Charles makes the potential organisational design point from
biological analogy, that speciation (significant change) takes place
"away from the rest" (a la Gould).
To extend this idea, consider what is the nature of that "distant
space" that allows for the new to emerge. After all, not every
instance of isolation results in new speciation. Much of it results
in extinction.
The most brutal competition in nature is sibling rivalry. It is
generally avoided. Competition occurs for resources within a space
and "only the fit survive". The question we are dealing with is
"arrival of the fittest".
The nature of the space is where there are, in some sense, spare and
unused resources. If the resources are the same and there are too
many of the original "tribe", then the new will likely not have the
incubation time needed to become robust in the environment. If the
resources are being used by other living things, then the same result
will likely occur.
Where there is a new use of resources or new integrations of
life-cycles - and some time for them to get established (connected or
coupled), then the new species will prosper.
This might serve as a useful metaphor for developing the new if large
organisations.
-- Michael McMaster Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk -Info: learning-org-approval@world.std.com or <http://world.std.com/~lo/>