Michael Lissack
Coherence provides a filter for sorting signal from noise in com- plex environments. 6. Learning Velocity How quickly does the organization convert experience into improved performance? Coherent organizations can integrate learning across boundaries because insights can be related to shared understanding. None of these indicators alone defines coherence, but together they create a diagnostic profile. Organizations can use regular pulse surveys, network analysis, and qualitative research to track these signals over time. Airbnb, for example, measures purpose alignment through quarterly surveys asking employees to rate their understanding of and connection to the company’s mission. They track decision velocity by monitoring the time between identifying opportunities and launching initiatives. And they assess boundary spanning through network analysis that maps col- laboration patterns across the organization. This measurement approach recognizes that coherence isn’t binary but exists on a spectrum. Organizations don’t achieve perfect coherence once and for all; they continually cultivate it through deliberate practice. THE COHERENCE-PURPOSE CONNECTION Coherence depends fundamentally on purpose—a clear answer to the question “why do we exist?” Purpose provides the gravitational center around which organizational activities can align without rigid control. But not all purpose statements create coherence. Many organizations have lofty mission statements that adorn their walls but don’t influence day-to-day decisions. True coherence requires what I call a “lived pur- pose”—one that manifests in organizational priorities, resource alloca- tion, and everyday behaviors. Three characteristics distinguish purposes that generate coherence: Meaningful: They connect to fundamental human values and needs rather than abstract business outcomes.
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