?? Principles of Adaptive Working

Hello! Alongside my Organisations & Complexity series, I’ve been playing around with the idea of a set of complexity-informed principles for teams/organisations exploring New Ways of Working. For now, I’m calling them ‘Principles of Adaptive Working’, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on version 1.0.

Check it out below and let me know what you think. Does it make sense? Is it helpful? Can you see your team or organisation applying them? Would you sign up to them? Please let me know!

Adaptive Working is a flexible set of principles designed to help organisations and teams explore more effective ways of working. Rooted in the realities of Complex Adaptive Systems, the Principles of Adaptive Working guide organisations to navigate uncertainty, build resilience, and position themselves to succeed by continuously learning, adapting, and evolving. At their core, the principles rely on healthy human interactions, which provide the energy needed to drive collaboration, culture, and engagement.

Today, all organisations face complexity, uncertainty, and constant change. Yet most remain guided by unwritten principles designed for a simpler, more predictable context (i.e. linear thinking). These legacy approaches often prioritise rigidity over adaptability, leaving organisations ill-prepared for today’s unpredictable realities. Clinging to outdated approaches puts our organisation’s survival at risk, and the Principles of Adaptive Working seek to address this.

Principles of Adaptive Working

Adaptive Working is not a step-by-step method; it is an acceptance of reality designed to upgrade collaboration, culture, and engagement. It comes to life when teams and organisations follow these principles:

1. Flexibility is Strength Plans are guides, not rigid instructions. Organisations succeed by adapting to changing circumstances, not by holding on to fixed strategies.
2. Empower Your People Those closest to the work often have the best insight into what is needed. Leadership provides clarity and support, enabling teams with the autonomy, tools, and trust to act confidently.
3. Healthy Human Interactions are Key Communication and collaboration are the lifeblood of organisations. When people interact freely, respectfully, and within an environment of psychological safety, they generate the energy needed for organisational development.
4. Feedback Drives Learning Feedback is essential for learning, improvement, and building trust. Adaptive organisations create a culture where feedback flows freely and respectfully, empowering individuals and teams to grow and adapt together.
5. Learning is Continuous Every outcome—success or setback—is an opportunity to learn. Progress comes from experimentation, reflection, and gradual improvement, not big bang transformation.
6. Diversity Fuels Resilience Varied perspectives create stronger, more innovative organisations. Embrace diverse approaches as a strength that helps teams to handle complex challenges.
7. Purpose Guides Freedom Shared goals provide alignment while enabling teams to adapt their approach. Autonomy works when supported by a clear sense of direction.
8. Context is Critical No two organisations are the same. Tailor approaches to fit your team and organisation's specific opportunities, challenges, and environment.
9. Conflict Enables Growth Handled constructively, differences can enable learning and stronger relationships. Adaptive organisations process conflict in ways that encourage progress rather than dysfunction.
10. Clarity Supports Adaptability Clear, simple and flexible agreements and structures allow organisations to adapt quickly and effectively without being bogged down by unnecessary bureaucracy.
11. Progress is Incremental Change typically comes from small steps rather than sweeping transformations. Constant incremental progress trumps periodic change programmes.
12. Organisations as Ecosystems Progressive organisations embrace their interconnectedness, understanding that small actions can ripple across teams and the organisation.
13. Trust is the Foundation Successful organisations prioritise trust—trust in people, processes, and Adaptive Working. Trust creates psychological safety, enabling experimentation, feedback, collaboration, and growth.
14. Embrace Uncertainty The future is unpredictable. Instead of clinging to certainty, adaptive organisations experiment and adjust quickly, using uncertainty as a catalyst for growth.

How to Start with Adaptive Working

Adaptive Working is not something you implement overnight. It’s a journey built on small, thoughtful steps over time. While there is no final destination, there are a few ways to get started:

1. Create Space for Experimentation Give teams the freedom to try new approaches, learn from their outcomes, and adjust. Progress comes from testing and refining ideas over time.
2. Simplify Rules and Processes Replace overly complex procedures with clear, flexible principles that empower people to act confidently without micromanagement.
3. Strengthen Connections Build opportunities for teams to interact, share, collaborate and learn from each other. Strong connections energise and sustain development.
4. Empower Local Decisions Shift authority to those closest to the work, trusting them to act within the organisation’s purpose and goals.
5. Ask Questions, Reflect Often Regularly step back to reflect: What’s working? What’s not? How can we improve? This habit of reflection drives learning and continuous growth.

A Reality Check for the Journey

This is not a quick fix or an easy path. Adaptive Working requires commitment, patience, and a willingness to embrace discomfort as you experiment and learn. Think of it like gardening: if you only tend to it occasionally, your garden won’t win any awards, and weeds will inevitably take over.

Similarly, in organisations, neglect allows unhelpful behaviours, inefficiencies, and poor practices to grow unchecked. Consistent care and attention—organisational gardening—are needed to nurture healthy interactions, adaptability, and growth.

A Guide, Not a Formula

Adaptive Working is a flexible way of thinking and acting, not a rigid formula or a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s not about perfection or following a blueprint—it’s about creating an environment where healthy human interactions, the freedom to interact, and simple rules power collaboration, innovation, and organisational development.

What’s one small step you can take to start your Adaptive Working journey? Simplify a process, create space for reflection, or empower your team to make decisions.

Begin where you are, experiment, and let the Principles of Adaptive Working guide your path forward.

?? Remember, I’d love your feedback on the Principles of Adaptive Working.

And if you find this content helpful, please help me by sharing it with colleagues and on LinkedIn. ??