The business and management world is constantly challenged by complexities and uncertainties, requiring innovative approaches to deal with adversity. Inspired by the “Chaordic” concept, coined by Dee Hock, founder of Visa, management specialist and psychoanalyst Henrique Medeiros launches his new book “Chaordic Social Cells – the path to a new world”. With more than 25 years of experience in the technology market, Medeiros explores the balance between chaos and order, showing how this approach can promote innovation, adaptation and collaboration in an ever-changing world.
In the book, Henrique Medeiros shares his experiences in corporations with rigid structures that stifle creativity and flexibility. He highlights the importance of recognizing the value of creative chaos, allowing teams to explore different approaches and perspectives to problem solving. The Chaordic approach values individual autonomy, encouraging responsibility and empowering team members, creating an environment conducive to the development of high-performance teams.
With an inspiring vision and based on the concept that each individual has unique abilities, “Chaordic Social Cells – the path to a new world” shows how the harmony between chaos and order can drive innovation and the search for innovative solutions to face challenges of everyday life. Henrique Medeiros, founder of the FCVC consultancy, brings his expertise in leadership, building high-performance teams and organizational restructuring to guide readers on a transformative journey, exploring the true essence of the Chaordic approach in the corporate and social environment.
How do you define the concept of “chaordic social cells” and what is the importance of this management model in modern organizations?
A “Chaordic Social Cell” is an entity (a person, a public or private company, a non-governmental organization, society as a whole, etc.) that functions as our own organism. Collaboratively! With different functions, different rhythms, but distributing substances, resources, in an equitable way, so that the whole organism remains healthy. Something more than essential so that we can respect, welcome, all human diversity, and from it receive the best of each one, as well as use the resources offered by the planet in a sustainable way.
What are the main challenges faced by companies that adopt rigid and inflexible structures? How can the chaordic approach help overcome these challenges?
As the philosopher Zygmunt Bauman defends, we live in liquid times. Times when everything changes very quickly, when nothing is made to last. Times in which customs, the great challenge for organizations is to recognize the need to constantly adapt their processes, especially those related to the well-being of human beings, so that it can reflect the changing needs of society. And to overcome the current challenges of this constantly changing society, organizations need to make use of chaos and order. Chaos being represented by the induction of entropy processes, the search for new knowledge/actions and the understanding that challenges must be seen as opportunities to rethink our way of living in society. Order, on the other hand, is represented, in general, by acting around common purposes,
How can the interaction between chaos and order stimulate innovation and creativity in work teams?
To answer this question, it is first necessary to understand that chaos, when seen as an element that induces transformations, is not a bad thing. On the contrary! Without chaos, a “Chaordic Social Cell” does not develop and mainly dies. Therefore, chaos must be used to stimulate innovation and creativity, for example, when a company allows its employees to participate in strategic decisions, when leaders listen and ask for opinions, ideas, about a certain demand that needs to be delivered, instead of deciding all alone (down our throats), or when a leader focuses his time on developing new skills in his team, even if it brings some disorder initially. On the other hand, the order should be used to put everything that was shared/decided into practice, in a planned way, and with everyone involved benefiting from what is being delivered. In summary, innovation and creativity are children of what I call our capacity for critical observation, of human beings. Being characterized by the constant alternation of cycles of chaos, order, represented by our unique ability to observe, to elaborate on what was observed, to act and then transmit what was learned, because it was not the machines that brought us until here. This non-transferable process of “critical observation” is what makes us human, makes us evolve, allowed us to reach the current evolutionary stage in which we find ourselves. Undoubtedly it is the greatest element that distinguishes us from all other species. Your absence is what makes us sign our death certificate. innovation and creativity are children of what I call our capacity for critical observation, of human beings. Being characterized by the constant alternation of cycles of chaos, order, represented by our unique ability to observe, to elaborate on what was observed, to act and then transmit what was learned, because it was not the machines that brought us until here. This non-transferable process of “critical observation” is what makes us human, makes us evolve, allowed us to reach the current evolutionary stage in which we find ourselves. Undoubtedly it is the greatest element that distinguishes us from all other species. Your absence is what makes us sign our death certificate. innovation and creativity are children of what I call our capacity for critical observation, of human beings. Being characterized by the constant alternation