Managing Systems Complexity Through Congruence

The purpose of this chapter is to explore a new approach to systems management through an adaptive method that informs systems competency. The approach is bundled into a management tool, the CX Tool^©. The CX Tool is a visual management method that measures and adapts between the reality of the current state and the desired condition of the future state for systems such as human and information. In managing these systems, the state of congruence between organizational thinking and doing is measured based on selected metrics and with consideration of the nature of systems as emergent, complex, adaptive and interrelated. Within the realms of thinking and doing, specific system elements are examined and measured for metric quality and the state of congruence in four tiers. For example, in Tier One, the CX Tool allows for visual diagramming of a system’s current and future states. It also enables analyses within, between and/or among system elements based on singular inputs. And further, in Tier Two, the CX Tool accounts for multiple inputs. In doing so, this tool informs specific points of improvement and draws also out the adaptive influences of specific changes in the system upon deployment. The CX Tool is based on the theoretical foundations of several scholars. In the following discussion of human-initiated systems, therefore, new consideration is provided in regard to management strategies for better agency to:

Theories of systems, systems management, organizational sense making and system dissonance/congruence are presented to frame the foundations of the CX Tool. In short, the CX Tool seeks to add to the body of knowledge on systems management.