Power – the Modern Doctrine: Build Enduring Productive Relationships & Organizations

By Hamid Noorani

POWER The Modern Doctrine
Designing A Better Life



We can now build productive relationships within our families, our organizations, and across all cultural divides. We can arrive at rational decisions with consensus. We can now devise rational strategies with systemic solutions for sustainable growth. The modern philosophy of systems-thinking, with its scientific roots, adds both depth and scope to our understanding.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 25, 2009
• ISBN: 9781469124520

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Copyright © 2010 by Hamid Noorani. 69330-NOOR

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Table of Contents

SOMETHING TO SHARE

Foreword

WHO NEEDS A NEW DOCTRINE? WHY POWER?

Chapter 1

THE NEW WORLDVIEW

Chapter 2

…That All Men Are Created Equal

Chapter 3

ORGANIZATIONS

Chapter 4

RELATIONSHIPS

Chapter 5

THE RATIONAL MODEL

Chapter 6

ETHICS & PRAGMATISM

Chapter 7

INTEGRITY

Chapter 8

SYSTEM DESIGN - SYSTEM MANAGEMENT

Chapter 9

POLITICAL POWER

Chapter 10

CONCLUSION

LIST OF CONCEPT DEFINITIONS

SOMETHING TO SHARE

Many shared with me; many showered me with love. And they came from all parts of the world. First were my parents, who gave me life and all their love. Then were my grandparents who poured their affections on me. Many educated me in Iran, especially at Alborz High School. Many more educated me in England, Canada, and the USA. Many trained me in Canada, the USA, Switzerland, and Germany. My wife, daughters, brothers and sisters, friends, and colleagues have all supported me and created a nurturing environment for me to grow. And there were those countless people from all parts of the world who shared with me their thoughts, their experiences, and their humanity. Some who never knew me enriched me by the books they wrote. I am grateful to each and every one for all that I have received. And yes, I know what I owe humanity.

With this book, I share with you what I hold of central value: my understanding of life, of reality. It is my life’s work. It is the best I can offer. And I offer it to you. Others shared with me; I share with you.

Foreword

WHO NEEDS A NEW DOCTRINE? WHY POWER?

Power is the capacity to influence action. It is about changing matter in a desirable way. Physics tells us that it takes energy to alter matter, and that it also takes time.

In the human context we have found many ways of influencing action, ranging from physical power, mental power, and purchasing power — to political power and the power of persuasion. In all cases, we achieve our desired goals by influencing action – this is accomplished by controlling the flow of energy and managing the process of changing a parcel of matter.

As I type these words on this computer, I direct the flow of electrical energy to make changes on the computer’s memory in order to record my words. With every breath, you spend energy to generate a current of air through your lungs. All that we do involves expenditure of energy in a directed and organized way to alter matter in a way that serves our purpose.

With some energy, we can do something. With some energy, we can even gain more energy. Without energy, we would be dead.

Who needs power? I do. You do. And so does every other living creature on the face of the earth. We defined power as the capacity to influence action. Now, if we were to define life, the capacity to influence action would be an integral part of the definition. Life is the capacity to do. Power is inseparable from life.

To survive, we must all work for our basic needs. We all need power to get our food, build and defend our shelters, and protect ourselves against dangers. Organizations are no different. To survive, organizations also must find ways to meet their basic needs. We all need enough energy for manipulating matter to serve our needs.

Seeking power, therefore, is not limited to anti-social individuals with twisted personalities, as popular belief has it. Power is not equivalent to domination. Power is about changing matter. Power is necessary for life. All plants, animals, people, and organizations must follow the basic rules of power – or perish.

Power is so basic to life that the entire animal kingdom is in constant pursuit of it. We humans are not too different. The entire evolution of mankind (physical and cultural) revolves around power. Our entire history is about power: who has it, who wants it, and how is it used.

Knowledge is power because it gives us the capacity to influence action. Knowledge is valuable only because of the power it imparts. All knowledge is about power. So are all philosophy, all noble thoughts and acts, and all that is considered as good. This is the reason for the title of this book. Even though the purpose of this book is to explain the principles of the new philosophy of systems-thinking, in effect it describes our evolving modern doctrine of power. And here is how this new doctrine is different from the ways of the past.

