All organisations exist within a society that is also evolving. This means two things: first, that organisations which stand still are actually moving 'backward,' and second, that we must understand how and where society is moving in order to develop in harmony with our surroundings. The topics on this page can be part of a lecture, a workshop, a text, a video, or a more formalised training.
Three layers
Human development can be understood as the 'exploitation' of three layers: matter, energy, and information. When we learned to make fire or harness electricity, we became better at utilising the energy layer. Agriculture, steel manufacturing, and nanotechnology are developmental leaps in the matter layer, and the Sumerians' cuneiform, Gutenberg's printing press, the Internet, and AI are leaps in the information layer. By understanding the characteristics of these layers, we can also understand where society is heading right now.
From energy to knowledge
During the 19th century, we gained the steam engine, the combustion engine, and electricity. This revolutionised the world and propelled us into the knowledge society, the society we all know and understand. It is important to understand that journey as we are now actually leaving the knowledge society.
From knowledge to the cheating point
As more and more people around the world know more (or at least have access to more knowledge), it becomes increasingly difficult to stay competitive. This applies to industrial companies, nations, political systems, and educational institutions. When competition becomes too tough, someone will start to 'cheat.' To avoid this, we must stop competing under the existing terms and instead do 'something else' than what others are doing.
Knowledge topography
Most organisations (since 1850) can be understood as knowledge towers, meaning that inside the organisation, there is more, better, or cheaper access to knowledge than outside. As the availability of information and knowledge increases globally, this advantage becomes smaller, and suddenly the organisation finds itself in a knowledge pit, meaning it is at a knowledge disadvantage compared to its customers, competitors, or the broader world. This is something that cannot be avoided over time, but it can be leveraged.
