The Design of Group Thrivancy 2010 Jack Ricchiuto It has become clear that the group is the fundamental unit of performance and engagement in organizations, communities, and networks. People fulfill their individual and common dreams in groups. They get things done together that can't be done alone. Together, they have a greater capacity to create a future different from the past. They become more with others than they could be in isolation or competition. This is not a new discovery; it's been the case since the beginning of time and our human experience mirrors nature's bias for collaboration in how all living things thrive. This is true of the whole spectrum of groups including leadership teams, project teams, boards, organizational departments, public planning commissions, economic development clusters, and civic groups. My interest in groups is specifically in group thrivancy. What makes some groups thrive more than others? How do groups increase their capacity for thrivancy? As it turns out, the most significant variable in any group's thrivancy is the character of the the group's interactional space. Every group's interactional space is different and evolves either more by default or design. When we talk about the “design” of groups we’re talking about the way they communicate, collaborate, learn, and get things done together. What's most interesting about the interactional space of groups is that it is co-created by everyone in the group. It is the character of how people actually interact together on a day to day basis. A group's interactional space is shaped by the chemistry of conversations, actions, and exchanges engaged by everyone in the group. It is the group's unique fingerprint, brand, or "personality." A group's interactional space cannot be dictated or legislated by anyone inside or outside the group, but it can be intentionally co-designed by people in the group. Groups with the greatest capacity for thrivancy are groups whose interactional space is co-designed by people in the group. The reality is that until a group's interactional space is intentionally designed for greater thrivancy, the group and its individual members struggle and fail to achieve more together than they could in isolation or opposition - no matter how well-meaning, motivated, or competent people are in the group. What's most interesting is that when a group's interactional space is better designed, the group always does better without significant changes in the collective personalities and quality of leadership in the group. What makes the difference is the design of the character of the group's interactive landscape. There are 4 core elements that make up the character of any group's interactional space: Conversation focus Common agreements on how to get things done Capacity for new learning & innovation Culture of generosity When groups are thriving, their conversations focus on the possibilities of collaborative action, the group's talents and assets, dreams and passions, successes and achievements. If you listen in on any of their formal or informal conversations, they talk a lot about what they do have, do want, can do, what they're achieving and why. They waste little time talking about problems, weaknesses, blame, needs, failures, disappointments, and excuses - what they don't have, don't like, can't do, what they're failing to do and why. They do things by common agreement. People do things by choice rather than coercion. The group is not divided into parent-child power haves and have-nots but instead share responsibility as adults for everything done. This creates a space of transparency and accountability that supports a bias for everyone taking and sharing initiative. People decide together how to get things done and make things happen, and their collective wisdom together becomes more effective than wisdom divided. Because they always want to make a difference, thriving groups love the kinds of new questions that inspire new learning. They treat change as both a given and a factor in their agility and resiliency. They are always learning through action in new innovations. They make decisions based on new learning rather than untested biases, positions, and opinions and they are as a result effective and wise in their decision making. Thriving groups practice and sustain a culture of generosity. People give their time and talents whenever they have value to others inside and outside the groups. They do this on both transactional levels, conditionally, and unconditionally. A culture of generosity accelerates the kind of resonance and comfort levels that makes possible good communication, resource sharing, and change. The good news is that all groups can thrive. The quickest way for groups to experience more thrivancy is to design them for more thrivancy. Like everything else in life, thrivancy happens by design. Things always perform as they're designed to perform. The work of designing groups for greater thrivancy is the work of designing the four core elements of a group's interactional space. When any of the four elements of this space is better designed for thrivancy, groups become smarter and better together. We need to start thinking about the art and science of group interaction with the same breadth and depth as we consider when we talk about other design disciplines like music composition, film making, architecture, the culinary arts, and wine making. We have begun to develop a distinctive and pragmatic design vocabulary to shape the way we think about group thrivancy and we are now transforming every kind of group possible into groups of greater thrivancy than anyone ever imagined.