of cycles of chaos, order, represented by our unique ability to observe, to elaborate on what was observed, to act and then transmit what was learned, because it was not the machines that brought us until here. This non-transferable process of “critical observation” is what makes us human, makes us evolve, allowed us to reach the current evolutionary stage in which we find ourselves. Undoubtedly it is the greatest element that distinguishes us from all other species. Your absence is what makes us sign our death certificate. Being characterized by the constant alternation of cycles of chaos, order, represented by our unique ability to observe, to elaborate on what was observed, to act and then transmit what was learned, because it was not the machines that brought us until here. This non-transferable process of “critical observation” is what makes us human, makes us evolve, allowed us to reach the current evolutionary stage in which we find ourselves. Undoubtedly it is the greatest element that distinguishes us from all other species. Your absence is what makes us sign our death certificate. Being characterized by the constant alternation of cycles of chaos, order, represented by our unique ability to observe, to elaborate on what was observed, to act and then transmit what was learned, because it was not the machines that brought us until here. This non-transferable process of “critical observation” is what makes us human, makes us evolve, allowed us to reach the current evolutionary stage in which we find ourselves. Undoubtedly it is the greatest element that distinguishes us from all other species. Your absence is what makes us sign our death certificate. This non-transferable process of “critical observation” is what makes us human, makes us evolve, allowed us to reach the current evolutionary stage in which we find ourselves. Undoubtedly it is the greatest element that distinguishes us from all other species. Your absence is what makes us sign our death certificate. This non-transferable process of “critical observation” is what makes us human, makes us evolve, allowed us to reach the current evolutionary stage in which we find ourselves. Undoubtedly it is the greatest element that distinguishes us from all other species. Your absence is what makes us sign our death certificate.
What are the benefits of valuing individual autonomy and responsibility within an organization? How does this impact employee performance?
If we think again about the functioning of our organism, we will realize that it works in an integrated way, however, with each of its parts (from a cell to the most complex systems) operating individually to fulfill its function. That is, if we respect, and above all appreciate, the way our organism works, why our heart doesn’t do the job of our liver, and vice versa, why don’t we want this to be the same operating model for our organizations? Autonomy and individuality are basic elements, not only for the functioning of our organism, but also for our psyche. We all like to have our opinions heard, our desires respected, we like to face challenges, overcome them and be recognized for it. When we remove from a person, from a collaborator, the ability to be recognized as someone unique, to allow each one to work delivering their best, for the whole, in a responsible, autonomous way, we also take away from her the feeling of belonging, that she is part of a community, of something that brings meaning to your existence. Which unfortunately is the exact opposite of what people experience in the vast majority of organizations. In short: we insist, we persist and we do not give up, even more than 200 years later, in keeping people working in the Industrial Revolution model, in the production line model, instead of investing in their autonomy and responsibility. Let’s reflect then! “When a robot stops working, it loses its purpose, its autonomy. We human beings, when we lose our autonomy, our purpose, our individuality, we stop functioning”. of allowing each one to work delivering their best, for the whole, in a responsible, autonomous way, we also remove from her the feeling of belonging, that she is part of a community, of something that brings meaning to her existence. Which unfortunately is the exact opposite of what people experience in the vast majority of organizations. In short: we insist, we persist and we do not give up, even more than 200 years later, in keeping people working in the Industrial Revolution model, in the production line model, instead of investing in their autonomy and responsibility. Let’s reflect then! “When a robot stops working, it loses its purpose, its autonomy. We human beings, when we lose our autonomy, our purpose, our individuality, we stop functioning”. of allowing each one to work delivering their best, for the whole, in a responsible, autonomous way, we also remove from her the feeling of belonging, that she is part of a community, of something that brings meaning to her existence. Which unfortunately is the exact opposite of what people experience in the vast majority of organizations. In short: we insist, we persist and we do not give up, even more than 200 years later, in keeping people working in the Industrial Revolution model, in the production line model, instead of investing in their autonomy and responsibility. Let’s reflect then! “When a robot stops working, it loses its purpose, its autonomy. We human beings, when we lose our autonomy, our purpose, our individuality, we stop functioning”. in a responsible, autonomous way, we also remove from her the feeling of belonging, that she is part of a community, of something that brings meaning to her existence. Which unfortunately is the exact opposite