Our Approach

Engaging with complexity is a fundamental part of the BIOSS SA perspective.

Global integration, organisational change, risk and opportunity all result in increased complexity and uncertainty at work. Performance at work therefore hinges heavily upon having the capability to make effective decisions in the face of uncertainty and complexity.

At BIOSS SA we therefore help organisations to understand their inherent complexity and ensure that the right people are in the right positions at the right time. In other words, they have the necessary capability to manage the complexity of their roles.

BIOSS SA offers its clients a model, the Matrix of Working Relationships (MWR), which unpacks the concept of organisational complexity.

The MWR identifies seven themes of work, each differing in terms of its complexity and time-span of decision-making. No theme is more important than another, and each theme has a valuable contribution to make to an organisation’s functioning.

The MWR can be viewed as a whole or divided into three parts:

• The Operational Matrix (least uncertainty and complexity)
  Levels 1, 2 and 3, where the themes of quality, service and practice focus on adding value for the present.

• The Organisational Matrix
  Levels 4 and 5, where themes of strategic development and strategic intent focus on longer-term objectives of the organisation.

• The Strategic Matrix (most uncertainty and complexity)
  Levels 6 and 7, where themes of corporate citizenship and corporate prescience focus on long-term strategic functioning and sustained viability of organisations for future generations.

Simply put, flow is the match between individuals’ capability and their challenge (job complexity).

When an individual’s capability (decision-making in the face of uncertainty) matches the challenges (complexity) of the role ‘flow’ is experienced. In flow they feel engaged, energised and effective in their decision-making. If an individual is out of flow they feel either underutilised or overwhelmed leading to a likely decrease in performance and withdrawal. As capability grows over time, individuals will instinctively seek greater challenge in order to sustain this sense of wellbeing.

In the same way, an organisation out of flow will eventually be overtaken – or taken over. In flow, however, organisations are confident in the face of change, and able to make the most of the opportunities in their environment.

BIOSS SA offers practical tools for a deeper understanding of capability and challenge, helping individuals and organisations restore and sustain a state of flow.