Systems Thinking Beyond Silos: A Podcast with Peter Winick

The paradigm of business has shifted. Things are moving so rapidly, and challenges are so interconnected, that solving issues one at a time can leave the larger problem untouched. A new methodology may change the activity without changing the conditions that keep producing the same result.

In a new episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership with Peter Winick, Ilene Fischer discusses what it takes to think and act systemically. The conversation explores the ideas behind her book, Innovation Ecosystems: A Dynamic Blueprint for Organizational Success and Engagement, published by John Murray Press, a division of Hachette.

The starting point is a leadership question: when capable people keep trying new approaches and the problem persists, what needs to change in the way the organization works?

Seventeen methodologies. The same underlying problem.

“We tried seventeen different innovation methodologies in five years. They all failed.” That statement from a Fortune 500 CEO opens Innovation Ecosystems. It captures the frustration of investing in one initiative after another without getting the change the business needs.

Ilene’s argument is that the issue goes beyond choosing the right methodology or consultants. When challenges are connected, leaders need to view them as an interconnected system. Decisions about strategy, structure, culture, and how people work cannot be treated as separate projects with no effect on one another.

This is the shift at the heart of Sophia Network’s Innovation Ecosystem framework: bring the people and perspectives needed for the whole challenge into the work, rather than leaving each department to solve its own piece.

Silos are only half the story

Organizational resistance is the other half. A solution can look convincing to the people who designed it while leaving the people expected to use it feeling unheard or unprepared. Asking for commitment at the end leaves little opportunity for those people to influence the answer.

Deep listening is where the methodology begins. Ilene describes it as the disciplined practice of letting internal judgments and evaluations go so you can remain fully present with another person. The purpose is to understand what people are experiencing before deciding what they need to do differently.

Participation continues throughout the project. The stakeholders the solution needs are part of the team, see their own contributions in the work each week, and help build the finished solution. Ownership develops through that involvement. It is part of how the work gets done, rather than a separate request for support after the decisions are made.

What this looked like at a health insurance company

In the example shared in Ilene’s podcast announcement, a large health insurance company used the methodology to implement its strategic plan. Twelve months later, operating margins were up $54 million against a $15 million goal. The organization reported an 18-to-1 return on the innovation investment, a 31 percent reduction in voluntary turnover, and a Great Place to Work score that rose from 50 to 70.

These are results from one organization, rather than a promise of what every organization will achieve. They illustrate why the conversation connects business performance with the conditions in which people work. The financial result and the employee experience belong in the same discussion.

For more examples of the work, explore Sophia Network’s case studies.

Listen to the conversation, then explore the book

Listen to episode 746: Why Systems Thinking Beats Siloed Problem-Solving for Ilene’s conversation with Peter Winick about innovation ecosystems and the leadership needed to make change take hold.

The Innovation Ecosystems book page includes ordering options and more about the approach. Leaders considering how to bring this work into their own organizations can explore Sophia Network’s services or start a conversation. Discounted pricing is available for nonprofit organizations.