Core Principles of the Integrated Business Framework. 6. Consentric

 

RoundMap® employs Consentricity to underscore its ability to align all business elements in harmonious synchronization. Each concentric layer — from leadership roles to operational functions — reinforces others, fostering a cohesive and efficient organizational ecosystem.

Circles of Consent: Navigating the Consentric Principle in Business

Given today’s business volatility and social responsibility demands, traditional models often fall short of promoting organizational unity. Introducing Consentricity, a key component of the RoundMap All-Round Framework. This novel approach promotes a symbiotic, value-centric outlook on organizational dynamics. 

Where conventional structures create division and silos, Consentricity unifies by establishing deeply interdependent, interconnected circles of influence. The Positive Core, encapsulating an organization’s top qualities, represents the center of the CDLM. It’s shaped through Positive Inquiry. The Positive Core signifies the essence of an organization or individual that drives success, personal fulfillment, and growth. 

Surrounding this central core, the Circle of Confluence redefines governance with its inclusive, equitable, and interconnected design. This core and its surrounding circles form the essence of Consentricity, arranged as concentric circles, each performing a unique yet interlinked role. The model is not just geometrically cohesive but philosophically robust. This is symbolized by the openness of the letter ‘C,’ which ensures the Circle of Confluence is never a closed loop but always an invitation for multi-directional engagement.

Distinctly, the CDLM architecture espouses consent-based decision-making and governance, while supporting the principles of distributed leadership. Distributed Leadership emphasizes collaboration and decentralizes authority, with leadership responsibilities and decision-making powers scattered across various entities in the organization. Alignment with the organization’s values, mission, and goals is achieved through double representation, in which a representative from each circle actively participates in an adjacent circle.

Consentricity transcends being just a structural principle; it evolves into an ethos, a cultural DNA that propels unity from the Circle of Confluence outward. Consentricity harmonizes diverse roles, including Councilors, Catalysts, Coordinators, and the Constellations of Teams. It integrates them into a cohesive fabric. This lays the groundwork for a balanced, harmonious, and sustainable organizational culture aimed at enduring success. Within this framework, collective aspirations resonate in harmony, each circle amplifying the others, culminating in a unified, holistic enterprise.

As you delve into the multi-dimensional insights of the Consentric approach, we invite you to contemplate its transformative potential on your organizational structure and leadership ethos. All underpinned by the principle of openness and the positive culture that Positive Inquiry enables.

Welcome to the groundbreaking paradigm that is Consentricity.

The Unifying Signature of Leadership

In this intricate tapestry of the Consentric Distributed Leadership Model, each role serves as a crucial node within a complex matrix of relationships and responsibilities, all coming together in a Symphony of Strengths. The overarching ethos is symbolized by the openness of the letter ‘C,’ which figuratively represents an open circle. It emphasizes that our circles—including the central Circle of Confluence—are designed to be inclusive, equitable, and never closed loops within the organization’s broader framework.

1. Circle of Confluence: The Circle of Confluence lies at the center of the organizational ecosystem, symbolizing a dynamic, fair, and inclusive microcosm. It can function as a stakeholder or shadow board, featuring delegates from all enterprise circles as stewards upholding core values and Positive Inquiry principles. This governance emphasizes consent-based decisions, distributed authority, and collaboration. As guardians of the company’s Positive Core, the Circle of Confluence fosters alignment, sustainability, and balance throughout the organization.
2. Councilors serve as the visionaries, articulating the overarching vision and thematic undertones that coalesce as corporate values, strategic milestones, or key performance indicators. These unifying elements fuse disparate efforts into a coherent narrative, contributing to the Symphony of Strengths that emanates from the Circle of Confluence.
3. Catalysts act as business unit leaders. Each one offers a unique leadership style and brings distinctive skills and strategies to their circles. This diversity ensures each unit remains nimble and adaptable. While each unit may be engaged in different projects or challenges, the Catalysts assure alignment with the collective vision set forth by the Councilors.
4. Coordinators act as section leaders, ensuring that each ‘instrumental group’ is harmoniously tuned and synchronized. They respond adeptly to the cues from the Catalysts, fostering operational agility grounded in a deep understanding of their specific sections.
5. A Constellation of Teams forms the ensemble’s vital workforce, with each team holding a unique role in crafting the final symphony. Whether cross-functional or specialized, they are the essential elements that bring the vision to life, guided by the skilled hands of the Coordinators and Catalysts.

