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Is the true Beta visible in the Dialectic?
The second zone in [7] The Matrix is inception and the sub-process of this zone should take on the shape of [2] The Dialectic. The Dialectic is about opening up space for change/innovation/revelation in the system through balancing the creative tension between the Alpha and Beta. But according to the Sight Lines of the Matrix, the only clear relationships from Zone 2 relate to the Prime (origin, past) and the Alpha. Two questions:
- Does this correspond with reality?
- If it does, what are the practical implications?
On the first question: Yes, I think it does. Think about a system that is primarily a human activity like [7] Emergent Leadership. The Zone 2 inception step is Story. The Zone 3 reception step is Meaning. While Story involves the creative tension between aspiration (the near analog of the “Strategy” Alpha) and situation (the near analog of the “Culture” Beta), the situation is only the perceived conditions external to the people in the process. There has been no data-driven or otherwise rigorous work to determine what Beta factors really exist. That would occur in the Meaning zone next step, thus it’s true that the real Beta can’t be seen until Zone 3.
The practical implications are probably numerous, but the first that comes to mind is process design: One should always hold loosely as a matter of perspective the perceived Beta in Zone 2. That isn’t to say it should be treated as if it is unreal: it is real to the agents in the system. However, there should always be an attempt in Zone 3 to rigorously establish verifiable truth about the Beta. This can be done through disciplined data-analysis, condition sampling, or well-controlled experiential experimentation, depending on what is appropriate to the process.
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