The T.H.R.I.V.E. Model

Trouble at the Border

Most organisations have people who are teeming with ideas and strategies for meeting the challenges and difficulties their organisation faces. There is also the proven phenomenon of ‘the wisdom of crowds’ showing that large groups can usually come up with better solutions to  problems than even the most expert individuals. 

The problem is how to harness these ideas and capabilities and put them to good use i.e. how to get over the border between good idea and practical implementation. On the surface it seems a relatively simple thing to manage: have brainstorming meetings, set goals and objectives, set up a change project and implement. This is how the vast majority of organisations currently work, but unfortunately these methods are no longer agile enough to deal with the speed of change or complexity occurring in the environment. This difficulty is compounded by the fact that most organisations operate a ‘blame’ culture of one sort or another and that individuals within that culture are often defensive, closed down or simply disinterested in participating in change for fear of putting their heads above the parapet. For this reason it is essential to re-engage and re-ignite the creativity,  and willingness to take responsibility in individuals and teams as well as putting in place proven methods for getting things done quickly.     

The T.H.R.I.V.E. model provides a framework within which to address the psychological and other factors experienced by people trying to get things done in trying times. True resilience requires a shift in mindset and thinking that can only occur with concerted effort. 

Human Factors

Human Factors is based on the science of ergonomics, which places the human at the centre of any engineering process. Often systems and procedures are designed without a full appreciation of how they will be implemented or used by human beings. Automation, Big Data and AI, increases the interdependency of complex information systems and their usability and impact. If they are to succeed these systems must place the human at the centre of the engineering process. Failure to do so, particularly in safety critical systems, such as aviation, can have catastrophic consequences. The T.H.R.I.V.E. model also seeks to widen its scope into anthro-engineering, and is at the fore front of research to understand the impact to the environment, nature and ecology of cyber technology.

Relationships

Positive Relationships have been proven to develop resilience within organisations. Transformational leadership, team work, operating fairly within a self- organising team, creates not only resilience, but improves performance and productivity. The ability to remain cohesive and avoid a ‘blame culture’, gives both individuals and organisations the framework in which to adapt to challenges, and work towards creating a thriving organisation.

Integrity

Integrity covers both the state of being whole and complete as well as doing the right thing. The ability to trust, to be brave and speak out, when things are not working, is what creates resilience and gives organisations the ability to adapt to change. The integrity of systems, procedures and protocols is inherently reliant on the people who validate the process, and ensure that it remains ethical and has not been compromised. Integrity also covers the creation of a culture where people are empowered to be authentic and speak up when things are not working the way they ought to.

Vision

Research demonstrates that having a vision is essential to creating excellent performance in an organisation. The stories and meaning that people ascribe to events and activities within an organisation can fundamentally affect outcomes. Often the difference between mediocre and top level performance is simply one of people buying into a vision that touches and inspires them.

Elasticity

Research shows that the way human beings habitually think and feel physically affects the structure of their brain. As a consequence it is important to develop agile and resourceful thinking habits both as individuals and teams which in turn can dramatically improve  creativity, problem solving, and long-term resilience.