This framework’s simultaneous celebration of autonomy, unity, individual ingenuity, and collective harmony distinguishes it as groundbreaking. It understands that an organization, much like a finely tuned orchestra, is more than the sum of its parts—it’s a multi-layered, interdependent entity requiring a rich blend of skills, agile leadership, and a compelling, unifying vision to realize its fullest potential.

The Roles in a Consentric Organization

1 - The Circle of Confluence

In the Consentric Organization, the Circle of Confluence functions as both the ethical compass and steward of the Positive Core. As a modern-day roundtable, it champions egalitarianism, collective wisdom, and shared governance.

Why ‘Circle of Confluence’?

A ‘Circle of Confluence’ is a collaborative forum where various stakeholders—departments, teams, or individuals—blend their unique strengths, perspectives, and resources. The aim is to create a harmonious and dynamic environment where ideas and efforts flow seamlessly towards common goals. Unlike traditional hierarchies that may reinforce silos, this circle embodies the idea of equitable contribution and shared responsibility. It seeks to end the alienation and disengagement often found in specialized, compartmentalized systems. Instead, it encourages a culture where each member’s input is valued and utilized for the collective good.

This body guides each layer—from the Councilors to the Constellations—toward a Symphony of Strengths, embodying participative leadership. Core values and the Positive Core thus become lived realities that pervade every facet of the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Positive Core Stewardship: The Circle of Confluence ensures the organization’s ethical and cultural DNA are preserved, nourished, and manifested in daily activities and strategic initiatives.

2. Ethical Cadence: The Circle sets the moral and ethical tempo that informs actions and decisions throughout the organization.

3. Cultural Resonance: A culture of fairness, inclusivity, and the dissolution of functional silos is cultivated, contributing to a Symphony of Strengths.

4. Strategic Consonance: The Circle oversees the strategic directions articulated by the Councilors and enacted by the Catalysts, ensuring alignment with the long-term vision centered on EQuitability.

5. Systemic Integrity: Organizational operations and practices must be cohesive, integrated, and aligned with the Positive Core.

6. Accountability Octave: As the ultimate accountability mechanism, the Circle reviews organizational performance metrics to align with ethical norms, societal contributions, and the essence of the Positive Core.

Roundtable Traits:

• Egalitarianism: Every member has an equal voice, irrespective of rank or role, adhering to the core principle of EQuitability.

• Collective Wisdom: The roundtable approach harnessed by the Circle of Confluence taps into the organization’s collective intelligence for crafting unparalleled solutions and strategies.

• Shared Governance: Decision-making is a collective responsibility, ensuring the organization’s direction represents its entire ecosystem.

EQuitability as a Multi-dimensional Principle: More than an abstract concept, EQuitability in the Consentric Organization combines fairness and justice with emotional intelligence (EQ). It’s about understanding and valuing each member’s unique emotional and intellectual contributions, fostering a balanced ecosystem where each individual feels heard, valued, and engaged.

In summary, the Circle of Confluence provides the anchoring chords that allow the Consentric Organization to resonate with those who contribute to its performance and the broader society it serves. They are the custodians of an impact that transcends mere profitability and productivity, extending into social justice and community contribution, all in alignment with the Symphony of Strengths™.

