Water of Systems Change (Part 1): The Visible Surface | Ep #93

Most leaders try to solve problems by changing the rules, but rules are just the surface of the water. In the first of a two-part series on the FSG framework, Zoran discusses the "Explicit" conditions of change: Policies, Practices, and Resource Flows. Learn why surface-level fixes often fail and what it actually takes to move the needle.

 🎙️ Built for Pressure is a short-form podcast for high performers, leaders, and decision-makers who thrive under pressure. Hosted and produced by Zoran Stojković.

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Transcript

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Welcome to the Built for Pressure podcast, episode 93. I'm Zoran Stoikovic. We often try to change our outcomes by changing our rules. But as any operator knows, the rules are just the surface of the water. Today, we go deeper. We begin our series this week on the FSG Water of Systems Change Framework. In any high-stakes environment, when something goes wrong, the first instinct of leadership is to fix the system. But usually, what they mean is they want to fix the visible system. The FHG framework developed by Kania, Kramer, and Senj used an inverted triangle to show us how change actually happens. At the very top, we have the explicit conditions. These are the most visible, the most easily documented, and critically, the levels where most leaders waste 90% of the effort. There are three structural conditions here. Policies, practices, and resource flows. Let's look at policies first. These are the formal rules, the SOPs, the mission statements. They're the guardrails, if you will. When a team fails under pressure, the knee-jerk reaction is to write a new policy. But policy is passive. It's just ink on the page until it's animated by the layers beneath it. Next are practices. This is where the real work begins. Practices are the informal habits. The how we do things around here. If your policy says, for example, safety first, but your practice is to reward speed over precision, your policy is a lie. In a high-pressure environment, the gap between policy and practice is where disasters live. Systems change requires closing that gap, ensuring that the informal rituals of the team actually mirror the formal goals of the organization. The third surface condition is resource flows. This is the lifeblood. We aren't just talking about money. We're talking about the distribution of people, knowledge, and information. Who gets the best talent? Who is looped into the critical data? If you're trying to innovate, but your resource flow is stuck in a 20th century hierarchy, your system is clogged. Leaders love the explicit level because it feels productive. You can check a box when a new policy is signed, You can see a line item move on the budget. But here is the built-for-pressure reality. These structures are high drag. They're the heaviest parts of the system to move. And they offer the least leverage for long-term transformation. If you only work on the surface, you're merely moving the water around. You aren't changing the current. Structural change is necessary, but it is never sufficient. You truly move the needle we have to look to really truly move the needle we have to look at what holds these structures in place we have to look at the semi-explicit and implicit layers where we will that that where we're going to dive into what what actually matters the surface level is important i have to start there but the semi-explicit and implicit layers we're going to cover in the next episode. So today's reflection, look at your current bottleneck. Are you trying to solve a problem, a deep current problem with a surface policy? Are your resources flowing towards your mission or toward your habits? So high-quality information on these kind of topics is really hard to find. And if this episode provided value, please leave a rating or a review. This really ensures that this toolkit reaches the performers who need it most. See you in the next episode.