Not many management books tackle the question of excretion! However, natural waste is a healthy part of any living system. However, we must realise that waste is usually toxic to living organisms. It needs to be processed appropriately.

What do we mean by 'waste' in an organisation? Primarily I am thinking of the importance of 'failure' and setbacks to the process of learning. Living Organisations have an interesting attitude to 'failure'. Within them there is a policy: individuals are not accountable for their failures, but rather they are accountable for what they learn from their failures, and how they change their behaviour in response.

In a Living Organisation, appraisals value highly positive resolution of 'failure'.

And what of waste generally? Living Organisms are intolerant of wastage. Natural systems are often frugal. So, stewardship is a key value. Effective waste management is a by-product of good nutrition. Where departments are communicating clearly and openly with one another, many natural opportunities to eliminate waste arise.

I am diametrically opposed to 'saving'. Organisations that are forever merging departments as a means to cut costs are usually looking in the wrong direction. We live in an abundant universe. The lazy approach is to cut costs - the courageous way is to seek new opportunities to transform one department's excess or waste into another department's new business.

Effective stewardship can be demonstrated at every level - an organisation that actively recycles is practically demonstrating a belief in the value of waste management.

Summary

Living Organisations see the 'waste' of failure and setbacks as a natural part of the learning and development process. Rather than pretend it is not there, failure is faced up to and embraced for all the learning opportunities it offers. Living Organisations reward all successful learning 'recycled' from failure. Good stewardship is a characteristic of such organisations, with a gentle intolerance of unnecessary waste.