(P3): The Adaptive Cycle

The Adaptive Cycle model, with two interacting cyles, a small fast one with reorganization and exploitation as its phases, and a large slow cycle with conservation and release as its phases
The Adaptive Cycle

The model above is the simplest version of the Adaptive Cycle I could find. There are a lot of more complex diagrams that are useful once you know how the basic model works. Think of how a forest comes back after a fire removes the previous forest. The recovery has 4 phases:

  • Fast Reorganization (Pioneer Exploration by First Weeds)
  • Fast Exploitation (Entrepreneurial Expansion by Most Successful Weeds)
  • Slow Conservation (Organizational Ecosystem Development by the Developing Forest)
  • Slow Degradation Followed by Fast Release (Collapse due to Increasing Brittleness over time)

This final phase of collapse creates the circumstances of a new cycle.

These cycles are not entirely predictable. But the larger phases can be recognized if not foretold by simple observation. (At least if you are looking for them.)

Author: disabilitynorm

hubby2jill, advocate50+yrs, change strategist, trainer, geezer, Tom and Pepper the wundermutts

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