of what people experience in the vast majority of organizations. In short: we insist, we persist and we do not give up, even more than 200 years later, in keeping people working in the Industrial Revolution model, in the production line model, instead of investing in their autonomy and responsibility. Let’s reflect then! “When a robot stops working, it loses its purpose, its autonomy. We human beings, when we lose our autonomy, our purpose, our individuality, we stop functioning”. in a responsible, autonomous way, we also remove from her the feeling of belonging, that she is part of a community, of something that brings meaning to her existence. Which unfortunately is the exact opposite of what people experience in the vast majority of organizations. In short: we insist, we persist and we do not give up, even more than 200 years later, in keeping people working in the Industrial Revolution model, in the production line model, instead of investing in their autonomy and responsibility. Let’s reflect then! “When a robot stops working, it loses its purpose, its autonomy. We human beings, when we lose our autonomy, our purpose, our individuality, we stop functioning”. of something that brings meaning to your existence. Which unfortunately is the exact opposite of what people experience in the vast majority of organizations. In short: we insist, we persist and we do not give up, even more than 200 years later, in keeping people working in the Industrial Revolution model, in the production line model, instead of investing in their autonomy and responsibility. Let’s reflect then! “When a robot stops working, it loses its purpose, its autonomy. We human beings, when we lose our autonomy, our purpose, our individuality, we stop functioning”. of something that brings meaning to your existence. Which unfortunately is the exact opposite of what people experience in the vast majority of organizations. In short: we insist, we persist and we do not give up, even more than 200 years later, in keeping people working in the Industrial Revolution model, in the production line model, instead of investing in their autonomy and responsibility. Let’s reflect then! “When a robot stops working, it loses its purpose, its autonomy. We human beings, when we lose our autonomy, our purpose, our individuality, we stop functioning”. in keeping people working in the Industrial Revolution model, in the production line model, instead of investing in their autonomy and responsibility. Let’s reflect then! “When a robot stops working, it loses its purpose, its autonomy. We human beings, when we lose our autonomy, our purpose, our individuality, we stop functioning”. in keeping people working in the Industrial Revolution model, in the production line model, instead of investing in their autonomy and responsibility. Let’s reflect then! “When a robot stops working, it loses its purpose, its autonomy. We human beings, when we lose our autonomy, our purpose, our individuality, we stop functioning”.
Could you share practical examples of how chaordic management can be applied in different organizational contexts?
Chaordic management, governed by the alternation of chaos and order, is fundamentally based on the assumption that organizations, whatever they may be, must leave automatic. In other words, organizations must, in practice, throughout their entire structure, permanently encourage reflections on improving processes, on how their employees can obtain a better quality of life, they must invest in listening to their members (including from the heart) so that there is an increase in the feeling of belonging, they should make use of “critical observation” (a simple walk by the leaders around the company, a sincere conversation, where the employee actually feels welcomed and subsequent maintenance of coherent speech/practice, can save the world) . Furthermore,
What are the main steps to implement a chaordic approach in a company? What are the common challenges in this transition process?
The steps for implementing a chaordic organization are relatively simple. The first of them, oddly enough, is “want”. There is nothing, ‘not at all’, that prevents us from starting to create a better world other than our simple “I want”!
The second step is to have leaders to lead the process of creating a chaordic environment. This is a major step! It is such a scarce ingredient that it was the lack of it in recent decades that made us enter a deep state of numbness and an absolute state of inaction regarding our problems. It was his lack, of leaders committed to people’s lives, that practically decimated our perception that we are the part that matters, that shook our hope that we, human beings, should be the final objective of the actions of governments and organizations. It was the lack of it, of that rare ingredient, that made us lose the ability to converge different thoughts around common goals. And he even got us into wars, keeps us in them, lets people starve to death.
The third step is defining a purpose. A well-defined purpose that, in fact, is something achievable and that also brings benefits to the planet and humanity. A good example is again the UN’s 17 goals and 169 sustainable development goals. They can, and should, be used as a basis for accelerating actions that help solve our most varied problems. And believe me! When we focus our efforts, our purposes, on the common good, we will also solve one of the biggest problems of the modern world: unemployment. Clear! Obviously this will not happen overnight, but think with me: “Today there is no lack of work; there is no job”. Right? And that’s basically because we focus our efforts on activities that don’t always bring benefits to everyone.