Over the years we have identified four sources of power: money, relationships, health, and skills. This is still our basic understanding of power. But some of the methods of attaining it have changed in recent times. In the past, a different form of culture permitted select groups to influence action by limiting other people’s options and controlling their environment. Dictators asserted their will by monopolizing political power. Businesses worked to monopolize their market. Landowners made their profits through taking slaves. Parents believed that good children are obedient children. And nations saw their prosperity in colonizing others.

These methods all seemed totally logical at the time. Prosperity seemed possible only at the expense of others. This way of thinking was reinforced by the natural order of animals; animals sustain their life by taking life. Another factor reinforcing this viewpoint was the fragmentary worldview that saw the universe as a vast collection of individual parts. This fragmentary view of the world saw everything as isolated, disconnected, and unrelated. In this frame of mind, everyone sees their self-interests in a narrow and shortsighted way. In this frame of mind, everyone is out for themselves only, and does what he or she has to do without too much consideration of how it might affect others. In this frame of mind, ethics and pragmatism become two opposing ends of the scale of morality. The conventional wisdom was to take control, grab the reins of power, and never let go. But now we have a new doctrine of power for building a better future.

Let me explain my situation, and I have a hunch that yours is not too different. I did not build this place where I live. Others built it. I did not make my clothes either; others made these too. I rely on others for all my needs, including my happiness. I live in a network of interdependencies with others. I benefit from their work, their knowledge, ideas, inspirations, and good will. My happiness is only possible through the happiness of others.

How did I get all these people to willingly spend their time and energy working for me? How did I get a multitude of skilled and capable people to compete together for the opportunity of serving me? I did it by working for them. In our society today, this is the only acceptable way of living. And the Free Market economic system makes it all possible.

Power is possible through voluntary cooperation between people. In fact, the economic success of the democratic nations of the world with Free Market economies clearly proves that strong nations are made up of strong individuals. And what makes for strong individuals is the productive capacity they develop by competing to fulfill the needs of each other. It is by free interactions between people that wealth is created. Contrary to beliefs of the past, the modern view does not consider domination to be morally acceptable, or even effective in creating wealth.

Today the average middle-class family in a developed country enjoys a quality of life that would be the envy of past kings. They enjoy access to great volume of information, better education, more choices of entertainment, instant communication, international travel, varied and high quality food, greater comfort, and better healthcare than any king could dream of in the past. And all these blessing are obtained without conquering anyone, or dominating anyone, or subduing anyone.

Every day that you and I go to work, we have to be mindful of the needs of those who pay us. You may be self-employed – so you have to convince your customers that it is in their best interests to let you serve them, rather than your competition. Or you may work for a company – so you have to ensure that the company is happy with you, or you will not be employed for long.

In all cases we gain power by serving others. And we are not alone in this pursuit. This means we are usually competing with others. And we compete by offering more attractive options to our clients. We secure power by offering more choices to others, and in this way everyone benefits.

As you see, there has been a fundamental shift in our thinking in recent years. There is a new kind of selfishness, which seeks a multitude of self-interests simultaneously, and over a longer span of time. The only way to peace and prosperity is in fulfilling the inherent needs of others. Far from trying to monopolize power, we see corporations are now employing a mixed strategy of cooperation and competition. Instead of issuing commands to their employees, organizations are now trying to find ways to empower their work force. Parents are learning that the best way to help their children through the turbulent teen years is by slowly giving them more and more freedom from an early age so as to teach them decision-making and responsibility. We see self-interest accomplished through respecting the dignity and the rights of others.

We used to view every human interaction as a battle out of which a winner had to emerge. Now we are learning that in all our interactions it is possible to find solutions that benefit everyone. It is possible for everyone to win. And more, we are learning that in the long term we will all lose – unless we find ways for all to win. The modern philosophy of systems-thinking shows us how loving others is a self-serving act. It show us how loving the world is the ultimate rational strategy. We see nations integrate for their collective defense, as in NATO. We see nations integrate economically for their collective wealth, as in NAFTA. We even see nations that fought one another for centuries now integrate politically and economically, as in the European Union.

