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Jamshid Gharajedaghi, author of Systems Thinking: Managing Chaos and Complexity, multidimensionality is probably one of the most potent principles of systems thinking. It is the ability to see complementary relations in opposing tendencies and to create feasible wholes with unfeasible parts. Use the concept of multidimensionality to formulate the design of your plan when you are working with seemingly opposing forces or points of view—it steers you away from either/or thinking and moves you to thinking "and."
Consider the following example of multidimensionality from the world of banking. |
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Yesterday I went to deposit a check and get some cash. Big deal? I was able to do this at 6:15 in the morning! Big deal? Yes, about 10 years ago that would have been unlikely. Ten years ago I would have had to wait until 9:00 when the bank opened to get what I needed.
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Imagine a strategic planning session twenty years ago and a room full of bank presidents arguing over the direction of the banking industry. Half of the bankers wanted desperately to cut costs; the other half arguing the growth of the industry would come through increased accessibility to services. The argument among the bankers is based on either/or thinking—you can cut costs OR increase accessibility to services, right? What if we replaced the either/or thinking with "and?" We have now changed the question from Should we reduce costs or increase access to services? to: How can we reduce costs and increase access to services? The ultimate answer for access to services came in the form of the concept of 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The ultimate answer for reducing costs came in the form of technology (not staffing with people which would be very expensive!)—the ATM. The result is that I can deposit a check and get cash anywhere anytime! And, interestingly enough, even when the bank is open, I (and many others I've discovered!) prefer using the ATM. The principle of multidimensionality maintains that the opposing tendencies not only coexist and interact, but also form a complementary relationship. And, as is often the case, the answer to the "and" question is not merely a compromise, it results in new innovation and lives on as an important service strategy.
The easiest tool to use for thinking through the concept of multidimensionality is the 2 X 2 matrix. Use it to work through your own opposing concepts. Examples may include:
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- A concern for results and a concern for people.
- Reducing costs and providing resources.
- Concern for change and concern for stability.
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