Imagine, for example, if we use our workforce to clean up rivers, clean oceans, recover devastated biomes, build decent housing, install basic sanitation for all, produce food for all, reduce food waste, create clean, renewable energies, install recycling industries, build railroads, research centers, hospitals, schools, quality public transport or implement any solution that brings well-being to people and the planet. Can you imagine? Now think about how many qualifications we will need to have, form, recycle, to build a new, better and sustainable world. Will you miss work? Answer from there, and I’ll answer from here: no, it won’t.
When we unite around building a new world, creeds, ideologies, colors, nationalities, genders will be no more than imaginary lines. The purposes of people and institutions will no longer be dissociated and this will exponentially boost our achievements.
We have reached the last step. A crucial step for a cell to function efficiently: self-correction. Through it, a “Chaordic Social Cell” must constantly sit its members at the table to evaluate its planning, performance and, when necessary, create new paths, solutions, correcting its focus and actions. Learn, let go, relearn: essential mechanisms for a cell to efficiently carry out its purpose of existence even if, for that, its members have to organize themselves, disorganize themselves in cycles of chaos and order, such as doubt, faith, restlessness, self-efficacy, optimism, hope, which will make the cell more and more resilient and prosperous. Our universe works like this and the “Chaordic Social Cells” will work too.
How can the synergy between different individual skills and perspectives contribute to the success of a chaordic team?
The answer to this apparent dilemma necessarily involves the definition of a “Chaordic Social Cell”. In short, an entity that functions like our organism: with different functions, different rhythms, but with a single objective. Keep the balance of the whole. Therefore, the diversity of skills, knowledge, the ability to unite different perspectives on the same problem, are fundamental elements for us to find joint solutions to our hardships. I reinforce, therefore, that the basis for the success of a chaordic team lies in collaboration. In the capacity of us human beings, we work together towards the creation of a new world that is socially just and economically viable. Deep down we are facing two utopias: by insisting on the first, on the merely financial, disharmonious view of the world, people, Institutions will continue to develop cells, cancerous, which will soon completely corrode the already weakened organism called Earth. By investing in the second, in a harmonious model of coexistence, we will be opting for the creation of a new society formed by healthy, collaborative cells that will work focused on building a world in which human beings will be the center of our attention. Utopia for utopia, I undoubtedly prefer to stick with the second.
How can the chaordic approach help organizations adapt and become resilient in the face of constant changes in the business environment?
Since chaordic management, by definition, is a management model that understands chaos as something beneficial, it is easy to understand that it also perceives changes as something beneficial. That said, chaordic organizations are not concerned with constant change, but with how they can create, together with their members, solutions to the challenges that arise in everyday life. And, for that, chaordic organizations make use of a new doctrine called hope and its trinity: self-efficacy, optimism and resilience. Hope is the belief that we are capable of creating alternative paths in the face of challenges, to overcome them; self-efficacy, the belief in our ability to take action to overcome obstacles. Just like we always did! Optimism, the belief that we will achieve the results we desire. Interpreting events as opportunities for growth and replacing worries with action. And finally, resilience, this magnificent belief in our ability to react to frustrations and move forward.
How to balance the need for control and order with the freedom to explore creative chaos? What are the best practices in this regard?
