This document describes the participative design workshop (PDW) process for organizational redesign using a socio-ecological systems perspective. The PDW has three phases: analysis of the current situation, redesigning the organization's structure and workflows, and planning implementation. It utilizes design principles, rapid iteration, and prototyping. Participants work in "mirror groups" to analyze factors like employee engagement, analyze skills, and design the new organization structure. The goal is to produce an optimal redesign of the organization as a learning system that meets human and environmental needs.

1. The Participative Design Workshop
And the Socio-ecological Perspective
Don de Guerre
6/17/2009 | 1

2. Global Social Environment
(characterized by value shifts as people change their world)
The Work of the
Search Conference:
to develop business
strategy aligned with
environment
Environment acts on the
system presenting
opportunities for Puzzle
Learning
The Work of the Participative
Design Workshop: To produce
a learning organization
System acts on
environment for
Active Adaptive
Planning
System
Based on Open Systems
Theory, selected principles
and tools are applied to a
variety of complex change
challenges.
Unique Designs
A socio-ecological systems perspective
2The New STS Workshhop

3. 3

4. Small “knowledge work” org’n
One level org’n. Whole org’n is
decision making body composed
of temporary, overlapping project
teams
Small to medium org’n
with specialized people
at strategic level. Also known
as “Democratic Modified”
where responsibility for control
is still one level above where
work is done, but responsibility
for co-ordination is in the group
Large org’n
with non-specialized people
at strategic level
Variations in Democratic Organization
Systems

5. 9/30/20135
The Three Phases of a PDW
Phase 1. Analysis (of what exists now)
Briefing 1 - Design Principle 1, then....
Groups complete matrix for 6 psychological requirements of productive activity.
Groups complete matrix of skills/knowledge and certifications available.
Reports and diagnostics.
Phase 2. Change (redesign)
Briefing 2 - Design Principle 2, then....
Groups draw up work flow.
Groups draw up organizational structure and redesign it.
Reports and revisions.
Phase 3. Practicalities (implementation planning)
Briefing 3 - What Is Required to Make the Redesign Work, then Groups spell out....
a comprehensive set of measurable goals.
training requirements (from skills matrix).
the basis for designing career paths.
how the redesign improves scores on the 6 criteria.
other requirements, e.g. mechanisms for coordination, changes in technology, etc.

6. -5 0 5 -5 0 +5 -5 0 +5
0 10 0 10 0 10
EFFECTIVE
ORG DESIGN
HIGH EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT
MEETS THE BASIC
HUMAN NEEDS OF
WORK
ELBOW ROOM LEARNING ON THE JOB VARIETY
(Autonomy in (a) Setting Goals
decision making) (b) Getting Feedback
MUTUAL SUPPORT
AND RESPECT
MEANINGFULNESS
(a) Socially Useful
(b) See Whole Product
DESIRABLE
FUTURE
O
P
T
I
M
A
L
M
A
X
I
M
A
L
Intrinsic Motivators

7. Participative Design Workshop Using Mirror Groups
Introductions - Explain plan for the workshop
Briefing #1 - Design Principle 1
Mirror Groups analyze
6 criteria and skills as they now exist A B C D
Reports of A & C’s positions
Briefing #2 - Design Principle 2
Map workflow and structure, create redesigns
Add goals, training requirements, etc..
Groups finalize redesigns
Final Reports of A & C’s redesigns
A B C D
Mirror Groups swap roles
and repeat the process

8. SEL Participative Co-design Process
Connect
Innovate
Design
Implement
New Social
Architectur
e

9. © 2013 9
The Design Phase

10. DESIGN SCIENCE PRINCIPLES
10
• Mash up (smart recombinations)
• Prototyping (modelling, fallacy of misplaced
concreteness)
• Rapid iteration
• Time boxing
• Max mix

11. Everyone is a Designer
11

12. Traditional PDW IDEA
Theoretical Grounding OST/STS OST/STS
Design Science
Appreciative Inquiry
Theory Inputs DP1
DP2
6 factors
Rapid Iterative
Prototyping
Creative Inputs
Ted Talks
You Tube
RSI Animate
Short Case Articles
Participants Natural Work Groups
Diagonal Slice
Intact Groups as Design
Teams
Whole System
Diagonal Slice
Maximal Mixing of
Groups

13. Agenda Briefing 1: DP1
6 factors
Skills matrix
Briefing 2: DP2
Current Org Structure &
Workflow
New Org Structure
Briefing 3: Practicalities
Introduction
Research
Ideate
Develop
Iterate
Mash Up
Prototype
Refine (Validate)
Iterate
Build
Change Process Preparation to Design
Formal and Legal Agreement
PDWs
Integration
Town Hall
Implement
Connect
Innovate
Design
Integration
Area Teams
Town Hall
Implement
Output DP2 Organization Structure Multiple Organization Models
Relational, Spatial, Structural

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