Powered by SHBN GlobalFrom Invisible Friction to Healthy Organizations
Good people. Clear ambitions. Plenty of activity. So why do the same problems keep coming back? Join Anna Ahrenfelt and Marten Stenfors for a conversation that starts beneath the symptoms.
60 minutes · Q&A included · Recording for everyone who registers
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The same problems keep coming back. Maybe the problem is not the problem.
Silos. Slow decisions. Low engagement. Conflicts that never quite disappear. Change initiatives that create activity but not lasting movement. These are real, but they may not tell us what is actually creating them.
One simple logic: FIND, FIX, BUILD
An approach to organizational development that starts by seeing the system, not by adding another initiative.
See what you have stopped seeing
Make visible the friction your organization has learned to work around, until it became "how things work here".
Address the cause, not the symptom
Understand what in the system is creating the friction, rather than rushing to treat what is visible.
Create an organization that adapts
Move beyond reactive problem-solving and design the everyday system so people can perform, learn and adapt.
Healthy does not mean friction-free
Healthy organizations are not the ones without tension. They are the ones that can notice friction, talk about it, learn from it, act on it, and adapt.
We will look at what it takes to build that kind of organization before the next crisis arrives, and what leaders need to let go of to get there.
If you stopped waiting for problems to appear, what would you start building into your organization today?
A different way of looking at recurring problems
Drawing on stories from decades of executive leadership, consulting and change work.
- Why capable organizations still get stuck, and why the visible problem is often only part of the story
- Why an outside expert cannot "fix" a living system for you, and what good outside help really does
- Why resistance often contains valuable information, both emotional and factual
- How the system teaches people what behavior is safe and expected
- What leaders need to let go of so that responsibility and collective intelligence can grow
- A first look at the Friction Scorecard and the High5 Framework, two practical ways to move from seeing friction to building healthier ways of working
Two perspectives on the same problem
Not "expert and case study". Two practitioners reaching the same conclusion from opposite sides of the organization.
Anna Ahrenfelt
Co-author of The Invisible Friction. Helps organizations see the patterns beneath the story, connecting living systems, organizational development and sustainable change.
Marten Stenfors
Co-author of The Invisible Friction. Brings what it felt like inside complex organizations: what he tried, what worked, what failed, and what he would do differently now.
Voices on The Invisible Friction
Leaders and practitioners on the book behind this conversation.
"The Invisible Friction is filled with real-life stories that show how a more human way of leading can create positive results – for both organizations and people."
The combination of Anna's experience in change management and Mårten's business perspective makes the book both relevant and thought-provoking.
A book that really puts into words the invisible obstacles that often slow down organizations without anyone really being able to point out why.
How do we lead change? How do we create healthy organizations?
These questions Anna Ahrenfelt write about in the newly released book "The invisible friction" together with Mårten Stenfors.
“The book doesn’t just put words to the problem. It offers a different way of thinking: instead of doing more, understand what creates the friction—and build the conditions for people to perform.”
This idea stayed with me as I read The Invisible Friction by Anna Ahrenfelt and Mårten Stenfors over the summer. The book explores the "invisible friction" that exists within organizations. Vague priorities, conflicting goals, unnecessary dependencies, and unclear mandates can, collectively, drain a significant amount of energy.
For people who are tired of solving the same problem twice
Leaders, HR and OD professionals, consultants and change makers who are curious about what is underneath.
Questions
Is it really free?
Yes. It is a free live conversation, with time for your questions.
How long is it, and what is the format?
About 60 minutes. It is a conversation, in the spirit of The Invisible Friction Podcast, not a slide-heavy lecture. We keep a short reflection and Q&A in the session.
What if I cannot attend live?
Register anyway. We will email the recording to everyone who signed up.
Where do I join?
You will get the link in your confirmation email, plus reminders 24 hours and 30 minutes before we start.
Do I need to have read the book?
No. The conversation stands on its own. Reading the book afterwards gives you more depth and stories.
Come and see your organization differently
Tuesday, November 3 · 1:00 PM EST · Free and live online
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One movement. Many voices. Shared direction.