So that an organization can effectively absorb the creative chaos, it needs to make constant use of the mechanism of active listening, based on listening to cell members, their ideas, opinions and from them build paths that “calm down”, put order into something the organization is being challenged to overcome. This mechanism of listening, finding ways together, even though it is not something trivial, is the only way for the pendulum movement of challenges, restlessness, chaos, to be balanced by the subsequent movement of order. Which, reinforcing, is characterized by finding joint paths and establishing concrete actions to make it possible. Only in this way, generating in the members of the cell a feeling of belonging (participation), can the creative chaos find its balance. And, amazingly, a very simple way of carrying out this cycle of balance between chaos and order is for organizations to establish, together with their leaders and members, cycles of weekly, biweekly and monthly meetings where problems and challenges will be freely discussed together. Not forgetting to also establish periodic feedback meetings among the members, as a way of also working on the individual microenvironments. For the latter case, remember that we are talking about understanding the expectations of each member of the cell, about what he expects from the organization in relation to values, autonomy, performance, growth, recognition and even remuneration. That simple… fortnightly and monthly where problems and challenges will be freely discussed together. Not forgetting to also establish periodic feedback meetings among the members, as a way of also working on the individual microenvironments. For the latter case, remember that we are talking about understanding the expectations of each member of the cell, about what he expects from the organization in relation to values, autonomy, performance, growth, recognition and even remuneration. That simple… fortnightly and monthly where problems and challenges will be freely discussed together. Not forgetting to also establish periodic feedback meetings among the members, as a way of also working on the individual microenvironments. For the latter case, remember that we are talking about understanding the expectations of each member of the cell, about what he expects from the organization in relation to values, autonomy, performance, growth, recognition and even remuneration. That simple… autonomy, performance, growth, recognition and even remuneration. That simple… autonomy, performance, growth, recognition and even remuneration. That simple…
What advice would you give to leaders and managers who want to adopt a more chaordic approach in their organizations?
Offering answers to this question is something I have been focusing on in my last 20 years of professional activity as a team manager. And they couldn’t be other than forming leaders who: place human beings, not money, as the main objective of our existence; they recognize that their main mission is to serve and, by recognizing this, they also recognize that they live to support other people, to find solutions to their problems; act as facilitators, practicing detachment, often without being recognized. They act like the Bat-Man, in the shadows, in the service of the light; unite people around common purposes; they are also responsible for taking them to cell members, making it clear why they are doing what they are doing; generate challenges, interest, pleasure,
And, for that, they share the strategic vision and/or planning so that everyone can acquire autonomy; they wish for others what they wish for themselves, putting themselves in the other’s shoes; they operate with an expanded mindset believing that results come from effort, persistence, continuous development of people’s skills and knowledge and, for that, it is necessary to create healthy, challenging environments and also use feedback to generate learning and results; practice active listening – ability to suspend judgments, listen, solicit opinions, understand what the other has to say, catalyzing different needs and addressing them with their specificities; are able to unite values, dreams, need for autonomy, recognition and fair remuneration of each individual, with the needs of knowledge and ability to act expected by each cell, intrinsically motivating its members; they are capable of nurturing hope by creating paths with the cell’s participants, to achieve the cell’s purpose today, but, at the same time, looking to the future in search of innovations that can contribute to the development of the cell’s functioning, in the future; they are transparent, assume responsibility for their actions, mistakes, correct paths and maintain integrity and coherence between discourse and practice; they do not look for culprits – they separate people and problems, calm spirits, focus on the future to, with others, find the root cause of problems, their solutions, avoiding energy waste; find, with the members of the cell, solutions to its problems, establishing priorities, deadlines and those responsible for the activity. They frequently communicate to everyone what has been done, what is to come and the action plan to carry out what was pending with the monitoring of activities; they stimulate the feeling of belonging, community, share paths, solutions, encourage freedom of ideas, cultivate equity, justice, delegate and generate autonomy, supporting with their experiences, so that everyone has opportunities for growth, regardless of their characteristics; they have influence rather than status. delegate and generate autonomy, supporting with their experiences, so that everyone has opportunities for growth, regardless of their characteristics; they have influence rather than status. delegate and generate autonomy, supporting with their experiences, so that everyone has opportunities for growth, regardless of their characteristics; they have influence rather than status.
They act with a focus on empathy, showing genuine interest in the other; they are together in difficult moments, creating relationships based on trust, mutual support, focusing on the recognition of results; suspend judgment, acting based on facts and data, not stories, avoiding wasting energy; live the 4 Toltec commitments: take nothing personally; have mastery with the word (spoken and written); do not jump to conclusions (don’t judge) and do their best; they understand that their words can do as much damage as weapons; they manage, in the face of such a divided world, to bring people to the table to permanently discuss new ways of human existence; encourage cell members to have a healthy life, through the balance between personal and professional life; finally, are guided by the following life motto: “You cannot measure giving and receiving. A gift with expectations is no gift. It’s a bargain…” (Dee Hock, founder of Visa).
Follow Henrique Medeiros on Instagram