The big transformation - Self-efficacy in demand

We are in between. After a long period of peace, social and technological progress, economical success, we are in turbulence. It seems we have lost direction. One could sketch two extremes - the singularity believers striving to replace humans by artificial intelligence humanoids and by that demonstrating the human pre-eminence for the last time. On the opposite side the nationalists, even authoritarians which deny evolution and climate change working on killing the freedom the internet brought to billions of people, hoping to turn the wheels back in the better past.

So what to do? I feel it is time to change our mindset, to become aware of our new role. We need to deploy reflection upon the junctions to take into our future before coming up with fast solutions. 

Why? Change is the only constant. Innovation and evolution are in the centre of our life. Actually the “digital transformation”, “big data” and the millions of interconnected sensors – are promised to generate our future - despite missing cyber security. But this is not the point, I want to make today. I like to ask: “For what kind of future do we strive? Are we seriously interested in replacing us? What kind of innovation are we looking for?” And more importantly:"how will it evolve?" Which basic worldview, which model do we apply, the old mechanistic one or the new systemic one that is shaping the big transformation resulting in new roles, decision processes and governance measures?   

In the past centuries technological progress facilitated the work for us, which enabled the freedom for many to be creative, to develop new solutions and now - to reflect upon the direction of innovation. We became more human since we were no longer the “workhorses”. But technological progress and innovation does not happen, we shape it. We create by our thoughts, by acting and non-acting how the future will look like.  

Most of us are still coined by the mechanistic conception of the world, machines as the guiding primciple, precisely interacting as programmed, reaching clear, controllable set points in time. Not disturbed by surprise or unforeseeable events - everything is under control. Solutions are seeked and decisions are taken with a reductionistic approach by isolating the task from the connections and frames determining the outcome. But we know it better. In a highly networked world this model functions no longer; in contrast control cost increase as well as risks.  

If we step backwards and reflect upon all the knowledge we gained meanwhile we realize the human being, the ecosystem, our societies and the economy are living systems. Living systems have become ever more intelligent through adaptation to changing conditions in time during their long history of survival and development. They follow other rules than our organisations and political systems today. Any cell is important for the proper function and the network of equals decides upon the systems success, not a central command.

And I want to highlight,  they have developed bottom up – from single cells to complex systems, not top down as the dominant but slowly failing form of decision making and demanding change of today. The development is not through detailed guidelines (certificates are unknown as well), but by adaption to the changing framework. This adaptation happens at the individual level, each seems to know what to do and when. Self-organisation is the guiding principle. 

If we apply this we immediately recognize that the economic success of companies, the function of our institutions and societies will depend on each individual, co-creating the future and sharing responsibility. Anybody is part of it - without choice.  

But are we prepared for it? I think, not very well if we just consider the burnout and depression rates, the working days lost by muscular and skeletal diseases or the increasing (addictive) drug abuse in middle classes and management.  

How shall we lead, guide or shape if we cannot lead ourselves, feeling an internal conflict between wishes and musts, not being clear about what really matters for me. How shall I recognize and overcome the real objectives which led me fail to achieve my goals. What about my believes hindering personal well being and favouring the destrucrive search for appreciation?   

But we have the resources to change it. The core competency in demand is self-efficacy. We need to strengthen the trust in ourselves, to develop self-effectiveness. Self- efficacy makes us more independent, feel relaxed and safe. With this new strengths based on a changed mindset, being aware of our individual, context-specific intrinsic motivation we are prepared to lead.  

How do we achieve that routinely?  We apply the insights from systems theory, neurobiology and psychology which have been developed into methods each of us can use after being trained. ZRM, a model developed in Zurich, mental contrasting with implementation intentions (MCII) developed by G.?ttinger in New Yor/Hamburg, “if…, then…” sentences by P.Gollwitzer New York/Konstanz will help us to integrate our experience mostly residing in the unconscious with our cognition creating new automatism which ease realizing goals and developing our reflection. Recently Harvard recommended “if…, then… “sentences improving efficiency by 30% - I would rather go for effectiveness instead.

 We are used to improve our cognitive capabilities, we all heard about the need for lifelong learning and in the last years we became more active to work on our physical fitness to stay healthy. Now it is time to improve our self-efficacy to secure personal health and professional success.