History is just one damn thing after another (Churchil). We are a technology developing species, but struggle with understanding the differences between human and mechanical behaviour. We idealize stability and predictability, which are traits of mechanisms. Could that play a role in the popularity of Systems Theory as an explanation model also for how humans organize what they do together? I believe we are stuck in a particular way of thinking which leads us astray when trying to understand organizational changes, communication, and political games. So how do we become better at playing games including political games in general? Particularly, how should we approach innovation that encompass changes for both mechanisms and humans?

1. Nordea | Head of Customer Experience EA
Slides available at slideshare.net/mikkelbrahm
7 steps
to become a highly successful
Enterprise Architect

2. Architecture is an aspect of a building – all buildings have one
Enterprise is intentional process of doing and organizing business

3. The Hunter-Gatherer Society is a Punctuation of ongoing changes
Spoken
Language
Wicker
Baskets
Spear and
SpearThrower
Written
Language
Agriculture
Husbandry
Law
Fertilizing
Pens

4. STRATEGY
SOURCE:
McKinsey Organization Design Service Line,
McKinsey 9 Golden Rules report
2013SOURCE:
Leavitt, Harold J.
“Applied Organizational Change in Industry”
in Handbook of Organizations pp 1144-70
1965

5. MechanismsPeople
Action
Structure
A multi-perspectival approach is much more likely to succeed
Leavitt’s diamond (1965) – slightly modified
$

6. Mechanisms People
Stop pursuing one all-encompassing theory of change management
Mechanisms
• A mechanism can only enact previously
transcribed scripted-action (Latour)
• Change can only happen
through intervention by human engineers
• A mechanism can be so complicated that a
human does not fully comprehend its
function, but the function is entirely
knowable and predictable
SystemsTheory
People relating
• People mutually adapt (respond) to the
perceived needs of other people with
whom they have a valued relationship
• Stability is enactment of the habitual,
more or less the same as before
• Change is enactment of something new,
possibly spontaneous and surprising
Complex Responsive processes of
Relating (Ralph Stacey et al.)
Mangle of Practice (Andrew Pickering)
Material Resistance and Human Accommodation

7. How ‘we work’ may seem similar, but not how ‘we work together’
Integration
• Interfacing only works when preconditions,
syntax etc. is perfectly adhered to
• When interfacing goes wrong, the failure is
usually spectacular
• Unless a mechanism is designed to try a
number of different protocols one of which
works, it will continue to fail indefinitely
• Once the system has failed, it is rarely able
to recover without human intervention
Mechanisms can be difficult to integrate, but once the
integration is established it keeps working efficiently
Collaboration
• People innovatively pursue goals via work-
arounds and adjustments to own behaviour
• In extreme cases people can feel that they
bend over backwards, but they still cope
• If collaboration breaks down temporarily
professionals are good at taking a time out
and then try again slightly differently
People excel at initiating collaboration with other people
and evolve trust and effective co-creation along the way

8. “Stable States” is punctuation; Both Stability and Change Emerges
Mechanisms’ strengths
• Predictable
• Manageable
• Like a clockwork
Humans’ strengths
• Robust
• Flexible
• Easy to deal with
Developing Mechanisms
• Demand for function emerges in
particularisations of generalisations
• Mechanism (physical) which may or may not
satisfy this demand arises in a mangle of
practice where we transcribe scripted action
Exploiting Mechanisms
• Mechanisms can have function for people
• Therefore people follow prescription so that
the mechanism will have desired function
• People are enabled and constrained by
mechanisms – i.e. not ‘disciplining by
mechanisms’ but self-disciplining of user

9. Transcription of Scripted Action into Mechanisms takes many forms
Uniform, Badge,Title, Corner Office etc.
enables someone to enact a certain role
without negotiating their right to do so
A Counter is a separation
between Buyer and Seller
physical and role …
… and it serves practically
to display goods,
and carry other tools.
Sophisticated and mundane mechanism
both carry out transcribed scripted action
Innovation requires human intervention

10. People relating
• Stability is enactment of the habitual,
more or less the same as before
• Change is enactment of something new, possibly spontaneous and surprising
• People mutually adapt (respond) to the perceived needs of other people with whom they
have a valued relationship
Complex Responsive processes of Relating (Ralph Stacey et al.)
People relating
We form a Web of Intentionality where no single Player has Control
Multi-tiered Game
representatives • delegates
leaders • government
court • elite

11. PublicTranscript - Fine clothes, but invisible to the stupid or unfit
HiddenTranscript -The Emperor is naked!

12. Control Chaos
Stability Disruption
Agreement Opposition
Known Unknown
We tend to think in Dichotomies; Idealize one end; dislike Paradox
Predictable Unpredictable

13. To become Influential, you must develop a Feel for the Game
• Politics
• Power Plays
• Tactics
• Organization

14. It is easy to get Ideas, but difficult to Sustainably Execute

15. Cost Structure Revenue Structure
Sourcing Strategy
Value Proposition
Distribution Strategy
The economy, stupid (James Carville / Bill Clinton)

16. Mechanisms
Where & how do we meet customers?
Which touchpoints do we digitalize?
Do we provide open API’s and support?
How can we simplify / standardize the ‘core’?
How can we develop for reuse and replace?
Which new technologies should we exploit?
People
What do customers need?
What are the unserved
or underserved needs of customers?
Who listens to - and collaborates - with whom?
Who do we want to ally with, or oppose?
How can we best exploit our differences?
Action
How do customers fulfil needs?
How do we deliver our services?
How do users interact with our interfaces?
How can we optimize our CI/CD pipeline?
How can we source what we don’t have?
How can we both support and govern?
Structure
How is our market structured?
What are sustainable ratios?
What are our revenue and cost structures?
How is the funding of changes structured?
How do our (sub)cultures affect innovation?
Do we need to (re)organize to nurture stars?
Identify key Questions both aboutVision and Ability to Execute
$

17. MechanismsPeople
Action
Structure
Strategist, OD, Finance, EA – all influence “Changing the Business”
My advice: Multi-disciplinary & Cross-functional Teamwork
$
Complex Responsive
Processes of Relating
SystemsTheory
Mangle of Practice
Zachman’s Framework

18. 7 steps to become a highly successful Enterprise Architect