2 - The Councilors

In orchestral music, a composer sets the overarching themes and rhythms, guiding the collective performance of musicians. Similarly, Councilors in a Consentric Organization serve as visionary architects. They establish the strategic tempo and themes that harmonize the efforts of Catalysts, Coordinators, and the Constellation of Teams. Their influence is moderated through the Circle of Confluence, a forum of strategic empathy, ensuring that strategic decisions resonate with the collective well-being of the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Visionary Score: Councilors create the overarching vision and strategic framework, guiding the organization’s evolution and performance. This compass aligns with the diverse initiatives and projects pursued by the organization’s various units and teams.

2. Strategic Empathy: In collaboration with the Circle of Confluence, Councilors leverage empathy as a strategic asset, aiming to understand the needs, strengths, and aspirations of all organizational members. This principle informs their decision-making processes, ensuring that strategies and initiatives are emotionally resonant and intellectually sound.

3. Harmonic Alignment: Councilors ensure that each organizational circle, whether led by Catalysts or comprising the Constellation of Teams, aligns with the organization’s core values and objectives. This continuous alignment is vetted through the Circle of Confluence, reaffirming a shared commitment to the overarching goals.

4. Orchestrated Decision-Making: Councilors act as the final arbiters for crucial decisions but do so through a consultative process that includes input from all layers of the organization, channeled through the Circle of Confluence. This ensures that decisions are not merely top-down but are collectively endorsed.

5. Resource Symphony: Councilors oversee the thoughtful allocation of essential resources among the various units and teams, in close consultation with the Circle of Confluence, to ensure equitable distribution and alignment with organizational aspirations.

In this refined role, Councilors not only serve as visionary guides but also as empathetic leaders. They integrate both the intellectual and emotional elements into strategic deliberations, aided by the wisdom accumulated through the Circle of Confluence. This balance nurtures a Symphony of Strengths across the organization.

3 - The Catalysts

In the Consentric Organization, Catalysts serve as dynamic operators, transmuting the Councilor’s grand strategy into actionable initiatives. They act as business unit leaders and synthesizers of the Circle of Confluence’s collective wisdom. Here, the Catalysts become linchpins, ensuring the operational alignment with the Councilor’s vision and the systemic integrity of the organization as a whole.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Empathy: Catalysts exercise an understanding of the Councilor’s vision, ensuring its authentic translation into actionable terms. They empathize with the organization’s overall goals while adapting them to the nuanced needs of their (business) units.

2. Resource Orchestration: Catalysts are responsible for the equitable distribution and stewardship of resources—financial, human, or material—within their purview. Their management decisions seek efficiency and justice, contributing positively to the organization’s ethical framework.

3. Performance Cadence: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are set and monitored to align with the unit’s unique objectives and the Symphony of Strengths that the organization aims to cultivate. This cadence is a heartbeat that keeps the unit in rhythm with organizational aspirations.

4. Conflict Harmony: Should dissonance arise, either within the unit or among multiple units, Catalysts act as mediators. They strive for resolutions that embody fairness, emotional intelligence, and a shared commitment to the organization’s core principles.

5. Collective Action & Adaptive Leadership: Catalysts embrace their roles as adaptive leaders, empowered to innovate within the scope of their unit’s activities. They align the Councilor’s strategies with their unit’s specific competencies and challenges, contributing to a richer Symphony of Strengths.

By fulfilling these responsibilities, Catalysts rise above mere transactional leadership. They imbue their role with a sense of urgency, emotional intelligence, and ethical commitment, fostering a Symphony of Strengths underpinned by a deep-seated dedication to EQuitability.

