Corporation as a network of communities

The communities of a corporation are communities of practice, of interest, of proximity, etc. These communities tend to be forces of preservation and persistence of what is.

Corporate change occurs when a community of intent emerges which is focused on and forms around an intention to change.

No single individual and no number of individuals intent on a change have sufficient energy and information to move a corporation. While a change effort may begin from a single individual, more usually it will emerge from a dialogue (of speaking and action) between a number who see greater possibility and begin to focus attention on that.

Until a community of intent emerges from such dialogue, no significant and sustained change effort will occur. A community of intent requires that its members' attention and intention be primarily on of change (of becoming).

It is the interlocking, overlapping, fuzzy-edged nature of communities which allows continual expansion throughout a corporation. Individuals need not give up membership in other communities - except communities of complaint - to participate and become members of a community of intent. In fact, to be a successful new community, members need to retain active, visible membership in their old communities.

When the community of intent predominates in the other existing communities, then corporate transformation is merely a matter of time - and probably not much time compared to the expectations of the society in which it is occurring.

(A Koch chemical plant increased throughput by 50% in two years by change effort alone. Customers and suppliers asked why they hadn't announced such a major planned expansion - as though it had been a capital investment programme.)