The Design of Group Thrivancy

2010 Jack Ricchiuto

It has become clear that the group is the fundamental unit of performance and engagement in organizations, communities, and networks.

People fulfill their individual and common dreams in groups. They get things done together that can't be done alone. Together, they have a greater capacity to create a future different from the past. They become more with others than they could be in isolation or competition.

This is not a new discovery; it's been the case since the beginning of time and our human experience mirrors nature's bias for collaboration in how all living things thrive.

This is true of the whole spectrum of groups including leadership teams, project teams, boards, organizational departments, public planning commissions, economic development clusters, and civic groups.

My interest in groups is specifically in group thrivancy. What makes some groups thrive more than others? How do groups increase their capacity for thrivancy?

As it turns out, the most significant variable in any group's thrivancy is the character of the the group's interactional space. Every group's interactional space is different and evolves either more by default or design.

When we talk about the “design” of groups we’re talking about the way they communicate, collaborate, learn, and get things done together.

What's most interesting about the interactional space of groups is that it is co-created by everyone in the group. It is the character of how people actually interact together on a day to day basis. A group's interactional space is shaped by the chemistry of conversations, actions, and exchanges engaged by everyone in the group. It is the group's unique fingerprint, brand, or "personality."

A group's interactional space cannot be dictated or legislated by anyone inside or outside the group, but it can be intentionally co-designed by people in the group.

Groups with the greatest capacity for thrivancy are groups whose interactional space is co-designed by people in the group. The reality is that until a group's interactional space is intentionally designed for greater thrivancy, the group and its individual members struggle and fail to achieve more together than they could in isolation or opposition - no matter how well-meaning, motivated, or competent people are in the group.

What's most interesting is that when a group's interactional space is better designed, the group always does better without significant changes in the collective personalities and quality of leadership in the group. What makes the difference is the design of the character of the group's interactive landscape.

There are 4 core elements that make up the character of any group's interactional space:

✦Conversation focus
✦Common agreements on how to get things done
✦Capacity for new learning & innovation
✦Culture of generosity

When groups are thriving, their conversations focus on the possibilities of collaborative action, the group's talents and assets, dreams and passions, successes and achievements. If you listen in on any of their formal or informal conversations, they talk a lot about what they do have, do want, can do, what they're achieving and why. They waste little time talking about problems, weaknesses, blame, needs, failures, disappointments, and excuses - what they don't have, don't like, can't do, what they're failing to do and why.

They do things by common agreement. People do things by choice rather than coercion. The group is not divided into parent-child power haves and have-nots but instead share responsibility as adults for everything done. This creates a space of transparency and accountability that supports a bias for everyone taking and sharing initiative. People decide together how to get things done and make things happen, and their collective wisdom together becomes more effective than wisdom divided.

Because they always want to make a difference, thriving groups love the kinds of new questions that inspire new learning. They treat change as both a given and a factor in their agility and resiliency. They are always learning through action in new innovations. They make decisions based on new learning rather than untested biases, positions, and opinions and they are as a result effective and wise in their decision making.

Thriving groups practice and sustain a culture of generosity. People give their time and talents whenever they have value to others inside and outside the groups. They do this on both transactional levels, conditionally, and unconditionally. A culture of generosity accelerates the kind of resonance and comfort levels that makes possible good communication, resource sharing, and change.

The good news is that all groups can thrive. The quickest way for groups to experience more thrivancy is to design them for more thrivancy. Like everything else in life, thrivancy happens by design. Things always perform as they're designed to perform.

The work of designing groups for greater thrivancy is the work of designing the four core elements of a group's interactional space. When any of the four elements of this space is better designed for thrivancy, groups become smarter and better together.

We need to start thinking about the art and science of group interaction with the same breadth and depth as we consider when we talk about other design disciplines like music composition, film making, architecture, the culinary arts, and wine making.

We have begun to develop a distinctive and pragmatic design vocabulary to shape the way we think about group thrivancy and we are now transforming every kind of group possible into groups of greater thrivancy than anyone ever imagined.