Beyond Structures: Building Deliberately Adaptive Organisations With Mike Burrows Strategy Meets Reality podcast

Beyond Structures: Building Deliberately Adaptive Organisations with Mike Burrows

21d ago 49:52

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Most organisations focus on structure when they talk about change—but structure isn’t what makes an organisation adaptive.

In this opening episode, Mike Burrows joins host Mike Jones to explore what it really means to build deliberately adaptive organisations. Drawing on his work with Agendashift, Mike challenges the assumption that hierarchy or agile-by-the-book can handle complexity—and offers a practical, purpose-driven alternative.

We explore:

Why designing for participation matters more than structure
The trap of importing organisational models out of context
Why clarity of purpose is key in uncertain environments
What leaders need to unlearn to support real adaptability

If you’re wrestling with how to make your organisation more responsive, this conversation will help you rethink the basics.

Guest Bio:
Mike Burrows is the founder of Agendashift and author of Right to Left and Agendashift. He works globally with organisations building outcome-oriented, participatory approaches to change.

📘 Pre-order his new book Wholehearted: Engaging with Complexity the Deliberately Adaptive Organisation → https://amzn.eu/d/5ezZG1t

🎧 Keywords: strategy, organisational design, adaptability, Mike Burrows, deliberately adaptive organisations, Agendashift, leadership, systems thinking, complexity, participation, organisational change

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🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast

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💬 Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/

Chapters

1. Introduction (00:00:00)

2. Mike Burrows: Background and Journey (00:00:52)

3. Understanding Deliberately Adaptive Organisations (00:02:29)

4. Viable Systems Model: A New Perspective (00:04:43)

5. The Importance of Relationships in Organisations (00:07:33)

6. Balancing Freedom and Constraints (00:11:06)

7. Adaptive Strategising and Mutual Trust (00:14:29)

8. Inside-Out vs. Outside-In (00:19:10)

9. Organisational Silos and Disconnects (00:24:01)

10. Policies and Lifecycle Thinking (00:26:25)

11. Learning from the Past (00:28:10)

12. The Role of Social Capital (00:32:45)

13. Change Fatigue and System Capacity (00:34:55)

14. Elevating Conversations (00:41:18)

15. Experiential Learning and Leadership (00:47:15)

16. Outro (00:49:47)

5 episodes