way an alternative future more relevant to present needs becomes clear.
Microsoft Stock Images
The present – the current layers of thinking, doing and perceiving
| Litany | Clients are becoming purchasers; new cost structures; need to attract customers; health care meets commercial incentives |
| Systems | Repackaged long-term services; add-on technologies; ‘insurance model’, commercial model
Reinstate leadership and control Metrics: outputs and outcomes |
| Worldview | Stakeholder perceptions: service users and customers vs professionals with expertise that can be purchased
Social constructions of power: beneficiaries lack efficacy; professional-client relationship is one way as only the client is ‘helped’ Survival of the Fittest |
| Story | Weather the storm, stay afloat |
Beyond the Metaphor of Building Back Better
Post-COVID-19 the story of building back better is pervasive around the world but can this story meet the demands of our times? On the one hand it affirms the value of striving for social change but on the other it suggests that previous structures and approaches are still relevant with some improvement. A metaphor for transformation that is anchored in the past seems a paradoxical, self-limiting vision that we might follow to our peril. The drivers of social purpose activities may powerfully rebuild and adapt to the present but they will fail to transform the future regardless of – or perhaps because of – their commitment to improvement.
Adherence to the story of building back better instead of creating from the future makes long-term social transformation unlikely. With well-meaning intent organisations unconsciously revitalising an old story could respond to the litany of crises by building back familiarity and stability in their structures and relationships to their beneficiaries; in other words, creating a recognisable version of the past. There are some dangers in this, as implicit metaphors within organisations give rise to congruent worldviews, some of which may inadvertently limit possibilities and attribute agency to a few whilst taking it away from others (Vallis & Inayatullah, 2016).
As we go about creating a new, equitable, diverse and resilient society we must ensure we have untethered ourselves from the status quo. Causal Layered Analysis suggests that to do so we must become aware of ourselves at the level of myth and metaphor and put our minds first to transformation there. It is up to the drivers of social impact operations to develop and instil in their cultures a new narrative befitting extraordinary social change – one that focuses on emergent signals of preferred futures in order to create new models, to replace those that are still preoccupied with strategies that seek to renew the strength of what came before.
Transformation in Worldviews
Unprecedented disruption not only transforms the experiences of beneficiaries and wider communities impacted by change but also their priorities, openness to new possibilities and perceptions of their own agency. The extent of the social impact of any activity is intrinsically linked to the process of understanding and meeting the needs and values of beneficiaries with respect to their future. At this time of enormous change worldviews and attitudes are also transforming and must be understood and embraced as signs of further changes to come. If organisations continue to reference paradigms and social stories from the past during a time of rapid change they fail to grasp what really matters to the society that is emerging.
Changes to Systems and Models of Business
At a systems level, as worldviews of agency and aspirations are transforming alternatives to the old transactional dynamic of givers and takers must be developed. In the social change sector the co-creative relationship presents a relatively dynamic approach in which beneficiaries are engaged as associates and partners in pulling the levers of change. Whilst this incorporates contemporaneous views if we are serious about creating an inclusive and resilient society that has not existed before we need to explore new models which can guide organisations in the design of services that build these future communities.
For example, what if a step was taken beyond the partnership model and beneficiaries became mentors? In this relationship the recipients of social interventions would have a leadership role by informing and challenging the traditional experts with different perspectives. By powerfully articulating their experiences, needs and aspirations these transformed and transformational beneficiaries can challenge a business to envisage possible futures and scaffold their decisions accordingly. The outcome is not only innovation to new markets and a growing, multi-faceted business but the transformation of the place, the role, and the deep integration in society of people formerly viewed as ‘service users’. Here is a path along which invisible systems conferring unsought dominance (McIntosh, 1989) are seen and cleared away.
A New Approach Emerges
After having analysed the pitfalls of the narrative of building back better a new metaphor for the preferred future can be developed. This could be one of a team of architects designing community spaces where diverse people thrive and can be seen and heard. A new worldview of business and societal development through collaborative transformation has overturned the hierarchical system and its inherent inequities and made way for a more flexible structure that permits meaningful dialogue. From a systems perspective, instead of outputs and outcomes the new metrics could be ‘How connected are we? Who do we relate to, who relates to us, and how do we influence each other?’ Thus, by means of challenging and transforming pervasive narratives we can develop a powerful story that serves our preferred future as well as the groundswell and activities for realising it.
