The Awkward Subject of Ageing

None of us are getting any younger. Ageing is a fact of life. There are many theories about why and how we age. A healthcare colleague often says it's not the years that count it's the miles on the clock. Which isn't far off the latest theories of ageing. One theory, proposed in 2009, suggests that ageing is due to mis-repair accumulation [1]. The body has many innate mechanisms of DNA, cellular and tissue repair. Unfortunately, none of these mechanisms are perfect, involving compromises to prioritise short-term survival over longevity. Imagine cutting your hand deeply. Blood clotting processes, inflammatory responses, immune defences and tissue regeneration processes get to work. Healing forms a scar which is permanent. The speed of the repair process prioritised stopping blood loss and infection at the cost of leaving behind a scar, i.e. mis-repaired skin and subcutaneous tissue.

Businesses and other organisations have often been compared to living things. Several significant business books [2, 3] and many articles [e.g. 4, 5] have been written on the subject or applying the concept.?The average lifespan of publicly traded companies is around 40 years and falling.?If businesses are akin to living things, could the Mis-repair Accumulation Theory of Ageing be a useful concept for understanding the mechanisms and consequences of business ageing? Could it allow business leaders to use the theory to improve performance in both the short and long-term?

At its core, mis-repair accumulation theory suggests that ageing is caused by errors that occur during the repair process of damaged DNA, cells and tissues. This can be compared to the accumulation of compromises or misalignments in practices and policies, systems and structures which can occur over time in businesses as each evolves, often independently, over time. Making compromises to prioritise short-term performance over long-term, achieve a quick result, "repairing" or adapting one part of an organisation or process without addressing the impact on all parts of an organisation can lead to the degradation of business performance, reputation, and overall success.

In order to prevent this degradation and improve performance, businesses need to be aware of the potential for mis-repair accumulation and take steps to avoid it. This can involve constantly monitoring the environment (e.g. changing technology, consumer trends, competitor activities) and making changes to practices and policies when necessary. It is vital to look at the interconnectedness of processes and ensure that updates are properly aligned across the organisation.

Similarly, businesses should also be aware of internal changes, such as restructuring or reorganisation, and be prepared to update their practices and policies across the organisation in order to keep up with these changes. This can involve identifying and addressing any errors or inefficiencies in practices and policies that may have gone unnoticed and may be hindering performance.

Finally, businesses should also be aware of the potential for mis-repair accumulation in their leadership teams. This can occur when leaders become complacent in their positions or become unwilling to make changes to their practices and policies. Organisations must ensure that their leadership teams remain up-to-date and be prepared to make changes when necessary.

In nature, mis-repair accumulation may be a strategy of natural selection that prioritises survival of the species over survival of the individual. This concept can be applied to businesses by understanding that, in order for the business to survive, it may be necessary to sacrifice the performance or longevity of individual aspects of the business. When a business is facing financial difficulties, it may be necessary to cut costs or reduce certain services in order to ensure business survival.

In conclusion, the Mis-repair Accumulation Theory of Ageing is a useful concept for understanding the ageing of businesses. Just like people, businesses can become less adaptable as they age and grow, slower to respond to threats and opportunities. Inertia can make it hard for an older business to change focus. It is easy to see this as a consequence of size or complexity. However, it is important to recognise that it could be due to "mis-repair accumulation". By understanding the concept of mis-repair accumulation and its effects on ageing, businesses can use this theory to identify and address errors in their practices and policies in order to improve performance and reduce inertia.

While ageing is generally degenerative in living things, if mis-repair is proactively removed, it is not necessarily a degenerative process for businesses. By taking steps to monitor the environment and their internal operations, as well as their leadership teams and external threats, businesses can ensure that their practices and policies remain up-to-date, aligned and effective. In this way, businesses can use the Mis-repair Accumulation Theory of Ageing to improve their performance and ensure their long-term success.

1. Wang et al. (2009) Aging as a consequence of misrepair - A novel theory of aging. Nat. Prec. https://doi.org/10.1038/npre.2009.2988.1

2. Peter Senge (1994) The Fifth Discipline.

3. Arie De Geus (1997) The Living Company: Habits for Survival in a Turbulent Business Environment.

4. Naomi Stanford (2021) Organizations as Living Systems. https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/organisations-living-systems-naomi-stanford/

5. Manoj Pawar: Organizations as Living Systems: Lessons from Human Physiology. https://thesystemsthinker.com/organizations-as-living-systems-lessons-from-human-physiology/