4 - The Coordinators

In a Consentric Organization, Coordinators serve as the interconnecting links, harmonizing Catalysts’ strategic directives with the Constellations’ ground-level operations. Comparable to section leaders in an orchestra, they fine-tune the strategy into specific actions and maintain seamless communication between hierarchical layers. Coordinators operate under the ethical auspices of the Circle of Confluence, ensuring that operations are synchronized with the organization’s Positive Core. Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Resonance: Coordinators absorb the strategic frameworks set by Catalysts and translate these into precise, actionable initiatives. Their role can be likened to sheet music, directing the tempo for the organization’s Symphony of Strengths at the Constellation level.
2. Harmonic Communication: Faithful to the organization’s mission and ethos, Coordinators deliver clear and consistent instructions that align teams and departments with the broader objectives.
3. Dynamic Calibration: Continuously monitoring operational tempo, Coordinators make real-time adjustments to maintain harmonious and coherent activity. These adaptations are rooted in EQuitability, prioritizing all team members’ well-being and fair treatment.
4. Reflective Feedback: Coordinators create open channels of communication between Catalysts and Constellations. They aim to facilitate quick adaptations and agile decision-making based on direct feedback and operational realities.
5. Ethical Harmony: With oversight from the Circle of Confluence, Coordinators ensure that ethical and equitable considerations are integrated into daily operational decisions. They serve as the moral compass for their respective Constellations, continually aligning actions with organizational values.

In their pivotal role, Coordinators contribute not just to the tactical execution of strategies but also to the emotional and ethical nuances of the organization. Doing so enriches the Symphony of Strengths, establishing an equitable and emotionally intelligent environment that aligns with your vision of a just, fair, and inclusive workplace.

5 - The Constellation of Teams

In the Consentric organization, the Constellation of Teams represents the virtuoso performers, each playing their specific instruments in concert. They are akin to specialized sections in an orchestra, each adept in their discipline but collectively contributing to the harmonious sound of the entire ensemble. These teams operate under the ethical oversight of the Circle of Confluence, embodying both EQuitability and strategic alignment with the broader organizational mission.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Enactment: Constellations take the ‘sheet music’—the tactical plans delivered by Coordinators—and bring them to life, faithfully embodying the organization’s grand strategic vision.
2. Creative Variation: While adhering to the overall mission and objectives, Constellations are incubators for innovation. Their creative inputs introduce new approaches and dimensions, enriching the Symphony of Strengths that characterizes the organization.
3. Unified Articulation: Teams within the Constellation interact harmoniously with other units, ensuring a cohesive, well-coordinated performance. This unity is anchored in a common set of values and a shared strategic direction.
4. Agile Responsiveness: Demonstrating flexibility, Constellations adapt their ‘tempo’ and ‘rhythm’ in real-time, based on guidance from Coordinators or in response to shifts in the external environment. This maintains organizational agility and resilience.
5. EQuitable Contribution: Guided by the Circle of Confluence, each team in the Constellation places equal value on every member’s unique talents and contributions. This extends beyond procedural fairness to incorporate emotional intelligence, validating and empowering each individual.
6. Strategic Empathy: Drawing from the tenets of Positive Inquiry, Constellations practice a form of empathy that aligns with the organization’s strategy, recognizing the unique contributions of each team member while promoting collective objectives.

By acting as the bedrock of daily operational execution, the Constellation of Teams fulfills the Consentric Organization’s aspiration to create an equitable, dynamic, and harmoniously integrated entity. Their collective performance brings fairness and excellence to life, making them essential contributors to the Symphony of Strengths.

Key Principles of Consentricity™

Consentricity is firmly rooted in principles that celebrate shared governance, EQuitability, and collaborative decision-making. Inspired by the open-circle symbol, the letter ‘C’—a recurring motif in our terminology—Consentricity champions transparent and inclusive leadership. This is further enhanced by a dual representation system. This guarantees seamless information flow between circles, thereby cultivating an environment where roles and influence are dynamically fluid.