This is why I am writing this book; to define the principles of the modern doctrine of power, explain the rationale of these principles, and to share these with you.

I am intrigued by our modern doctrine of power because it raises questions about what is rational thought. You and I and everyone else claim to be rational. Yet when asked what the rational way is, we cannot explain it. Then we realize that our understanding of rational thought rests on the way we understand reality. You and I and everyone else also claim to be realists, and we cannot explain reality either. Yet our civilization is shaped by our understanding of rational thought, which in turn rests on the way we understand reality.

To build a better future we need to build a productive and stable civilization; one that is founded on rational principles. And a comprehensive rational model can be developed only from a more complete understanding of reality itself. The shift in our thinking about power is that deep – it is a shift in our understanding of what is rational. And even deeper, it is a shift in our understanding of the nature of reality, and our place within it. Our worldview is changing. We are developing the most comprehensive philosophy mankind ever had.

Power permeates all aspects of our lives, and so does the rational model that guides our thought processes. That rational model is defined by our conception of reality. A shift in thinking this deep has to usher a new phase in human civilization.

In this book, we will use our knowledge of physics to define our new conception of reality. We will then use this conception of reality to define our new rational model – our new philosophy. Throughout this book we will explore the broad implications of this new philosophy to the many aspects of our lives. We will examine how this new way of thinking explains our existing bodies of knowledge, and how it might help us in exploring new knowledge.

In every chapter, we will apply the principles of our new philosophy to some of our current common problems to demonstrate how these principles help us identify the systemic causes of the problems, and how they generate solutions for them. In Chapter 2, we will see how this new conception of reality changes the way we see others and ourselves. In Chapter 3, we explore the application of systems-thinking to organizations and define some common concepts in terms of systems. In Chapter 4, we do the same with some common concepts in relationships. This is to prepare for assembling a rational model based on systems-thinking in Chapter 5. Then, based on this rational model, we will apply systems-thinking to ethics and pragmatism in Chapter 6; to integrity in Chapter 7; to system design and system management in Chapter 8; and to political power in Chapter 9. Finally, we summarize our conclusions in Chapter 10.

We will define and explain many concepts in systems terms. At the end of this book you find a list of all these concepts and their definition in systems terms. You also find an index of the concepts and the pages where they are defined and elaborated.

To help you see the practical meaning of the concepts that we formulate in systems terms, and how they apply to our everyday life, I always refer you to your own experiences. Rather than cite countless examples of cases that you cannot examine and verify, I will ask you to consider a few of your own daily activities and experiences. I believe that by doing this, you will gain a better appreciation of these concepts – both the depth of their meanings and the breadth of their applications. In this way, you will see how universal these principles are. We start doing this right from the next chapter.

In following my thoughts and lines of reasoning, it might be helpful for you to know a little about my background. I am a native of Iran, educated in England, became a citizen of Canada, and now a citizen and resident of USA. My experience is in the manufacturing of chemicals and the sales of capital equipment. I currently teach courses in business management. My company, Powerful Methods Inc., provides executive development programs that are based on the new philosophy of systems-thinking. You can learn more about these programs by visiting our website: www.powerfulmethods.com.

For clarity of communication, I have written the concepts in italic, and definitions and summary sentences in bold.

Now, let us begin with understanding the new way of looking at things: our new worldview.

Chapter 1

THE NEW WORLDVIEW

We have known about logical reasoning for well over two thousand years. We have learned how to gather data for our reasoning – through experimentation and measurement – for the last few hundred years. But it was only relatively recently that we began to suspect that something even more basic than data and assumptions and logic was operating in our thought processes. It was so subtle that we did not notice it until a few decades ago. It has to do with our mental models, which are based on our rational model, and that in turn depends on the way we see things.

Most of us take it for granted that we can understand reality. Questioning our understanding of reality is scary. It means questioning our sanity. It means questioning all our knowledge about everything. This has serious implications and, for this reason, few question it.

