The elements of a metanoic organization are similar to those of a championship crew. Obviously, one starts with talent, people who have mastered the skills and developed the power to excel as individuals. But good rowers are not enough. Winning next week's race might motivate better than average performance, but if you want great performance you must have a great goal, as championship performance comes only from striving for the championship. To excel, the team must have a purpose or vision that is challenging and lasting in order for peak performance to develop over time.
Moreover, the rowers must row together. Translation of the individual's commitment and resources into collective accomplishment requires alignment of individual energies. Many people with individual talent find rowing with others a difficult and frustrating skill. But when the crew starts to gel, something very exciting happens. Each individual is aware of a new dimension or feeling, as all eight blades strike the water in unison. There comes a rush of power as everyone recognizes how much more he can accomplish collectively. As alignment strengthens, individuals find themselves progressively more aware of and attuned to each other, sometimes to the point during peak performance where each experiences himself mystically as the entire team.
Talent, vision, and alignment still aren't enough. The most talented rowers, no matter how committed and aligned they may be, won't win many races in a leaky boat. A well-designed shell is a fourth element necessary for a championship crew.
This analogy points to what we believe are four vital elements of metanoic organizations,
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Individuals in metanoic organizations are capable, they have a deep and clear sense of shared purpose, around which they become highly aligned. They appreciate their organiza- tion as a whole rather than a collection of parts, so they design and develop organizational systems and policies that effectively transform their energies into collective results. Beyond this they exhibit a fifth characteristic, the
Reintegration of Intuition and rationality.
Together, these five characteristics precipitate a shift to the metanoic viewpoint.
The metanoic organization's ultimate strength is its belief in the creative power of highly aligned individuals. The vast majority of organizations simply do not work so well as people would like. Disillusionment, dissatisfaction, and ineffective use of human resources are generally accepted as normal - "Things don't work, and there's nothing I can really do about it. I'm dissatisfied, but I'm stuck in a system too big too unresponsive, and too complex to influence." Our sense of powerlessness stems from this point of view, which permeates most institutions and easily becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, if not an "absolute" truth.
The essence of rnetanoia is the individual's realization of the extraordinary Power of a group committed to a common vision. In metanoic organizations people don't assume they are powerless. They know and believe in the power of visioning, the power of the individual to determine his own destiny. Through responsible participation they empower each other and ultimately their institutions and society, thereby making life meaningful and satisfying for everyone.