Key Principles:

1. Circle of Confluence Governance: This central core is the ethical and moral compass, guiding shared responsibility and stewardship across the organization.
2. Positive Inquiry: This principle is infused throughout the organization, continuously engaging the whole human system in discovering strengths and new avenues for collective growth.
3. Agile Decision-making with Double-Representation: Emerging from the point of highest relevance, decisions are decentralized but aligned with the organization’s core principles through double representation at decision-making levels.
4. Consent, not Consensus: The goal is not unanimous agreement but a minimization of objections, which expedites and enriches decision-making.
5. Open-Circle Equilibrium: Taking inspiration from the letter ‘C’ (an open circle). This principle promotes transparency and inclusion across all levels to ensure each circle remains open and actively engages with the others.
6. EQuitability: Designed to offer each individual an equitable opportunity to contribute, grow, and succeed, regardless of their role, background, or influence.
7. A Spectrum of Responsibilities: Roles nearest the Circle of Confluence focus on strategic visioning. In contrast, outer roles handle operational tasks, ensuring varied skills align with organizational objectives.
8. Symphony of Strengths: This integrates various roles and skills into a collective whole, more significant than the sum of individual parts.
9. Inclusive Meritocracy: Every voice, regardless of its position within the concentric circles, is valued, fostering diversity in thought and approach.
10. Ethical and Social Imperatives: Beyond profit, the framework emphasizes social fairness, environmental sustainability, and broader societal contributions.
11. Adaptive Roles: Guided by the ethical compass formulated by the Circle of Confluence, roles adapt to organizational needs, proving essential during unforeseen challenges.
12. Transparent Operations: Recent findings confirm that transparency and open dialogue are critical to effectively orchestrating a Symphony of Strengths.
13. Dynamic Roles Over Static Jobs: Unlike traditional job-based frameworks that inhibit cross-functional collaboration and growth, Consentricity encourages shifting roles and responsibilities.

These principles serve as the bedrock of the Consentric Organization, designed to be agile, EQuitable, and synergistic, leading both to individual fulfillment and collective societal progress.

Summary of the Symphonic Synergy

Every role is vital in the rich tapestry of the Consentric Distributed Leadership Model. Each role operates within an intricate web of relationships and responsibilities; all orchestrated to manifest a Symphony of Strengths. This model echoes Peter Drucker’s sage advice that a leader’s paramount duty is aligning strengths, leading to a structure defined by concentric circles of influence and impact.

The Circle of Confluence sits at its core, functioning as the ethical and cultural compass that guides the organization. This core group underpins the Symphony of Strengths by establishing an ethical cadence and nurturing a culture that harmonizes fairness, inclusivity, and EQuitability. This EQuitability goes beyond fairness and justice, incorporating emotional intelligence to understand, validate, and empower each individual within the organization.

Radiating outward, Councilors assume the mantle of visionary strategists. They draft the overarching narrative, which serves as the conceptual score for the Consentric Organization. Far from being just top-down decision-makers, the Councilor’s role is balanced by the ethical and cultural oversight of the Circle of Confluence, ensuring that strategies and actions align with collective well-being and protect the organization’s Positive Core.

Next in the circle, Catalysts serve as dynamic stewards of their divisions. Translating the Councilor’s high-level vision into actionable plans, Catalysts align individual strengths within their units to the collective aspirations of the organization. They act as conduits between grand strategy and practical execution, all under the ethical stewardship of the Circle of Confluence.

Further along the concentric lines, Coordinators emerge as essential intermediaries. They bridge the Catalysts’ strategic objectives with the concrete actions carried out by the Constellations of Teams. They ensure that each section in this intricate symphony is synchronized and impeccably aligned with broader organizational aims.

At the outermost layer, the Constellations of Teams serve as the virtuosos, bringing the organizational composition to life. Each team, each specialist within these constellations, adds a unique tonal quality to the performance, enriching the Symphony of Strengths through dedication, creativity, and adherence to EQuitable principles.

In this layered harmony of coordinated endeavors, each concentric circle leverages its unique attributes to contribute to a unified, agile, and compelling whole. The Symphony of Strengths is more than a metaphor; it is a lived reality. It reflects a strategic congruence that forges an organization more extraordinary than the sum of its parts, united in purpose, diversity, and ethical resonance.

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