When you and I look at something, we do not see what is really out there. The reason is simple. What is out there is so complex, so rich in data, that our brains simply cannot absorb it all. So we format what we see in a preconceived way. We see what is out there only through the filters we have created. We see things in terms of our expectations about reality. This is one of those things that we acquire from the culture in which we are raised. And this is why you notice vast differences in the way people from the East and West, for example, view themselves, their relationships, and their environment.

Much of our current thinking, especially here in the West, is based on a fragmentary worldview. Historians can debate its origins. However it came about, it is the foundation of our current civilization. We have used the fragmentary worldview to define and organize language, knowledge, property, responsibility, and power.

While this process of Analysis provides depth to our knowledge, it limits what we can see. For start, it prevents us from seeing the similarities between things. It also prevents us from seeing their interconnections. This is why we need a new way of seeing things; a new worldview.

There is a new way of looking at things that expands what we see when we observe something. It builds on the strengths of Eastern and Western cultures, and complements them all. And in doing so, it brings all cultures closer together by bridging the divides between them. This new worldview alters our attitudes and the kind of questions we ask. This new worldview will offer all parts of the human race a shared understanding to guide them in their interactions, and so will become the basis of a global culture.

The best way I can describe the new worldview is to ask you to think of the ecosystem. The first thing we can say about the ecosystem is that it is a system: it is made up of a number of components, each with a specific relationship to another, which defines the way it changes. The next thing we know about the ecosystem is our place within it; we are part of it. Our actions impact the ecosystem, and the ecosystem in turn impacts our actions.

But what is a system anyway? How do we know one when we see it? I offer you this definition: a system is a segment of space where matter is changed. I can almost hear you thinking, ‘But matter is constantly changing, and it’s everywhere. Does this mean that everything is a system?’ Yes, that is exactly right. We can consider the planet Earth as a system. We can consider the solar system as a system, or a galaxy, or the whole universe. We can even consider a single atom as a system. These are all segments of space where some parcel of matter and energy is altered in some way. Every system is therefore also a sub-system of the universal system.

Notice that I say consider. This is because we can arbitrarily define the boundaries of any segment of space for study. It all depends on what we are trying to find out and what action we are trying to influence.

Once we have identified the boundaries, we can plan a series of observations that would best help us understand what is going on within that system. Then we can apply various laws of physics to our observations to examine the relationships and events within that system in as much detail as we desire. We can identify the various components of the system, the mass of matter being changed, the processes by which matter is altered, the rate of change, and the energy source. We can study the dynamics of the system, how each part is impacted, how the whole system is impacted by its context, and how the context is impacted by the system.

Figure 1.1 below shows one way we can represent a segment of reality in terms of a system and its context. This is a universal model because it can represent everything that exists: from the minute, to the small, the large, the gigantic, and the humongous. We can use this model to represent a sub-atomic particle in the form of a vibrating string, a molecule, various objects, organism, organizations, planets, galaxies, and so on. All these systems — everything that exists by the virtue of occupying space — are explained by this one model.

69330-NOOR-PBint.pdf

Figure 1.1 – The System Model

Each system has a boundary, which defines the segment of space where a parcel of matter is changed. It has an input and an output. The input is the parcel of matter that is converted to the output. This is done by the parts and through the processes of the system. For example a plant converts the inputs of water, soil nutrients, and sunlight to the outputs of leaves, branches, flowers, and fruit. Humans convert the inputs of food and water to the output of work.

The system also has structures, which are its stable parameters. These structures direct the processes within the system. The structures determine what the system is capable of doing. And this is why they are so central in understanding any system. We will examine this concept in detail and with examples in Chapter 8.

The context is the larger system. We need an example to explain this concept. You and this book are a system. As you read these words, you are busy evaluating the ideas presented. The location where you are reading this book is the larger system; your context. You are a sub-system of that system. The temperature, noise level, and the air conditions of this place impact how you and the book are interacting as a system. You in turn impact the conditions of that place.

The place where you are reading this book is itself a sub-system of the city. The city is a sub-system of the county, which is itself a sub-system of the state, which is a sub-system of the country. The country is a sub-system of the continent, which is a sub-system of the planet, and so forth.

Notice how this concept organized your information about all these things. Notice also how this organization of information is shared by everyone else. There is instant consensus on the description of the situation at hand.

Everything that exists is a sub-system