Adapt vs. Adopt
Purpose: To recall the differences between adapt and adopt and when it is appropriate to use each to improve performance in living synergistic social systems.
Content Focus: Adapting and adopting strategies in this Primer are associated with systems thinking. There are biological, mechanical, and social systems, and each has common features essential for the system to work. These systems have similar characteristics and function in similar ways.
By Nature: If a leader makes choices resulting in anti-systemic decisions/actions by nature, the discipline that emerges results in reduced energy flow (less observable) and lower individual and group performance (more observable).
To establish the context for this idea, Russell Ackoff defines a system as:
A system is a whole that contains two or more parts that satisfy the following conditions:
A system (whole) cannot divide into individual parts.
A system (whole) has properties that do not exist in any of the parts.
When the system (whole) disassembles, the system loses its essential properties. (The above is also noted in Chapter 9, Discovering You Are a System.)
Draper Kauffman, Jr. defines a system as a collection of parts that interact with each other to function as a whole. (See Chapter 9, Discovering You Are a System.)
He goes on to say a system is a perceived whole whose elements hang together because they continually affect each other over time and operate toward a common purpose.
By Nature: A system functioning as a whole has properties not found in any of its parts. This property is a product of synergy or the parts interacting with each other. Eighty percent (variable) of the performance in a system is a function of these interactions. This phenomenon explains why parts and whole systems react differently to different techniques, such as adapting and adopting. “More is different” (Nobel Laureate, Phil Anderson).
Part Defined: For this Primer, part is defined as a physical part, program, or process in a whole system. A system is not a whole if a part is missing.
Repair Defined: Repair is to replace a bad or broken part with a new identical part meeting the same performance specifications. The same applies to the replacement of a whole system.
Let us move beyond repair. Do you intend to replace an existing part with a part perceived to perform at a higher level?
Effective Repair Strategies Using a Part Different from the Original Part:
| “Adapt: To modify a part obtained outside the system selected because it is perceived to have a higher performance potential once modified to fit and work effectively within the system it is placed in.” |
Adapt: To modify a part obtained outside the system selected because it is perceived to have a higher performance potential once modified to fit and work effectively within the system it is placed in. This process has moderate performance leverage potential.
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Adopt: To replace a part in a system with a different part (no modifications) perceived to have more significant performance potential assuming it will fit (an assumption without fact). This process has low performance leverage potential.
What if you intend to replace the whole existing system with a whole external system perceived to perform at a higher level?
Effective Improvement Strategies Using a Whole System:
Adapt: To modify a whole external system and replace the whole existing system with a whole system modified to fit and work within the organization’s intent and purpose. This process has moderate performance leverage potential.
Adopt: To replace the existing system with a whole system designed for higher performance to better meet the organization’s intent and purpose. This process has high performance leverage potential.
By Nature: Adapting parts and whole systems both have moderate performance leverage potential. Adopting has low leverage performance potential when applied to external parts and high-performance leverage potential when applied to whole systems.
Adapting parts = moderate performance leverage potential.
Adapting whole systems = moderate performance leverage potential. Adopting parts = low leverage performance leverage potential.
Adopting whole systems = high leverage performance potential.
By Nature: The difference between low, moderate, and high-performance leverage potential is dramatic. What appears to be a small difference can make the difference between success and failure.
By Nature: It behooves leaders to use adaption and adoption strategies effectively. Energy flows. Their organizations are disciplined by experiencing poor individual and group performance when they apply these strategies inappropriately. Energy drain, entropy is the result. Knowing when to use adapting and adopting strategies is critical to improving individual and group performance. Let the leader beware!
In summary, in many cases, leaders are unaware there is a difference between adapting and adopting. Sad. Or they may think, what difference does it make anyway? They just elect to replace a worn-out or weak part with what is perceived to be a more effective part, or in some cases, a whole system not aligned with the organization’s intent and purpose. In other words, using the choices above, the leader may luck out and just happen by chance to select the best option. Just dumb luck! Would it not be better to make an educated choice?
Why? This is why this idea is important: Adapting is best used to improve an existing system or process when replacing the existing system is not the intent. A whole system’s performance is a function of how well the parts work together, not how well the parts work independently. Fit is all important.
Adapting effectiveness is measured by how well the new part is modified to complement the existing system. Can you make it fit? This is the art of leadership and depends on empowered front-line workers leading the adapting effort.
By Nature: Front line workers know best!
By Nature: The greater the distance between front-line workers and the modification process, the less probable the new external part will fit.
Example: Single-fix solutions do not work for improvement.
Why? An external part selected to improve the whole system will not fit without extensive modification. The issue is not the new part’s quality or efficacy as it is assumed to be better; the issue again is fit.
The probability of no observable, measurable gains in performance is high. Thus, the idea single-fix solutions do not work is a common theme in systems thinking.
Again, adopting is a practical repair strategy when an “analysis” identifies an ineffective part, and the part is replaced in its entirety with a new part meeting original performance specification. See repair.
Example: In the automotive industry, the term OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) communicates to the person needing a replacement part the item purchased will fit and meet original specifications.
Replace a dead battery in your car with a new battery meeting the same OEM specifications. Now your car starts and will work properly as designed. Adopting is a useful improvement strategy when an entire system is replaced. Examples:
Sailing ships are replaced by steam-powered ships. The horse and buggy are replaced by the automobile. The typewriter is replaced by the word processor.
The internal combustion engine is replaced by the electric motor in cars (my bias revealed).
Film cameras are replaced by digital cameras.
Adopting is not sufficient (due to energy drain) when a new part joins an existing system, and the new part was not modified to make it fit the existing system. Fit is everything as perceived by the frontline workers.
By Nature: In social systems, typically, the adoption of external parts without modification does not work. We assume the problem is with how the new part is installed. In other words, by extrapolation, it is a people problem. Too seldom leaders do not consider the fact the part does not fit the existing system.
Here is the main thing I want to say! Leaders, it is important to be aware of the operational characteristics of systems. Systems have their own rules and laws. The leader that has internalized these rules and laws can best leverage performance.
Trying to implement an outsourced part in your system can have dire consequences. Be doubly sure to think about the appropriate use of importing a part into your system and not knowing the consequences. Remember, single-fix solutions do not work, and when you mess with the parts of a system, you can kill the synergy among all parts and reduce the system’s performance potential by 80 percent or more.
Media I recommend for your library:
Book: The 80/20 Principle by Richard Kock
Book: The 80/20 Principle and 92 Other Power Laws of Nature By Richard Kock
Book: The Democratic Corporation by Russell Ackoff