Emergent future – from the compelling new metaphor to emerging layers of change
| Litany | Identify project partners amongst beneficiaries
Innovate to tomorrow’s aspirations Metrics: relationships, innovations, shared value |
| Systems | Status quo is shifted: networked businesses are superior to authoritative, siloed structures; key workspaces are those that are shared for learning, development and evaluation |
| Worldview | Learning about future problems and creating opportunities is best done together
Customers and professionals can be design partners, co-decision-makers and alternate as leaders to advance the interests and influence of both business and beneficiary Design for tomorrow’s aspirations and relationship growth |
| Story | Architects in a collective designing the future
The emperor is shown to have no clothes – the culture of dominance is removed |
In summary: A Compelling Narrative Creates Momentum for Transformation
Myths and metaphors are powerful influences on organisations. If they are persistent, unconscious, or a source of comforting familiarity they can create a weight that slows an organisation’s growth. Here’s a good test: if you find it comforting to think of your organisation’s metaphor then it’s probably not going to serve you well for the future. It may be soothing to think that you just need to do what you were doing before and improve on it but it won’t lead to innovation and you will almost certainly be left behind.
Faced with overwhelming disruption instead of keeping their heads above organisations intent on transforming society need to lead by taking a deep dive. We must question the readiness of organisations to create the future society that we prefer. We might ask, what appetite does the leader of an organisation have for transformation? Will they take risks with new metaphors? Creating a new story can propel changes in beliefs, help us challenge and discard assumptions and give rise to new perspectives. This process at its deepest level can be hard work because there is a possibility that some things held dearly (legacy) will need to be cast aside and some things that were part of the bedrock (assumptions) will be found to be mutable. Particles of ‘what was’ start to slip through the fingers of executives grasping for certainty.
The story of building back better is optimistic but not revolutionary. As we continue to think ‘post-COVID’ and turn the corner into a new year we should take a moment to reflect on what our core narrative is – what drives our beliefs and assumptions about the future we think we are creating – and what it could be. When we apply ourselves not only to analysis of up-to-date information but also investigation of self and story we avoid superficial activities and discover what is of most value to do now, which may be different to what worked before. Complexity and uncertainty are not going anywhere. However, by deeply and creatively engaging with it we can find compelling points of leverage from which we can authentically ‘pivot’ our activities. Pausing, questioning, and developing new metaphors can powerfully reorientate and reinvigorate our crucial social organisations to vision, innovate and do better for society in a manner that is truly transformative.
References
Department of Global Communications. (2020, April 22). Retrieved from: Climate Change and COVID-19: UN urges nations to ‘recover better’ | United Nations
Inayatullah, S & Milojević, I. (2015). CLA 2.0: Transformative Research in Theory and Practice. Tamsui: Tamkang University Press.
McIntosh, P. (1989). White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. Peace and Freedom, July/August, 10-12. Philadelphia, PA: Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.
The World Bank. (2017). Building Back Better: Achieving resilience through stronger, faster, and more inclusive post-disaster reconstruction. Retrieved from: Building Back Better.pdf (gfdrr.org)
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. (2018). Build Back Better: in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction. Retrieved from: BBB.pages (unisdr.org)
Vallis, R & Inayatullah, S. (2016). Policy Metaphors: From the tuberculosis crusade to the obesity apocalypse. Futures, 84(B), 133-144.
Zheng, H., Luo, J. & Yu, R. (2014). From memory to prospection: what are the overlapping and the distinct components between remembering and imagining. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 856. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00856.
- The National Disability Insurance Scheme provides funding for individualised supports, information and connections to relevant services for eligible Australians who have a permanent and significant disability. The NDIS commenced in limited areas of Australia in 2016 with complete national implementation reached in 2020.Author’s affiliation: Individual | Country: Australia ↑
