Summary for Thriving in an Anxious System

Anxious systems maintain their anxiety throughout the entire people system by continually running seven overlapping and intertwining operations or applications. These applications can be disabled as one would disable the start-up setting for a specific application on a computer.

To disable the Increase Effort App, –Play! To disable the Gather Information App, –Decide! To disable the Crave Certainty App, –Adventure! To disable the Depend on Reaction App, –Differentiate! To disable the Go Along App, –Choose. To disable the Discover Blame App, –Support Strengths. To disable the Fix It Quick App, –Support Process.

The operation applications in an anxious system are amazingly persistent. Finding ways to inject a little play or adventure or supporting of strengths into the mix could make a huge difference for a moment or two. Then the culture will likely return to its normal. This has been discussion of ways to survive and thrive.

Some of the ideas in this article came from: Friedman, Edwin H. A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix. New York: Seabury Books, 1999, 2007.

Copyright 2021 Wilma Zalabak